So yesterday, I saw that once more has Facebook taken our privacy settings and screwed them over, leaving all the personal information out there for any intrepid individual (or company) to find. Although I willingly signed up for Facebook, I was smart and didn’t post too much personal information in there. I tried to use it merely as a promotional tool but as the years have gone on, I’ve watched as it prohibited use because I wouldn’t put in my birthday, or I was too restrictive on my settings, or so on. Little by little they dug away at the armor I had put up around me, finding little chinks and exploiting them so I’d have to give them more and more.

Yesterday was the final straw. I found that they had created a new feature from which you could not opt out of. The map feature was bad enough (talk about creating stalkers), but the new “relationships” page was just too much. I saw friends who had kept their profiles private splashed all over, with their private pictures all on this public page. I decided then and there to delete my Facebook profile.

I understand that Facebook is a business and the business is personal information, but holy sh*t Zuckerburg, really? I know many people who have kept their Facebook profiles private because they are private people and are only on to communicate with a handful of friends. It appears that Facebook just about shat on its users and is forcing them to smile about it. You think the outcry when timeline was forced on people was bad, just wait until word of this new feature gets around.

So far, Facebook has pulled this off with little announcement or fanfare. They learned from their timeline mistake and are no longer warning people of a change in terms of service beforehand. People aren’t getting a warning about their private lives going public anymore.

Here is an article talking about how to prevent Facebook from using your info. This was a sneaky, underhanded move by Zuckerburg and Co, one that I both applaud and revile him for. This is literally Facebook giving their users the middle finger because they know that right now, there is nothing better out there.

So can someone remind me, dear people, of what happens when a company becomes so arrogant that they no longer care about the consequences of their actions?

I’ll still be here, on this blog, like I have been for the past few years. In fact, I think I’ve been here since 2006, while only on Facebook since 2008. I’ll update more (probably). I’ll also write more (more than likely, given as to how much more writing I did when I quit Facebook for two months earlier this year). I’ll still be on Twitter (because 140 characters or less is a fun challenge at times).

So I’m not leaving the internet. Just ensuring that Facebook is no longer a part of my life.