| Facebook invitation - how did they do this? Today a friend of mine sent me a Facebook invitation. Most of my friends have it, I've just chosen not to go there mainly over security concerns.
At the bottom of the message was a section that said:
"Other people you may know on Facebook:" and it proceeded to list several people I DO know but who do not know each other. Some are in my address book, some are not.
How'd they do that?
I have no intention of joining, but I get the feeling those massive databases companies are assembling are getting out of hand ... |
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 siljalineI'm lovin' that double widePremium
join:2002-10-12
Montreal, QC
kudos:17 | See this FAQ:
quote:
My Friend invited me to Facebook but I don't want my information in the database
»www.facebook.com/help/?faq=15320 |
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 nwrickertsand groperPremium,MVM
join:2004-09-04
Geneva, IL
kudos:7
 ·AT&T U-Verse
| reply to goalieskates
said by goalieskates:"Other people you may know on Facebook:" and it proceeded to list several people I DO know but who do not know each other. Some are in my address book, some are not. How'd they do that? Maybe you are in their address books.
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bt06437
join:2001-12-03
Carrollton, TX | reply to goalieskates
Maybe in your friends address book. |
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| reply to goalieskates
Against my better nature, I do have FB, just to keep up with some family. I don't use my actual real name. It constantly nags me to allow it to use the email addy I signed up with, to add more ppl to my list. NOT gonna happen. I wouldn't do that to my friends, family, and other contacts.
It sounds like someone you know, perhaps your friend, has allowed FB to access THEIR email contacts. |
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| reply to goalieskates
Thanks.
So since none of them know each other, they would all have given access and I just happen to be in all their address books? And FB is matching on that basis?
Yuck. Time to burn that email, I think. |
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 ashrc4
join:2009-02-06
australia | reply to goalieskates
said by goalieskates:"Other people you may know on Facebook:" and it proceeded to list several people I DO know but who do not know each other. Some are in my address book, some are not. How'd they do that? I have no intention of joining, but I get the feeling those massive databases companies are assembling are getting out of hand ... This video explains how facebook will search for people you may know when you request it for information.
It's similarly related but in reference to a new chain letter that poses the same question "How'd they do that?"
»www.youtube.com/watch?v=8c8ioswn···embedded
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Paradigm Shift beta test pilot. So far nothing to report.
Now is the not right time to stop folding. |
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| Thanks for the video. It's sort of related but not really.
After all, I don't belong to Facebook. Never have, never will. So this Automated Research (or whatever) has me in their files even though I'm not a member/customer.
And since I'm not a member/customer, I don't have the same option to opt out or block as a member does. I find that a little unnerving to tell the truth. |
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ashrc4
join:2009-02-06
australia | said by goalieskates:Thanks for the video. It's sort of related but not really. After all, I don't belong to Facebook. Never have, never will. So this Automated Research (or whatever) has me in their files even though I'm not a member/customer. And since I'm not a member/customer, I don't have the same option to opt out or block as a member does. I find that a little unnerving to tell the truth. My interpretation is that there is some confusion b/w gathering a likely group of people in a list using facebook data base and a perception that these people have access to your profile.
The video clears this up for me in respect to ones personal settings
ash
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Paradigm Shift beta test pilot. So far nothing to report.
Now is the not right time to stop folding. |
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Mele20Premium
join:2001-06-05
Hilo, HI
kudos:4 | reply to goalieskates
I got one of those invites from a friend. I hate Facebook because of the privacy issues there and I have never used it, never been to my friend's page, never would join Facebook or even allow a cookie if I went to some member's page there. I block Facebook in my Hosts file.
So, when I got that invite in one of my email addresses, I immediately disabled that email account and opened a new one and am still finding sites where I registered and gave that old address to and it has been quite a task to move everything to the new account as that was my oldest email account and thus had been used more than my other, newer accounts. I did not give my friend the new account address.
I use email mostly now for newsletters, list servs, for registering at websites, etc. For friends whom I really want to have an email address, I give them a NON ISP one that isn't always reliable, or even working, but is less traceable if they do stupid things like giving Facebook their address book.
The irony was that my friend compromised my email address because she wanted me to see the photos she put on her wall. All she needed to do was use Opera's Unite to share her photos in a SAFE and PRIVATE manner.
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When governments fear people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny. Thomas Jefferson |
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 techjoePremium
join:2004-02-20
Warrenville, IL
kudos:1
 ·MegaPath
 ·Sprint Mobile Br..
