Don't ever click on the little blue "f"

[FarCenter]

Using Facebook.com is OK.

However, don't ever click on the little blue "f" on other web sites. That is the way other sites gain access to your facebook data.

You know what "f" stands for.

[el_bryanto]

1. Seminal 80s synth pop band Falco?

[JHB]

2. Rock me, Analytica!

[Codeine]

7. Hello! Voronezh calling! nt

[IronLionZion]

3. The F stands for FUBAR

Also be wary of Facebook login authentication for lots of sites. Sure it's convenient to have fewer passwords to remember, but it's another way for them to collect data.

Google also has a similar login function that collects data, FYI.

[frazzled]

5. I never log into anything through Facebook

And I almost never allow my computer to "save" my passwords for various sites I use (is that just paranoia?). It's a pain in the neck to keep track of 50 different passwords. But I keep them all written down (what's the likelihood of someone breaking into my place to steal the list?).

On the other hand ... surrender Dorothy.

[unc70]

4. No need to click on the f

Just displaying the logo is all it takes. The image has scripts embedded with the image itself. These scripts are long added dynamically so they can be changed centrally. If you just look at the html that links to the image, it appears fairly innocent. To understand what is really happening, you need to untangle a complex mess of style sheets and of JavaScript buried in images and html headers. Similar techniques are used by Google Analytics, ad servers, and lots of other applications. Many of these are even able to insinuate themselves onto pages or applications unrelated to where they initially loaded.

To fully expose what gets loaded in, even on a site like DU, takes a lot of work, skill, and special tools. The simplest environment that can give you a hint of what is going on is to use the html debugger addin for Safari browser. It lets one easily examine the hidden scripts associated with ordinary looking pages and images.

The more you know, the scarier it is.

[FarCenter]

6. Thanks for the info