Facebook and Privacy

Are you concerned about your privacy on social networking sites?  Take a look at EPIC’s site on just this topic here.   You’ll learn a number of things.  For instance, the Canadian Privacy Commissioner investigated Facebook’s privacy practices, issued some findings, and Facebook listened and issued a press release about some changes it will make here.  Specifically, in that August 27, 2009 press release, Facebook says these will include:

“• Updating the Privacy Policy to better describe a number of practices, including the reasons for the collection of date of birth, account memorialization for deceased users, the distinction between account deactivation and deletion, and how its advertising programs work.

• Encouraging users to review their privacy settings to make sure the defaults and selections reflect the user’s preferences.

• Increasing the understanding and control a user has over the information accessed by third-party applications. Specifically, Facebook will introduce a new permissions model that will require applications to specify the categories of information they wish to access and obtain express consent from the user before any data is shared. In addition, the user will also have to specifically approve any access to their friends’ information, which would still be subject to the friend’s privacy and application settings.”

Go to the Settings tab, pick Privacy Settings, and pick what you want to be shared!

I’m back! New job, and married.

Sorry for the silence over the last couple months. I changed jobs (now a Corporate Counsel at LexisNexis) and got married! Very busy times. But I’m back!

Saturday Night Live Star Trek Sketch

http://www.hulu.com/watch/72444/saturday-night-live-update-feature-star-trek

Inside Facebook – a site that tracks Facebook’s changing statistics

Inside Facebook is a site that tracks Facebook’s changing statistics.   “[The majority of US Facebook users are now over 25. There are now 6 million users 13-17, 19.5 million 18-25, 13.4 million 26-34, 9.7 million 35-44, 4.6 million 45-54, and 2.8 million over 55. In other words, there are more Facebook users 26-44 than 18-25 today.”

Wow.  The older generation is seeing the benefit of SNS for communication.

Reminder – Non-competes are ENFORCEABLE

In this down economy, companies look to shore up what they have – including protecting their IP and going after what they see as unfair competition.  As a result, there is more litigation over non-compete clauses in employment contracts.  So, employees out there: Beware.  I hear a lot of you say to me at parties and other places – I have a non-compete, but it is not enforceable.  While that may be true in certain cases IN CALIFORNIA, we are in OHIO.  OHIO and virtually EVERY OTHER STATE enforce them.  It is also true that if it is written too broadly, say, perhaps saying that you can’t work in any state  in the union for 50 years, then the court won’t enforce it so broadly.  BUT it will generally enforce it TO SOME REASONABLE EXTENT.  That might mean, say 50 miles and 2 years – or something else entirely.  How far and for how long it is enforced will depend entirely on the industry.  Hairdressers might have a more limited enforceable radius than, say, computer sales folks. 

For all my friends out there, just be careful.  Please.

Family Portrait Time

Awww... Aren't we a good looking family?

Engaged!

Holiday Gift Giving for Lawyers

At Reid My Blog there is a great holiday gift guide for lawyers.

One of my favorites: Create your own motivational poster.

Cats on YouTube

Look — its a Japanese Rusty!

Wish list for fam and friends … making it easy