 ·Comcast
| That's the issue with it, it's so easy to snowball the size of that database once they began...Especially when the people you trust with information is more free in giving it away to third parties than you'd like. I truly hate these massive identity databases. They may be harmless right now, but you know a LOT of Less Than Good people are drooling over gaining access to it.....
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Baka wa shinanakya naoranai |
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 elios
join:2005-11-15
Springfield, MO | reply to goalieskates
nothing wrong with facebook just dont post any thing you wouldnt any where else on it
and it wont turn up any thing that a google search of your name doesnt already or for 20 bucks |
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| said by elios:and it wont turn up any thing that a google search of your name doesnt already or for 20 bucks Sure it will. It links disparate people. Google wouldn't turn up the fact that one person was a distant relative from Seattle and another was a work colleague from Tennessee. They certainly don't know each other. The only thing they have in common is me, and Google wouldn't know that.
This is a new level of intrusiveness. And I have to wonder what could be done with that information. If that database is ever cracked, it could lead to some pretty creative scams. A person could assume anyone knowing their social interconnections must be a friend; it would be a spoofer's dream. Or even if not cracked - you could be turned down for a job because of the company you keep, through no fault of your own. You'd never know why.
If it happened to me you can bet it's happening to others. It's one thing to keep info on your customers (and they already keep too much of that), but strangers? That's crossing the line. |
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elios
join:2005-11-15
Springfield, MO
1 edit | you can block people not on your friend list from see any thing but your name whats the issue?
and really your name and 20 bucks would find me more usefull data then some one your grew up with |
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 jabarnutLight Years AwayPremium,MVM
join:2005-01-22
Galaxy M31
kudos:1
4 edits | reply to goalieskates
This Facebook nonsense drives me totally nuts too...everyone and their brother was sending me "invites" to join.
They don't seem to get the hint I want nothing to do with it.
And from the link above provided by siljaline  : »www.facebook.com/help/contact.ph···_removal
quote:
....
If you’re not a Facebook user we will delete your email address from our database at your request. However, since we must retain a copy of your email address in order to know not to send emails to it, we cannot guarantee that you will not receive Facebook emails on behalf of your friends and contacts who use the site...
LOL! So how do they "delete your email address from their database", and "retain a copy" at the same time? Guess it ain't really "deleted" after all, eh? 
Then it mentions about using the "opt out" link on the bottom of the actual invite email you receive from friends, instead of the form.
quote:
....If you would like to opt-out of emails sent by your friends through Facebook, please click on the opt-out link at the bottom of these emails instead of submitting this form.
And the page that comes up when you use the "opt-out" link at the bottom of the actual email invite from a "friend":
Of course, all of the "opting out" in the world may keep you from receiving further emails from Facebook (although I rather doubt it), but it isn't going to remove my email address from their database, especially when some new "acquaintance" who joins has me in their address book, or supplies my email address to them in order to send me an "invite", because they think Facebook is the hip thing to do these days. 
And I'm not about to keep changing my email address.
And yeah, I'm sure they have one heck of a database built up by now.
Editsalajabarnut™ |
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| reply to elios
said by elios:you can block people not on your friend list from see any thing but your name whats the issue? I'm not on Facebook.
So I don't have a friend list.
So I can't block anyone.
Got it now? |
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 Dude111An Awesome DudePremium
join:2003-08-04
USA
kudos:9
 ·Time Warner VOIP
| reply to goalieskates
quote:
It sounds like someone you know, perhaps your friend, has allowed FB to access THEIR email contacts.
Who the hell would do this?? (Only an idiot i think)
I cant believe how stupid people are that signup for this FB crap and they dont care about the security risks.......
I wouldnt touch FB (or any of those stupid sites) with a 10ft pole!! |
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| said by Dude111: quote:
It sounds like someone you know, perhaps your friend, has allowed FB to access THEIR email contacts.
Who the hell would do this?? (Only an idiot i think) The world is full of them.
Who would want to play the stupid games they have on there, and use the app's, that do nothing but data mine. You would be surprised.  |
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| reply to goalieskates
Oh man....
It didn't get it from any address book, email account...
When it said other people you might be friends with, those were friends of the person giving you the invitation...
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| said by Stray Bullet:Oh man.... It didn't get it from any address book, email account... When it said other people you might be friends with, those were friends of the person giving you the invitation... No, you're wrong. They don't know each other.
It definitely came from their address books. |
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