Buzz Networker - Social Networking

Scoble, Brogan and Others Make My Head Explode

by Kevin on January 4th, 2008

Today we are going to veer from the how to posts, the reviews, and the jokes about the endless Facebook Applications that have begun to haunt my dreams to talk about social media and the little clubs that revolve around certain social media writers. While I respect what a lot of these people have accomplished I think their views are so skewed and so self involved that they have removed themselves from the people that actually use the sites they talk about.

I have seen blog posts in the past where people have hammered Facebook and their use of user data. These bloggers try to use their blog as a rallying point for change, to get their readers all riled up at the evils of the social networking website. They talk about how privacy is important and change needs to happen. They look at how transparency is key for these websites moving forward, and that someday the users are going to fight back. However the average facebook user is probably more concerned that they were forced to use “is” in their status update for so long rather than how their data is being used. While I have been mildly annoyed by what has been written and the points of view that have been taken, I really just kind of ignore it and laugh at them while sitting at home and drinking myself to sleep.

Yesterday though the whole Scoble getting booted off Facebook (and later reinstated) made my head explode. To give you a brief recap of what happened:

Robert Scoble was booted off of Facebook for running a script on his page, which is a clear violation of the terms of service of Facebook. (EDIT: It was later explained that he was basically alpha testing for Plaxo.) From Facebook’s terms:

“use automated scripts to collect information from or otherwise interact with the Service or the Site;”

Well the twittering and blogging began with people turning Scoble into a martyr, saying that he should be able to do what he wants with his data. After reading a few posts I came across Chris Brogan’s Blog and my head exploded, it was nasty, my friend Shawn who shares a cubicle with me said it reminded him of the movie “Scanners”.

Here was my initial comment:

So Facebook is supposed to differentiate between Scoble scraping his profile using a script that is against the terms of service versus someone running a script for malicious purposes?

Facebook, MySpace and other social networking platforms are free service that allow you to connect to people, promote, discover new things you like, and find people with like interests. You are are going onto THEIR site, it isn’t your site. The data that you provide, the contacts you make, are all housed on THEIR site. You run the risk of losing this data and having the data used for other purposes by signing up for THEIR site.

This social media movement where people complain that it is unfair or that your data is so valuable and they wouldn’t have a site without it is so flawed. If you want the ability to connect, if you want to use their services, if you want to make a name for yourself on their networks abide by their terms of service and understand that you are just a number in their system.

Really it isn’t that hard.

Okay I think I laid out my point there… And honestly after I read Facebook’s response to Scoble I felt like I hit the nail on the head, as they laid out the reasoning why they banned him. Facebook is allowing him back on because he promised to stop running the script, which was against their terms of service.

The conversation continued in Brogan’s comments, I am not going to recap all the exchanges I had on there but I just want to point out the exact moment where my head exploded. First let me give you my comment:

I read the comments on here and see some people that Facebook deleting Scoble is like a death blow. (to facebook) Come on…

I just feel that a big deal is being made over something really small. He violated the TOS, he got deleted. Trying to turn him into a martyr (I am not saying you are doing this but I have seen this today) for user data is a tad much.

Then this nugget was dropped by Brogan:

Icons for a larger story, I believe.

And that point I vomited all over my keyboard. Give me a f’ing break.

i·con (ī‘kŏn‘)
n.

One who is the object of great attention and devotion; an idol: “He is … a pop icon designed and manufactured for the video generation” (Harry F. Waters).

The dude is a blogger who got banned for violating the terms of service of a website, something that happens to thousands of people a day. Talk about blowing something out of proportion. While I think talking about Social Media and how it is used is important, I think maybe a little restraint, context, and perspective is in order with a lot of these bloggers.

Sorry for the diversion from the regular topic.

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