Facebook Use and CHGPA Communications

[CraginS]

On one of the event planning threads,

And now RSVP on Facebook/invite your friends: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=185000784882690

There are a variety of personal privacy and computer security reasons to avoid Facebook. I have no problem with those who wish to using FB from communications, but I never will, and I advise my family not to.

For these reasons, please never demand that anyone in our community use FB to learn of events or to RSVP on it to be able to participate in them.

This advisory based on my personal interpretations of ongoing reports in my professional life. I will be happy to provide more information directly with anyone who is interested, but see no reason to start a FB debate thread in the forum.

[CraginS]

One response on the Repack thread said,

On Facebook, and having worked at a non-technical level in the cyber-intelligence business, I put myself in the sheep-like company of those who don't really believe privacy/security exists anymore and have stopped worrying about it...

As I said, I have no problem with personal decisions like this one. In fact, I rather understand it.

I am simply asking that the club, as an organization, not use FB as the exclusive communication and planning medium. FB is a fine, and potentially useful, component of a communication plan. But to force members to use FB in order to learn about and take part in club activities is going a bit far.

This effort for the chute pack is the second time this has happened. Last winter, we had meeting announcements that started out only on FB, and moved to the Forum only when some of us asked about details for the meeting.

[Dan T]

I know Craig well. I also know that he knows what he's talking about. Lets find another means of addressing the kinds of communication issues addressed in his comment.

Dan T

[pink_albatross]

I think it would be a public service to go into detail about the problems with facebook.
People who don't want to know about privacy and other security issues can just skim past the post, but I wager to bet that there are quite a few people who'd be interested to know.
-- ellis

[markc]

I have to mea-culpa a bit here: I simply haven't had the time to make it easy for others to promote
club events at the website, via both forum- and non-forum-related means. I'll see what I can do about
that, such that those responsible for running events can update things at chgpa.org as easily as at the
social media sites.

I'm not completely paranoid about socmed sites, but I have to admit that I make use of some security-related
practices when accessing, from a non-admin account. I can certainly understand that others might want
to be completely hands-off....

MarkC

[deveil]

what elvis said

[deveil]

general discussion forum, of course.

[bustedwing2]

I closed my facebook account down,don't care to have my business be the whole planets business.There's a lot of software snooping you have to agree to when you open a facebook account.Did somebody say attach a tracking device to your car and beam all your audio to Big Brother?Nazi b******* RichB

[rasmussenv]

Well, those concerned about privacy might tell me what my risks are. Strictly for purposes of being able to view other facebook sites (like Highland) and to RSVP to a high school reunion and CHGPA, etc, I created an account. It is essentially empty - I don't provide personal information and I only have the three friends I added for purposes of experimentation when I signed up. I don't accept others - simply because I don't post anything or really use facebook.

So ... I can still RSVP, but don't perceive the risks. Am I missing something?

[uplandann]

FB is not my go-to site for local flying info. Doesn't it make more sense to just keep club stuff on the club site? This seems like a no brainer.

IMO the best way to connect club with face book, would just to make CHGPA a group that you can 'join': showing support, rather than connecting club events etc... I think muddling FB and CHGPA events as a regular practice would muddle communication as well.
I support simplicity: Keep club events to the club site.

~Ann

[davidtheamazing1]

Hey all, no need to freak. Facebook membership isn't required to live and fly with us... everything on Facebook also corresponds to a thread topic in this forum.

That being said there are some aspects that Facebook greatly helps CHGPA with, such as event organizing, sharing info with friends on Facebook and recruiting new members. As you privacy experts know, Facebook doesn't track you down, it generally only has the info about you that you (or your friends) put in.

[brianvh]

Facebook doesn't track you down? Think again. I once nonchalantly took one of those silly surveys you find online - how to be a better womanizer or some such, just out of boredom, no apparent connection to facebook whatsoever. Suddenly all my friends on facebook found out I was taking that stupid survey. Many connections to disparate sites are made without your knowledge and broadcast to the world - it's just the facebook philosophy to inform the whole world of your life's minutia. You have to go burrowing down to find the switches to turn all this crap off.

Sure, facebook makes it easier to create a mass emailing that people can opt into or not for certain events, but it has downsides. As Cragin said, go ahead and use it, but also post on the listserver - without exception.

[brianvh]

" have to mea-culpa a bit here: I simply haven't had the time to make it easy for others to promote
club events at the website, via both forum- and non-forum-related means. I'll see what I can do about
that, such that those responsible for running events can update things at chgpa.org as easily as at the
social media sites."

Mark - someone who selflessly volunteers to provide a great service that's generally taken for granted should not be apologizing for not providing an even greater service. Implied apology NOT accepted.

[bustedwing2]

yeah,what he said. RichB

[Flying Lobster]

The power and reach of FB is undeniable. It does have inherent risks--most of which can be prevented by the user being astute about their privacy/application settings. As far as sniffers/hackers/snoopers malware/spyware etc., the risks may be somewhat higher than other forum formats--but not significantly so, IMO. They'd go out if business if that were not true.

marc

[CraginS]

Earlier in this thread, there were requests to share why I do not use, and do not recommend use of, FaceBook (FB). I put that off, because I do not want to open a thread discussion on the topic. That said, there is a recent magazine article that explains quite well a number of my ongoing concerns about FB.
If you are interested, go read the article
Facebook Facial Recognition: Why It's a Threat to Your Privacy
– Bill Snyder, CIO June 20, 2011
at
http://www.cio.com/article/print/684711

To remind folks, using FB is your choice. I don't; you can. Just please continue to use the web site and forum as the primary communication source for CHGPA, and use FB as ONE OF, but never THE ONLY way to reach the club membership.

If anyone wants to have further discussion on this issue, please do so by direct contact (e-mail or post flight talking out at sites), or open a thread down in the General Discussion Forum, and post a note in this thread pointing to that one.

Thanks, All,