Do you have a Facebook account?

[Barefoot]

With lots and lots of your favorite images plastered there for the global community to view and enjoy?

Well, congratulations! All of your pretty pictures now belong to Facebook to do with as they please for ever and ever.

http://consumerist.com/5150175/facebooks-new-terms-of-service-we-can-do-anything-we-want-with-your-content-forever

In an effort to ease the fears of Facebook users regarding the ownership of content on Facebook’s website, Facebook’s founder Mark Zuckerberg addressed the concerns of subscribers in a statement released yesterday that in effect said….”these are not the droids you’re looking for”.

[Marko]

Did a podcast on this topic a while back and spoke specifically about Facebook. Basically I don't think they would ever try to profit from your stuff - that's not their game and they would still be inundated with lawsuits regardless of what their terms of service says. I think they are doing this just to operate in under a blanket of I can do what i want to do.
Personally though, i never upload anything good to facebook.

[Barefoot]

I hope you’re right and that there is already enough stock photography out there that Facebook doesn’t feel the need to make a buck by entering the market with the countless images they will now “possess” for eternity.

[AcadieLibre]

I tried facebook, lasted 3 days I think, I find it annoying, just not for me. I hear good things about it when trying to promote shows and other events but I just dislike it so much I don't use it. It may not be the current owners you need to worry about, should they be sold, go bankrupt that does leave the images they hold of your as something of value. I am at a lost why anyone would ever deal with a company that demands such terms in their TOS. If they will not use it, why have it? It is a company, should things go badly they may turn around and sell the images to make money.

[Barefoot]

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/19/technology/internet/19facebook.html?ref=technology

[Marko]

Yup - this is the new message when people loggin to their accounts:
Terms of Use Update

Over the past few days, we have received a lot of feedback about the new terms we posted two weeks ago. Because of this response, we have decided to return to our previous Terms of Use while we resolve the issues that people have raised. For more information, visit the Facebook Blog (http://blog.facebook.com/).

If you want to share your thoughts on what should be in the new terms, check out our group Facebook Bill of Rights and Responsibilities (http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=69048030774).

[merman]

ive always used the rule, if people can see it they can take it. Its the internet, freedom of information baby lol
I agree with marko, the book is probobly never take your shots for profit, and you dont lose any of your copyright, they just gain some.......and really, if you dont want people seeing it then dont upload it. Its a place to share with friends, not store/display your work. Besides facebook isnt the best place for pictures, unless you like low res lol
just my :twocents:
i could be completely wrong (its happend before)


i have a facebook account to anyone that is interested

[Michaelaw]

I read somewhere that the developers of face book have their roots in the CIA, FBI etc and I thought if that was true, what a clever way to build a massive database on a good percentage of society. The beauty of it is, it's all volunteered info, just kind of flows in. I'm never one for doing what the crowd does, never was...If the crowds goin with Nikon and Canon, then I'm going Olympus:)

[Lovin]

I'm never one for doing what the crowd does, never was...If the crowds goin with Nikon and Canon, then I'm going Olympus:)
I have the same impulse, and not with DSLR-s, in everything.
If everyone goes in one direction, I'll stop right away and think about what are the options, choice, etc.

[kat]

I personnally am starting to hate facebook. I find that it makes me mad most days when I get on. Someone writes this thing or that and it's never any good. If I could get my fishing game without facebook I'd never be on!!!

Wish I could say I wasn't one to follow but I am. Never had much confidence in my abilites - although I find that it's slowly going away as time passes on.

[Michaelaw]

If I could get my fishing game without facebook I'd never be on!!!



That made me laught big time...Thanks Kat, I needed that:D:D:D

[Lovin]

I have an account too, and some friends on facebook, but lately I'm not so active. I'm checking my account once a week.

[jjeling]

I will step in and second what Michael has said. I have always been one to go against the grain. Not in a radical fashion, but more along the lines of playing devils advocate. If someone says one thing, I will say the other, just to listen to their thought process or their justifications on their position. I too am not a big fan of facebook. I joined in the first few months it first was developed and took it down a couple months later. I have recently signed back up in the past couple months. I have had a ton of criticism from other artists(music) that said it was a great way to get your work out there. After listening to their advice, I started a facebook and myspace account. Myspace didnt really do anything but facebook BLEW UP! Almost overnight people Ive known for years, looked at my work and wanted something. Although it is not the best place to display pictures, I am adament on displaying low res bad quality images online. It does not make sense to me to display high res images, it just seems like bad news. Not only that, from a business standpoint, word of mouth is the best type of marketing their is. In my case, I have just put pictures up and let people say what they want. I have not solicited any business but have had made some major networking advances with other well known photographers. As many of you have stated, the internet preys upon the freedom of information, so Ive always figured it was better to display a bad, low res photo(less than 1 meg) on facebook, than display a quality, high res(greater than 2 megs) picture on flickr or smugmug. I have always considered myself a law obiding citizen and transparent in everyway. The notion that people "know" something about me is quite comical as I have nothing to hide and will tell someone anything if they asked. I have always criticized anyone that has joined facebook and found myself there in the end. I have found that it is what you make of it. It is just like this forum, but it revolves around me, myself, and I. It is what you make of it. If you make facebook a serious part of your life, you will probably be disappointed, but if you take if for face value, it can be a something better if you utilize it properly. Friends dont mean anything to me on facebook. My friends are the ones that call on a regular basis, facebook is nothing more than a direct networking tool in my opinion.

wow that turned out way longer than planned. sorry about the rant.

[Michaelaw]

Yes, I was a bit over the top with the FBI bit and have MORE than an active imagination:D But if I'm in need of a patsy, someone to nail with something and I'm in a position of power I could sure use a tool like Face book to find a mug to fit the bill. Sure life is stable (sort of) now but down the pike a bit who knows? I've just never been totally comfortable with the facebook / Myspace scene. I've also seen Facebook used to degrade people pretty hard through peer gossip, unsubstantiated crap but the whole sordid affair left it's mark on an innocent facebooker. Wish I could find the darned article about the founders though as it drew some really surprising connections.