Facebook freaks me out

[Martinus]

Ok, it's freaky. Their people finding algorithm is becoming something out of a supernatural story.

It has this "people you may know" function, which suggests people for you to add. It used to suggest people who were friends of your friends, especially if several of your friends had the same friend in common... but recently it started to suggest people it has no way of knowing I know. Like my ex from 3 years ago. Or my work colleague. Or a client I worked for like 5 years ago.

Now, I don't have my employer name listed. I don't have anyone from work as my friend. And I don't have any friends of my ex (and never had him among my Facebook friends).

It's fucking freaky. 

[Razgovory]

Maybe you put people on your friend list you who you don't remember putting on the list. It keeps advising me to friend more Swedes.  Fuck no, I don't know how to remove the ones I have.

[Martinus]

Don't think that's it. I have only like 5 people from Poland as my Facebook friends (I use it mainly to keep in touch with people I know internationally). None of them is even remotely related to my work.

[ulmont]

It has this "people you may know" function, which suggests people for you to add. It used to suggest people who were friends of your friends, especially if several of your friends had the same friend in common... but recently it started to suggest people it has no way of knowing I know. Like my ex from 3 years ago. Or my work colleague. Or a client I worked for like 5 years ago.

Those people may have run through Facebook's friendfinder app - taking all their Gmail contacts or similar - and Facebook may have noticed your email was in their contacts.

[Razgovory]

I doubt it's supernatural, though.

[mongers]

Ok, it's freaky. Their people finding algorithm is becoming something out of a supernatural story.

It has this "people you may know" function, which suggests people for you to add. It used to suggest people who were friends of your friends, especially if several of your friends had the same friend in common... but recently it started to suggest people it has no way of knowing I know. Like my ex from 3 years ago. Or my work colleague. Or a client I worked for like 5 years ago.

Now, I don't have my employer name listed. I don't have anyone from work as my friend. And I don't have any friends of my ex (and never had him among my Facebook friends).

It's fucking freaky. 

I'll wager if both of you have at some stage searched for each other, their system will put two and two together.

Or even if if between you, him and another friend there have been two searches involving the three names, then that'll be logged. 

[The Brain]

I'm not on Facebook. I'm not dying to give my social info away to an organization that sells it to the highest bidder.

[Josquius]

Apparently there's some facial recognition stuff at work in facebook these days. Often innaccurate but...its there. Maybe that? You've photos of these people up/ they have of you?

[Bluebook]

I'm not on Facebook. I'm not dying to give my social info away to an organization that sells it to the highest bidder.

Who would want to buy your social info?

The Brain, social info: Nerd, likes computer wargames and miniatures, hangs around on an internet forum alot.

Cant really imagine lots of corporations flocking to purchase that info.

[The Brain]

I'm not on Facebook. I'm not dying to give my social info away to an organization that sells it to the highest bidder.

Who would want to buy your social info?

The Brain, social info: Nerd, likes computer wargames and miniatures, hangs around on an internet forum alot.

Cant really imagine lots of corporations flocking to purchase that info.

See? It works.

[Slargos]

I'm not on Facebook. I'm not dying to give my social info away to an organization that sells it to the highest bidder.

Who would want to buy your social info?

The Brain, social info: Nerd, likes computer wargames and miniatures, hangs around on an internet forum alot.

Cant really imagine lots of corporations flocking to purchase that info.

We already know you have a very poor imagination, you don't need to keep repeating the fact.

[Zanza]

It has this "people you may know" function, which suggests people for you to add. It used to suggest people who were friends of your friends, especially if several of your friends had the same friend in common... but recently it started to suggest people it has no way of knowing I know. Like my ex from 3 years ago. Or my work colleague. Or a client I worked for like 5 years ago.

Those people may have run through Facebook's friendfinder app - taking all their Gmail contacts or similar - and Facebook may have noticed your email was in their contacts.

This. It's well known too that Facebook does this and it's hardly supernatural or a technological marvel. It's just that the other side, not you, supplied the information that you "know" each other.

[Martinus]

It has this "people you may know" function, which suggests people for you to add. It used to suggest people who were friends of your friends, especially if several of your friends had the same friend in common... but recently it started to suggest people it has no way of knowing I know. Like my ex from 3 years ago. Or my work colleague. Or a client I worked for like 5 years ago.

Those people may have run through Facebook's friendfinder app - taking all their Gmail contacts or similar - and Facebook may have noticed your email was in their contacts.

This. It's well known too that Facebook does this and it's hardly supernatural or a technological marvel. It's just that the other side, not you, supplied the information that you "know" each other.

They can't, though. On Facebook I use an e-mail address [email protected]. These people only know me from my e-mail address firstname.lastname@myfirm'sname.com

And there are more people out there who have the same first name and last name as I do.

[Zanza]

They can't, though. On Facebook I use an e-mail address [email protected]. These people only know me from my e-mail address firstname.lastname@myfirm'sname.com

And there are more people out there who have the same first name and last name as I do.

How about your mobile phone number? Does your work colleague by chance have your private number and some of your other friends have that too? Does Facebook have your mobile phone number? Or your birthdate? Is it possible that your work colleague has your birthdate in his Outlook to be reminded on the day? Together with your name, that's enough to match.

When you use Facebook friendfinder, you give Facebook access to everything in your adressbook such as phone numbers, real world adresses, job titles etc.

[Martinus]

Ok mobile phone it is. Doh. Bloody Facebook spies.