Comment by corporalagumbo | Hacker News Reader

Comment by corporalagumbo | Hacker News Reader

Maybe this seems horrible right now, but Facebook didn't create these problems and contradictions, it just exposed them uncomfortably. I expect that the eventual abuses springing from this exposure will spur a counterreaction, hopefully with net-positive results. After all, what's the most meaningful take-away from this? Is it that Facebook is endangering individuals? Not really. Powerful, global social search tools like this were bound to happen eventually. The potential benefits of integrative technologies like this are just too great to ignore. No, the real take-away is this: sexual freedoms suck in Iran. Religious freedoms suck in China. And lots of people have embarrassing and/or contradictory and/or naive views and tastes.

So all this tells me is that we should focus on improving sexual freedoms in Iran and religious freedoms in China. Hopefully the people with embarrassing views will take care of themselves as tools such as this subject them to increasing scrutiny.

> Is it that Facebook is endangering individuals? Not really.

They most certainly are! Facebook keeps changing the rules of the game. There is a reason why so many countries have Ex post facto law. Facebook, by contract, ends up focusing on Ex post facto exploitation. Would people have put in these likes on the same account had they known that FB would create a search that would let anyone, anywhere do a simple query that exposes them in some way?

>Would people have put in these likes on the same account had they known that FB would create a search that would let anyone, anywhere do a simple query that exposes them in some way?

I doubt they'd have given a shit, let's be honest.

The majority, sure. But every time FB makes on of these changes some small percentage of people decide they've had enough.

And "Girls who are single and nearby and like getting drunk"... What noble redeeming value do you find in that search?

Increasing the efficiency of people's sex lives?

> And lots of people have embarrassing and/or contradictory and/or naive views and tastes.

That they should be keeping off the Internet.

Come on, don't be so harsh. Everyone has room to improve.

I'm not saying people shouldn't have X view, I'm saying today that they should know that posting, liking on facebook, etc. are equivalents of shouting it from the rooftop.

I could have expressed myself more carefully.

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