Facebook Phone Numbers... the latest alarmist nonsense!

Aah... the joys of Facebook! I see today some more alarmist 'stuff and nonsense' being bandied about... people running around clucking like chickens without heads... about the latest concerns involving Facebook.

Here's an article in The Guardian, that stalwart defender of individual privacy, that exemplifies today's scaremongering wheeze: Is your private phone number on Facebook? Probably. And so are your friends | Technology | guardian.co.uk.

Apparently, Uploads from iPhones using the Facebook app will "push all your contacts onto Facebook's servers - where they'll be matched against any and everyone". The article asks... "Worried at all?"

Well, frankly NO!! So... what's the problem??? I always give my friends my phone numbers... don't you??? I am quite happy for my friends, on Facebook or anywhere else for that matter, to have my phone numbers... they might want to call me!!

So, what's the problem?? To my mind, if anyone insists on having twats on their Facebook contacts.... who might abuse this privilege... ask yourself... WHY do you have them???

My Privacy settings are set to "ONLY Friends". No one else can see my phone numbers. It really isn't a problem... if you manage your account on Facebook with a little bit of common sense... something which seems not as common as the phrase implies... it should not be a problem!!

Many people I see, posting on Facebook and elsewhere today,. are all worrying about whether their phone numbers are showing inappropriately... and yet many are the same people who do not worry at ALL... about the way email addresses are shared by everyone when forwarding email 'funnies'!!! I see people forwarding my personal email to everyone all the time... forwarded on to all sorts of strangers... and people we do not know... without ANY controls... then we wonder why we receive SPAM or nasty malware!! This, in my opinion... is a far bigger threat... and a bit of an old chestnut of mine. I blogged about this some time ago. You can read that article here if you're interested: And we wonder why we receive so much SPAM and Junk mail - Blind carbon copy... for Christ's sakes!

Those of you lucky people who receive MY emails know I delete ALL emails and forward on BCC... no one else sees who I have sent the email to... ONLY the recipient!! Simples!!

Going back to Facebook... some simple guidelines will avoid most problems. First and foremost... be careful who YOU ADD!! Set your Privacy settings properly... and you will NOT have to worry about a stranger phoning you up!! Then again... a heavy breather down the line might give you a laugh... might even get you excited... one way or other!! lol Hmmm.... I wonder who MY next phone call is going to be from??? heh heh