Facebook bug dishes out notes designated private

Facebook users who type sensitive information into a site feature known as Notes may be interested in knowing that it is currently experiencing a bug that allows documents designated as private to be read anyway. A Facebook customer service representative privately confirmed the bug to a user who complained that notes he …

[Reginald Perrin]

Good work FaceBook

Want to alienate customers and piss them off? Hide issues from them, Crisis Management 101.

[Paul Wright]

Not just notes, but mail too

A while back, I had mail between two people I didn't know in both my Inbox and Sent Mail folders on Facebook. I submitted a support request about it but never heard back. Blogged about it at http://pw201.livejournal.com/79791.html

[Eddie Johnson]

A Simple Solution for Simple People

If you're dumb enough to use Facebook or MySpace or whateva other Web 2.0 site you completely deserve having all your private details exposed to the world. The solution is simple, just stop being an attention whore.

[Jach]

Bugs...

A lot of these bugs that I hear of are just so stupid, it amazes me that the programmers let them slip. What's so hard about querying a database to see if a message is marked public or private, and displaying it if and only if it's public?

[Slay]

Agree with Eddie

...Sort off.

First, I do have a Facebook account. But I accept my own clumsy attempt at being more social, when I should really just pop round the relevant mate's house. What I don't do is put anything personal or sensitive on Facebook.

Like Eddie says (is that an alias or a real name, doh) there have been enough question marks about Facebook and exposing too many personal details. If you put all your details or private information on there, you are either a) an idiot or b) young or craxy enough to want to use your details to try for the shag factor.

Either way, good luck to you :-)

[Mark]

Why on earth?

Would anyone put any data that qualified as sensitive anywhere near Web 2.0 sites?

[Anonymous Coward]

@Jach

I think the clue is in the word 'bug'.

[Matt Bradley]

"This is not a bug"

I think I've heard that one before. Allow me to translate:

"To clarify, this is not a bug. This user most likely set their Notes privacy settings to 'Only Me,' however, they include Notes on their Limited Profile. Therefore, the people on their Limited Profile list can see their notes."

... or to translate:

"This is not a bug, it's just stupid, misleading labelling of the privacy setting options"

Since when did "Only Me" mean "Only me, my family, my friends, and my friends friends who I met a party once... and that girl I met in a pub who seemed pretty hot, but turned out to be a complete wierdo, and will probably torch my house if I remove her from my friends list"

[Chris Cheale]

Facebook

... and? Storm, teacup?

Here's a hint, it's really basic, don't put anything on Facebook (irrespective of privacy settings) that you give a damn about. Nothing you want to retain copyright to, they own it, nothing you want to keep private (it's called a SOCIAL network) and nothing you'd be too ashamed for a prospective employer to see - they do look you know.

Facebook's alright - but just use a bit of common.