Intel gives Facebook relationship advice

Intel wants privacy from Facebook
Intel wants privacy from Facebook

A worker at Intel has posted a blog post stating what changes he would like to see to Facebook, using the issues in his life as a case study.

In the revealing blog, Dale Taylor at Intel explains how he would like a number of things changed on the social-networking site, including how much information it gives out to non-direct Facebook folks.

Taylor uses the example of his divorce and explains: "My ex and her family are visible to me through our common children on Facebook. Honestly I would rather not know or see about anything to do with her and her family, yet I am confronted with it.

"I want to see what my children have to say, what they are thinking, doing etc but somehow block anything related to or linked to select others. Facebook needs to address this because life just isn't that simple and we need a way to manage our connections better."

Change given

The blog has been published on Intel's main website, with Taylor offering up a couple of changes made to the way Facebook relays information not directly related to the person viewing.

Here is the advice he gives, which we have coined the '3 Be Ables':

  • Be able to prioritise, perhaps with as few as 3 levels you could group people into for news you would rather see first… priority level A, B and C.
  • Be able to block anything having to do with, showing or related to specific individuals (without them knowing)
  • Be able to "drop" someone from your relationships and yet have them continue to think its still there. A stealth mode. Someone you don't want to offend but perhaps this relative posts updates a little too frequently for your tastes.

The post does bring up the well worn issue of privacy on the website. And although there are measures that can be taken to make sure your information is seen by friends and friends only, sometimes it might be that people who inadvertently receive information about you who may choose not to and don't want to upset you by letting you know this.

Via V3.co.uk

Marc Chacksfield

Marc Chacksfield is the Editor In Chief, Shortlist.com at DC Thomson. He started out life as a movie writer for numerous (now defunct) magazines and soon found himself online - editing a gaggle of gadget sites, including TechRadar, Digital Camera World and Tom's Guide UK. At Shortlist you'll find him mostly writing about movies and tech, so no change there then.