After facebook’s most recent update I’ve noticed an increase in the number of items on my newsfeed which tell me exactly what my friends are doing. This includes stuff they’re reading, videos they’re watching, and in one case even items which they have purchased. Unfortunately, my friends are not actively sharing these items. These items are being shared for them by Facebook’s pervasive connection to every major website out there.
I’m not saying you should be hiding all these things from your pals; you don’t have to be embarrassed by how often you watch old Hanson music videos… or the number of Yahoo! articles you read about what LiLo is up to. But, you should be miffed and maybe even a little scared that FB knows these things about you, and is displaying them, and probably saving them. And probably selling them.
So. It is on this occasion I provide one – of many – ways to facebook safely (on a mac). This is the method I prefer because it provides an easy quicksilver / spotlight shortcut to FB. It involves sequestering Facebook into its own little program, independent of the browser you use and by extension the other websites you visit, so it can’t snoop as effectively.