Facebook’s been doing some funny things lately. Except, they’re not so funny.  First, they changed the link to add a Fan page from “Become a Fan” to “Like.”  Facebook users are accustomed to clicking on a “like” when they “like” someone’s status update.  It’s an easy way to acknowledge someone or their comment without a stream of boring one word affirmations cluttering up everyone’s feed.

Clicking on “Like” in other places now has an entirely different result.  In fact, clicking on “Like” in response to something a friend has done has different results now, too.  If you’re not careful, it will sign you up to all kinds of pages, and you won’t necessarily know you’ve done it.  A friend became a fan of a page.  How did I know?  A status update came through reading “Friend likes Such-And-Such Page.”  Underneath this update, I had the standard Comment and Like links.  I clicked “Like” meaning I liked the idea of what she’d done.  Unfortunately, it also signed me up as a member of “Such-And-Such Fan Page.”  This was a definite UNLIKE.  I didn’t know it at the time.  I only realized it when I was looking through my configuration, and I found “Such-And-Such Fan Page” as well as a few others I’d apparently “liked” without realizing it.  This may be great for padding the memberships of various fan pages, but I really don’t think this it the way they want to do it.

That was the first thing they’ve done.  The second is this “Link Everyone Everywhere” thing they have going now.  First, they said you could opt out by going to Account, Privacy Settings, Applications and Websites, Instant Personalization Pilot Program, and unchecking the box in front of “Allow select partners to instantly personalize their features with my public information when I first arrive on their websites.”

As soon as I found out about that, I unchecked that box post haste.  Not only would all my public information on FB be available on that site, but all my friends could see it too.  I could quickly see information about me popping up in places on the web I didn’t want to make it available.

Fine.  I thought it was done.  I’d unchecked the box.  Then my brother made a comment about FB removing information if you didn’t let them post your information places.  I didn’t know what he meant until a day or two later when I came to FB, and they presented me with a box that I was (I guess) supposed to be all excited about offering me the opportunity to share all my entries with every page I’d become a fan of.  Huh?  No way.  There was no way to bypass the box.  I had to accept it or be reminded later.  Fine.  I went through and unchecked every single box, then clicked the acceptance.  FB shook it’s finger in my face and said, “If you don’t select at least one box, we’re remove your location, employment, and school information.”  I told them to have at it.  Then I went in and removed as much personal information as I could from my profile.

I also changed who could see all my “not allowed to post” applications that I wasn’t using anymore to Custom — Only Me.  A few days later, I decided to go in an BLOCK every application I was no longer using.  I couldn’t delete it, so as far as I can tell, BLOCKING is my only option.

Finally, I hear FB is getting ready to turn on geo-location capabilities.  Will they do this by default and broadcast  my MAC address location (essentially telling the world of my exact physical location when I’m posting)?  I don’t like this at all.  Twitter made that capability available, and I quickly told them “No Thank You” when asked (actually, it was more like “HELL NO!”).

I operate on Facebook under my legal, given name.  On the rest of the web, I operate under some variant of that or a pseudonym.  Why?  I’m not doing anything wrong.  But I also know there are twisted, sick people out there, and who knows if I’ll pick one up someday who just wants to do bad things.  I don’t want to make it easy for that person to do bad things.  My web experiences have all been good so far, but it only takes one freak.  Also, my husband prefers to keep his identity off the web.  He’s a very private person and believes he has the right to remain so (so do I).  I do the best I can to balance my partially public web presence and his desire for none at all.  I don’t need Facebook deciding the whole world should see my every move and comment.

I liken what they are doing to insisting I walk around on a city street with a flashing billboard over my head with my name and personal information as well as a map with my planned destination and highlighted trails for where I’ve been.

I wouldn’t do that in real life, and I make an effort not to do that on the web. Although, I realize a trained person with a mission to do so could follow me on the web, so can a trained investigator in real life. Generally speaking, that information isn’t available to someone seeing me walk down the street, and it should not be available to someone seeing me wandering the web.

I surfed to a Texas Supreme Court candidate’s site a few months ago and the web page had a column for Facebook on it. Since I was logged into FB in another window, my page showed up in the sidebar. I can’t describe how disconcerting this was, and it definitely cost the candidate my vote.

This is a pilot program with Facebook.  I’m sure it’s partially an effort to remain or obtain profitability.  I just don’t think it’s a good direction to force us into.  I’d hate to have to leave Facebook.  It’s a useful tool.  I’m not sure it would be useful enough to pay for — especially given the direction they seem to be moving.  Clearly, the landscape of social networking is changing.  I’m not sure it’s for the better.