Facebook development causes more concerns

By Matthew Rainwater

DeKALB | The addition of Facebook’s News Feed feature threw users into an uproar soon after its introduction to the site Sept. 8. Nearly a month later, privacy issues with the site are still debated.

Expansion of the network

The Web site became an open network Tuesday. It was originally available only to those with a valid college e-mail address. Not too long ago, high school students were allowed access and now anyone with a valid e-mail address has the option of joining.

Despite security measures currently in place, as well as user privacy settings, there has been yet another backlash. Several groups have again been formed on the site, protesting the opening of Facebook. The company reports they have launched additional privacy controls with this new expansion.

These new privacy controls allow new users to join a regional network. Users also have the ability to restrict what their friends can learn about them, allowing users the choice to let their new friends view only portions of their profiles.

“We live in a boisterous sea of liberty, so to speak,” said associate communication professor Brian Thornton. “Facebook has no reasonable expectation of privacy, and so users have given up their privacy.”

The technical side of it

Lee Roberson, a junior computer science major, thinks the News Feed was the product of a development team eager to utilize everything the Web has to offer to provide people with the most feature-rich site on the Internet. Roberson also thinks the site has quickly adopted some of the most cutting-edge developments in user interface technology that have appeared in the past year.

“When computer scientists develop a software application, we have data on hand and want to make it as accessible as possible to our users,” Roberson said. “That’s why the News Feed was created.”

“We have some control over our involvement on Facebook, which is more than I can say for the other information collectors and sharers,” Roberson said. “There’s as much privacy in the world as you keep to yourself. It’s not about whether or not someone else is taking away your privacy — it’s about how much of it you give up.”

Matthew Rainwater is a Campus Reporter for the Northern Star.