Another (interesting) Facebook privacy article

Okay, so I know that there have already been a lot of posts relating to privacy on Facebook, but here is an interesting one that was posted today: http://www.dailyfinance.com/story/company-news/why-i-quit-facebook/19473822/
Sam Gustin talks about how he has "de-friended"/deactivated his Facebook account because of constantly changing and confusing privacy settings. He ultimately decides to leave the site because its main concern now seems to be finding ways to utilize its users' identities for profit. He makes a quick reference to "Open Graph", the new application (or whatever you may call it) that allows users to "Like" things on other sites which will then show up on their Facebook. According to Gustin, if you don't take the time to go through each and every one of the 50 privacy settings, your personal information can be spread to Facebook's partner sites (CNN, Pandora, Yelp).

And speaking of privacy settings, here is a site with a few diagrams and images describing the how, when, and how much of Facebook's privacy policies (it's actually more interesting than it sounds- just take a look): http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/05/12/business/facebook-privacy.html
According to the site, Facebook has 50 privacy settings with over 170 options spread throughout the main account page. Its privacy policy, which was 1,004 words in 2005, has now spread and rambled on to 5,830 words...longer than the U.S. Constitution.

While I am not ready to give up my account, the idea is certainly being given consideration. Ideally, this would be the time for a new social networking site to come in and spur the mass migration which would either force Facebook to modify its attitude toward privacy, or leave it in the dust. But you have to wonder- with so much invested in Facebook (friends, pictures, posts, etc.), will we have the courage to leave and exercise our power?

-Jessica Gimbel