Facebook Reveals Location-based 'Places' Service

Great, so now they can sell my geographical location to their sponsors too.

lol imagine somebody throwing a sheep at you in the mall

"Great, so now they can sell my geographical location to their sponsors too."

Cry about it much?
You need to understand that you aren't special, at all. Nobody cares where you are specifically, and you aren't owed anything for the fact that they can indeed sell that data if they choose. You don't lose a thing from them knowing where you are, and some people actually gain.

LOL, Facebook sending trolls to post on THG? This response sounds so arrogant, I can almost believe Zucks himself made it.

I really don't see how you find that arrogant at all. I'm simply sick of hearing people moan about how their privacy is SO important, and how some billion dollar company knowing their physical location is somehow going to change ANYTHING.

The truth is, we aren't important. The data of each individual person means NOTHING, therefore, nothing will harm you specifically. The data is only valuable in bulk, for marketing purposes. It's not there so Facebook can send some government agent into the bar you're at to make sure you're not slipping something in a chicks drink, it's just not like that. Facebook is NEVER going to care about where any ONE specific person is at any time, ever, end of story.

That's not arrogant, that's just how it is. I'm 1000x more annoyed with leaving a comment on a Wordpress blog and having an increase in spam emails due to that. I doubt facebook is going to start sending advertisers to my physical location to bug me about buying something. Look at the situation realistically, it's not that complicated.

And I bet you lots of stalkers out there are doing a Mr. Burns 'exxcellent' O_o

As for the advertising information, this would be extremely valuable. Hundreds of thousands (if not millions?) world-wide using this feature, providing real-time info on where they shop, eat, etc., and all of it comes with a person's age, sex, education, etc.

Not to mention all the crazy cross-referencing that can be done with what sort of groups facebook users join or the things they "like". It's most corporation's wet dream for statistics among their target demographic - especially if it's the younger age groups, who are most likely to use this places feature.

This is like voluntarily putting a location-tracking micro chip in your neck. Seems harmless at first... but I've seen the movies.

Working for a payment tracking company, I can assure you that you are looking at this from the wrong angle. Facebook doesn't want to send people to a client's doorway. Door-to-door vacuum salesmen are a thing of the past. You visit Facebook's doorway. See those advertisements plastered all over the sites you visit? Well Google already knows if it can find out that you live in a particular state, that it's going to cater the advertisements for car insurance to your state.

I also found it pretty arrogant to object so strongly against possibilities in question. Unless you're a certified expert (Which the internet is just full of, I know), you probably could use a bit of reserve on giving out facts.

I called it arrogant because its not how it should be. Its arrogant for companies to just assume that because you use facebook to share pictures with grandma, that it entitles them to bombard you with their ads. It's arrogant to assume that because stores don't accept checks anymore, and I have to use a credit card instead, that makes it OK for Capital One to assume I need 10 more credit cards, and to mail me monthly with new applications.

Obviously Facebook needs to make money, but they go about it rather underhandedly. How many times have they been lambasted for their privacy policy or the lack of options to opt-out of certain things? Disclosure is what's needed here. They need to make it clear just exactly what information they are selling and to whom, not hide it 100 pages deep in their user agreement.

At least soo-nah-mee (the poster that started all this) realizes his information is being sold. How many people don't realize this is happening, and don't even realize that there's something they need to opt-out of?

LOL, might as well hang a sign on your door that reads "NOT HOME, PLEASE BREAK IN! DON'T FORGET TO SHUT THE DOOR ON THE WAY OUT, KTHXBYE"

GREAT! Now when I tell everyone "I'm sitting at my desk-dodging my Boss", they can tell I'm lying... I'm actually, UNDER my desk!

Well Duh!
Advertisers wont come to you, but rather when you are walking around you will be bombarded with messages telling you to "Go into the shop on your right and buy a new shirt" or "Turn around! See the ice cream parlour? Come in and have an ice cream!".
This is Minority Report style advertising.
And it sucks.

"And if you get raped by a pack of _______ it will be your fault, because you provoked them!" Nevermind, Mel Gibson's not really Toms Guide material.

maybe if the mob is searching for you ,they can find you really easy!!

Meh. Foursquare does this already, probably better. Twitter shows locations when you want it to. Facebook is late to this game.

But it might become big simply due to the sheer amount of people using Facebook. And as usual, per Facebook, it will be enabled by default - without the user's consent.

And Facebook will show it when you don't
It isn't governments we have to worry about turning into 1984, it's corporations
It already happens with Google, Facebook is next
If they 2 merge or Google buys Facebook the only way they won't be able to track everything you do is if you become Amish and hide underground when the satellites pass over

The real safety issue is that people just add "friends" on FB just to show off how many friends they have even people they don't know but add the wrong person or a predator and give away you location ! This is will end bad !!!