GET A ROOM, yells Facebook as it stumbles on IRC, slaps it in an app Facebook has built an internet chat-room app that lets people anonymously gossip with one another, just like on IRC. The social network said its Rooms software for iOS lets netizens connect on shared interests and use pseudonyms in order to hide their identities from each other. Just like IRC. People can create their own room …
I run a stupid little threaded message board I created to learn PHP. No access without a login (i.e no robots), full SSL, no ads, no tracking. Been running for a decade - first 5 years fixing the worst of the bugs when I could be bothered (or undersood them) and some silly features, last 5 no real maintenance apart from server cost which is covered by a few people chucking a few quid a month (which they seem happy to do).
My point would be that a site doesn't need to make money. I've no issue with those that do, but if you hanker after some past idyll, it's probably still there if you want and if it isn't, there's nothing to stop you making it yourself, and it's easier today than it ever was.
8.5 million posts, marriages, births, divorces and a few deaths commemorated (but mainly what people are having for lunch)
I'm still using IRC after 20 or so years. It is still my favourite method of instant messaging as there's no stupid distractions like "apps" and photos. And as far as I'm aware the server admins don't care what I "like" and who I'm friends with.
I installed Palace Server on my laptop and had room pictures taken from my own home. If you clicked on the doors then you went into the adjacent room, or my garden. People were 'impressed' but my palace couldn't match the grandeur of most of the other ones. It was all a fun and learning experience. I found that you met people with social and conversation skills and some maturity in those days.
""A room is a feed of photos, videos, and text – not too different from the one you have on Instagram or Facebook – with a topic determined by whoever created the room," wrote product manager Josh Miller."
IRC even had that. Well, not photos and videos; but it does have DCC (and later extended version xdcc). You could tell your irc to send any file to a user, and that user would be asked if they wanted to accept this file. I only ever saw it used for warez (one could send the bot a request for a file, and it'd send it via DCC). irc is essentially text-based though, so letting the videos and pics drop in inline is a nice touch.
If I was Zuckerberg and wanted to take over the world this is exactly what I'd do to learn people's deepest secrets. I'm not sure if I'm horrified or deeply impressed.
If people let their guard down on there neglecting to consider the machine analysis linked to their real identity...
Forgive me for sounding like a member of the tinfoil hat brigade, but I just find it so hard to believe that they might not do that sort of machine monitored data dredging. I just find it too much to believe that the angle wont be exploited.
It's like they carefully considered what the limitations were on all the worst things about facebook and found a way to find a new low.
Doesn't matter how anonymous I am to other Facebook users, Facebook will know who I am and will undoubtedly be collecting what I say and knowing I said it.
If I anonymously revealed in confidence to anonymous friends that I'm into hardcore S&M, I'll bet I soon start to see Facebook ads for whips and "suggested posts" regarding a company that helps you build your own dungeon. Facebook wouldn't add something like this if they didn't see it as a way to further monetize you - now that they know everything public about their users, they want to know their secrets. They won't tell Facebook voluntarily, but they'll tell their friends, especially if they feel they have some level of anonymity, but doing so in this way will also be telling Facebook.
Who's to say who Facebook might share this information with, deliberately or not? They were, after all, one of the companies who were voluntarily cooperating with the NSA spying. They also make all their money off selling personal information (i.e. as with Google, we are not their customers, we are their product) and to say Facebook has a spotty record on privacy is a huge understatement. At least Google pretends like they're sorry when they get caught with their hand in the cookie jar. Facebook acts like the customer is in the wrong for calling them out on their abuses!
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