Facebook and privacy?

Here's another example of Facebook making data they have about me available to their partners.

I went to nominate Fastnote for an award on Mashable and was offered the option of signing into Mashable via Facebook.

OK.

Here's what I got:

Mashable is requesting permission to do the following:

Access my basic information Includes name, profile picture, gender, networks, user ID, list of friends, and any other information I've shared with everyone. Send me email Mashable may email me directly at (my real address)@yahoo.com · Post to my Wall Mashable may post status messages, notes, photos, and videos to my Wall Access my data any time Mashable may access my data when I'm not using the application Access my profile information About Me and Birthday

Mashable

Use of this data is subject to the Mashable Privacy Policy · Report Application

Wow.

Fastnote is staying clean and civil

Last month, we asked about the possible contradictions between civility and anonymity for Fastnote, a new site that says it's about "civil, public, and anonymous notes to anyone that everyone can read".

We said that Fastnote was staying clean and civil. Is it still?

Yes, it's still working - the site is clean and civil. They have an incredibly simple approach. Every note to anyone or comment on the note has a link right next to it that says "report". If you think something isn't civil, is offensive, or in any other way doesn't meet the guidelines, you simply click and report the note or comment. It's then teed up for other Fastnote users to assess through the community moderation process.

Nice new graphics and a simple "How Fastnote Works" link on the home page.

Fastnote seems like a good place to say anything (as long as it's civil) to anyone and a good place to see what people are saying to anyone.

Civil + Public = Fastnote.

Update on www.Fastnote.com

The big question with a new site that talks about "enabling people to send short, civil, anonymous notes to anyone and everyone can read the notes" is around anonymity.

How do you possibly keep the site clean and not have this be just a trash pit?

Well, it looks like Fastnote has found the answer. You make it easy for anyone to report offensive or inappropriate content and then you make it easy for users to moderate and vote on whether or note the content gets deleted.

Turns out that this is working well. People are writing thoughtful notes on Fastnote and the content is staying clean.

Here's some links to good notes on Fastnote - read what others have said and then write your own notes, too.

www.fastnote.com/president-barack-obama

www.fastnote.com/politicians-all-parties

www.fastnote.com/peggy-noonan

www.fastnote.com/civilination

You can tell the team at Fastnote what you think at www.fastnote.com/fastnote-com

Fastnote - new site for short, civil, anonymous notes to anyone that everyone can read

Fastnote, a new site where you can tell people what you think and see what people are saying to you and others. Make suggestions, recognize someone, thank someone, or share an idea.

Users can report offensive content and then other users moderate and decide whether or not the reported item should stay or be deleted.

Here's a good example of the type of content on this site - a user making a suggestion to President Barack Obama:

Jobs, Jobs, Jobs
Nice Town Hall on CNBC today. You need to better understand what small businesses need to create jobs and help them. Pick 10 people who run small businesses + meet with them every month and listen to them. No press. No aides. Just them and you.

Click http://www.fastnote.com/note/916 to see this one and many more.

Social Media, Free Speech, and Governments

Interesting case studies on how to use (and perhaps not use) social media in government - Charlotte NC is going down one path and Mecklenburg county (where Charlotte is located) is going down a different path. Good article here: http://bit.ly/cmP53c

NY Times Q&A with Facebook exec

Remarkable degree of passion in the five pages of comments on a fascinating Q&A with the NY Times and top Facebook exec. Worth reading all five pages of comments. http://nyti.ms/cyMIDd

Understanding before disagreeing

President Obama used a great phrase today in introducing Elena Kagan as his Supreme Court nominee - "understanding before disagreeing".

It's a great approach - listen, gather facts, understand the arguments, and then and only then make up your mind.

Certainly hope this comment truly reflects her approach. Now we just have to hope that the nomination review and confirmation processes are conducted in a civil and thoughtful fashion and not in the court of "outraged sound bites".