a quick note to say--

[kaberett]

In which the Internet is creepy: I spent Thursday & Friday nights at facesfriend's place. At no point did I connect to an internet via my laptop; at no point did I search the 'net for directions; and my phone Doesn't Internet and is in no wise associated with either Google or FB accounts. Most of our IMing is via gchat or IRC. How, then, is it that when I rocked up on facebook a little while ago from the Oxford Tube, it asked me if I lived in Cambridge, London, or facesfriend's area of town? BECAUSE IT HAS NEVER ASKED ME THAT BEFORE and Thursday was at most the second time I have been to that neck of the woods in my life.

Comments

[alexseanchai]

Big Data scares me and this is why. See also, the time Facebook asked if I knew one [redacted]. She's my therapist. Facebook should so hella not know who my therapist is.

But I don't know what to do about it except go totally off the Internet grid. And even then they'd still have all the previously collected data, and also so much of my life would lose vital functionality.

[worlds_of_smoke]

Yup, it scares me too. I've made multiple facebook accounts - one with Legal Name, one with Would Be Legal Name if not for $, and one with our name, which has no relation to Legal Name. And even with the third one, they suggested we friend our biomom. The first one and second one I can understand. The first one is, duh, Legal Name.

The second one differs in only first name. Our last name is really rare here in the US, so I can see their algorithms going "oh, well, there's this family of [legal last name], so maybe she's tied to them. :D". (even if biomom doesn't have me and my brothers' last name anymore.) But, weirdly, it hasn't suggested that I follow either of my brothers, so.. IDK.

But the third? There was absolutely no reason to connect that name to the biomom's. It creeped me right the hell out.