Are You Sure Those Photos Have Really Been Deleted?

When you delete a photo from a site such as Facebook, Bebo or MySpace, is it really deleted immediately, or even at all? According to some interesting research conducted by Light Blue Touchpaper, many sites do not remove photos even 30 days after the user has deleted them.

The study was conducted on 16 sites over the period of 30 days, and the results were awful. The details of the test, as described by LBT, are as follows:

For our experiment, we uploaded a test image onto 16 chosen sites with default permissions, then noted the URL of the uploaded image. Every site served the test image given knowledge of its URL except for Windows Lives Spaces, whose photo servers required session cookies (a refreshing congratulations to Microsoft for beating the competition in security). We ran our initial study for 30 days, and posted the results below. A dismal 7 of the 16 sites failed to revoke photos after 30 days

The sites that failed the test include most of the biggest social networks out there: Facebook (), MySpace (), Bebo, and hi5 flat out failed the test, meaning the deleted photos were still available at the same URL. On other sites, such as Blogger () and Friendster (), the removal of the photos in question took some time, but it was ultimately carried out within the 30 day limit. Only four sites - Flickr (), Photobucket (), Orkut and Windows Live Spaces (which used session cookies) - passed the test with flying colors.

This means that for most of these services user privacy isn’t very high on their list of priorities, as it’s technically easier to simply wait till the photos drop from the server’s cache. And yes, it’s all there (usually) in their TOS, but when you’re faced with the cold fact of your deleted photos not being removed even after 30 days, then “reasonable period of time” doesn’t really sound that reasonable anymore.

WARNING: Do Not Click Facebook Links to Ponbon.im 2009

UPDATE: We’re told the scam is now using multiple URLs ending in “.im”, as Facebook has blocked ponbon. Simple rule: don’t click links in Facebook messages that look suspicious.

Be warned that there’s another Facebook scam going around today: compromised accounts are sending out links to a site named “ponbon.im”, as shown in the image - do not visit this site. Our guess is that the attack is using accounts that were compromised previously - if you receive the mail, simply delete it without visiting the link.

The advice to avoid having your account compromised remains the same: make sure you run an up-to-date virus scanner, keep your OS updated, make sure you’re running the latest version of your web browser and do not enter your social networking passwords on third party sites.

If you’re concerned you might be affected by this or other scams, run a full virus scan on your system, clear the cookies in your browser (used by XSS attacks) and change your password for the compromised account.

New Facebook to Launch Video Chat?

Telltale signs in Facebook’s code suggest it might be testing a video calling feature. Notification messages visible in Facebook’s code include “Waiting for your friend…”, “Video call denied”, “Incoming call” and “Loading video call…”.

The clues, first spotted by AllFacebook, point towards a likely move for the website. We’re open, of course, to the possibility that other developers are able to host their code on the Facebook CDN, but assuming that AllFacebook’s assumption is correct and this is an upcoming product, there’s a strong case to be made for Facebook moving in this direction.

Facebook () wants to be the single place for all your online communication - from messaging to photosharing to status updates and instant messaging. Adding video chat, then, would seem like a logical next step. The revelation follows news this week that Facebook was adding Friend lists to chat.

It’s difficult to assess the impact of such a move. When Gtalk added support for video chat within Gmail (), it seemed like a blow to video chat leader Skype (). Except that the functionality wasn’t entirely web-based - it still required a download - and your email client isn’t a natural place for video chatting, which is more of a social experience than a means of productivity.

Facebook, however, may be able to play on its advantage: the social site is a natural venue for video chat, and if they can make it function without a download, there’s likely a huge market for video chat in schools and colleges that block downloaded software like Skype.

New Facebook Embraces OpenID; Login With Gmail 2009

Most major Web companies – Google (), Yahoo, Microsoft, etc. – have announced support for OpenID, meaning that you can use your credentials from any one of those services to register and login to third-party websites that support OpenID. But Facebook is taking a big leap beyond all of these companies today by enabling you to login to its own site using either Gmail () or OpenID.

