Douglas Rushkoff wrote his last message on Facebook just after his birthday, some days ago; “Yes, I'm leaving Facebook myself - largely because the values and practices of the company running this website are just too inconsistent with those I've been espousing in my books, particularly Present Shock. Companies can misrepresent you based on your "likes", showing you in ads for things you may not even know about.
It feels inappropriate for me to be soliciting likes - and your vulnerability - particularly when I'm so busy arguing for people to maintain agency and authority over their digital selves. So I'm no longer going to use Facebook.
I have some readers who very much want to maintain a page for a Rushkoff community, and I am not going to stop them (any more than I'd stop a group creating an anti-Rushkoff community) - but please, proceed on Facebook at your own risk, and with knowledge that you are not in command of how your name and likeness are used here (much less the information collected about you). I really do appreciate your willingness to find out about what I'm doing, and encourage you to visit my website or subscribe to my RSS feed.”
Douglas Rushkoff is a media theorist and the author of books including Present Shock, Program or Be Programmed, Life Inc., and Media Virus. Rushkoff gave a great keynote speech at the O’Reilly Tools of Change for Publishing Conference last week,
Facebook can be used for many different things. I think it’s a great way to find friends or just have fun communicating with images, film or text But also how is it possible that Facebook doesn't establish a public debate about all the issues raised by Rushkoff and other eminent persons, ready to leave for ethical reasons?