Facebook questions

Facebook is stalker territory.

About once a year or so the 17 year old blond that I shagged back in

About once a year I give her a good seeing to and then dump her again.

Run it in a separate browser, and only run that when you need to access Facebook. Don't use the browser for anything else. Don't use their app.

Alternatively Firefox has a 'Facebook container':

If you install the Facebook app on a phone, it plunders the contacts list and sends it to Facebook. Facebook encourages users to add their phone numbers to their accounts, or the app can ask your phone for your number, and so it shows those contacts as suggested friends. If somebody has your number on *their* phone and has run the app, Facebook thinks you might know them.

Other than that they just make stuff up at random, including lying to induce you to give them more info.

Theo

In message snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com, Scott snipped-for-privacy@gefion.myzen.co.uk> writes

Facebook ? Just say no.

Adrian

I shall look at this, but meantime is there no setting to prevent automatic login? It seems there was one in Chrome that has been discontinued.

Sounds like my separate browser should be Firefox.

If I install it on my PC, does this make it okay? I have given them the phone number for two factor authentication. Have I let the cat out of the bag?

But some of these are people I have never heard of who do not appear in my contacts, at least not under the names presented by Facebook.

Thanks for the heads-up.

I would normally, but it's a funeral overseas that I cannot attend due to Covid.

Facebook loves you to be logged in all the time so they can track you around the web. You can however set your browser to clear cookies on closing to avoid this, which will log you out. If you set your browser to remember your login details you can log back in in a single click.

By 'install on your PC', do you mean access through a browser? I don't think they have a desktop app (but maybe there's one lurking in the Windows Store or somewhere like that). The browser can't access most things on your PC without your cooperation, although a web site can ask for location (which will be inaccurate since your PC probably doesn't have GPS).

Maybe they're just random. They feed it all into a big machine learning model to make suggestions, so perhaps GIGO.

Theo

I would start up Sandbox from within Windows 10 and then dowload and run Firefox with the facebook container and then access the facebook site.

When finished, close the sandbox down.

Rinse and repeat as and when needed.

There is also Knoppix LiveCD or run Ubuntu liveCD from a DVD drive if you unplug your HDD/SDD first. This then runs the OS in RAM only.

I used to run Facebook in a VM until one day about 5 months ago, It suddenly threw a wobbly with a message saying my account has been locked. Facebook message said 'We have seen unusual activity on your account and we will take you thru' some steps to unlock it'. This suited me, I have been wanting to dump Facebook, so this was a good opportunity.

Used to do the same with live Puppy Linux.

Because that is how Facebook is. Look at the settings, I'm sure you can limit stuff to whomever you want. It is basically funded by clicks and adverts though so what would you expect about the logging out? Facebook I found was like Hotel California, you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave. Brian

Also don't sign up with your main email address, use a disposable one. Brian

I used a disposable e-mail address, and filled in false details. It still suggested half a dozen people I know, before I'd even done anything else. I suspect that it tracks you using cookies it emplaces when you visit various sites, whether you're a Farceberk user or not.

I signed up for Facebook with one of my R&D email addresses 15 years ago. Never once used that profile.

It's amusing how many "friends" it's ,made, doing f*ck all.

But nowhere as impressive as the "career" my fake LinkedIn test profile (created 2010) has had. Loads of invites from people who remember working with them.

I gauge the usefulness of such platforms accordingly ..

If you are using the Facebook app, there is a setting buried deep which allows you to turn off the "People you might know" notification. It doesn't work, at least not on the Asus tablet I use.

It's actually my wife's account, as she wanted to see our grandchildren's photos on our daughter's FB page. We have no other "Friends", no contacts as it isn't a phone, and the browser apps are not used, I can only assume all these "people we might know" are generated randomly.

I have no interest at all in FB and all the other antisocial meeja apps.

yes people you might know...tee hee

Does the tablet share a google account with a phone? If so, have you disabled contact sync?

Friends of friends probably.

Scott has brought this to us :

..and most of them are foreigners you have certainly never heard of, or would want to have contact with.

Give FB the absolute minimum of personal information, no photo, nothing you do not absolutely have to - then use a browser, like Firefox, which can isolate it from your data.

Do you mean Firefox is special, or just that Firefox will not access my Chrome data?