That means that if you’re not one of the 200 million people on Facebook () yet (ok, you probably are, but for everyone else …), you can now signup using the same username and password you use to login to Gmail, or, in a bit more cumbersome fashion using an OpenID URL from another identity provider.

A bit more on how it works, from Facebook:

“Existing and new users can now link their Facebook accounts with their Gmail accounts or with accounts from those OpenID providers that support automatic login. Once a user links his or her account with a Gmail address or an OpenID URL, logs in to that account, then goes to Facebook, that user will already be logged in to Facebook.”

The implementation doesn’t seem to be live yet for everyone, but the focus on Gmail is especially interesting, given Google, through Friend Connect, is a bit of a competitor to Facebook, and Facebook, MySpace (), and Google are all offering identity platforms of their own that would seemingly compete with OpenID.

But, the integration seems to serve Facebook’s goal of establishing your social graph on the site, by helping you friend your existing Gmail contacts that use the social network. Facebook adds that Gmail users “get up and running after registering even faster than before, find their friends easily, and quickly engage on the site.”

This is big news in the world of OpenID, and it will be interesting to see if it paves the way for other major Web companies that have become identity providers to also do what Facebook is doing – becoming what’s known as a “relying party” and, for example, letting you login to Gmail with your Yahoo credentials.

New Facebook Connect Comes to Digg activated

Digg () has just rolled out its long anticipated integration of Facebook Connect. The move allows non-Digg users to sign into the social news site using their Facebook () credentials, while enabling current Digg users to connect their account with the social network.

Once Facebook Connect has been activated, you’re able to publish your Diggs, comments, and submissions back to your Facebook News Feed. You can also quickly invite your Facebook friends to Digg. Kevin Rose gives a quick tour of the integration in the video below:

This is an important move for both companies. For Digg, it means a lot more exposure on Facebook, as their millions of existing users link their accounts and publish information back to their News Feeds. For Facebook, it represents a huge new partner for Facebook Connect, which the company hopes will become an identity standard for users across the Web. The partnership was first announced all the way back in August of last year.

A Small Piece of the Old Facebook Returns New

When Facebook rolled out its latest redesign earlier this year, a number of valuable features from the previous iteration more or less disappeared. The social network has promised to bring back a number of them, and has been making progress towards doing so.

The latest enhancement (or “re-birth” might be more appropriate phrasing) comes in the form of once again knowing when your friends update profile information – like their favorite bands, “about me” area, or a new profile picture. However, unlike before, this information is not featured on your homepage, but rather on the Friends Page, where you can now sort by “Recently Updated” profiles.

Facebook has also introduced a new filter on the homepage – “Status Updates.” This eliminates other information from the News Feed like things your friends are doing on third-party applications and also seems to hide updates from Pages.

Ultimately, Facebook () is giving users back what they want, albeit in a somewhat more cumbersome way than the old homepage that preserves the company’s own vision of showing you everything your friends are doing around the Web.

Most of the comments on the Facebook blog post about the new features are decidedly negative, but so far, users aren’t voicing their frustrations by moving elsewhere – traffic to the social network continues to soar.

See Also: HOW TO: Survive th

NEW Facebook for Windows Mobile: Official at Last 2009

Windows Mobile users have long had to live without an official Facebook app. On Thursday, that all changes with the launch of Facebook for Windows Mobile 6. A test version of the app leaked in March, and now it goes on general release.

Although they’ve had to wait substantially longer than those with other handsets, Windows Mobile users do get one special feature: you can upload video straight to Facebook from the app, which Microsoft heralds as a first. Standard features listed by Microsoft include:

1. Send messages to any of the people in your Friends list.

2. Take pictures and videos on your phone, then upload them right to Facebook.

3. Send messages or call people in your Friends list.

4. Manage your profile and post anytime, anywhere.

Our lone Windows Mobile user at Mashable () describes it as “a cross between the BlackBerry and the iPhone app”, but far less impressive than either - it’s harder to navigate, with small buttons and more clicks required. It’s nice, however, to have phone book integration on a Windows Mobile device: this provides easy access to all Facebook friends who listed a phone number on their Facebook () profiles.

Having tested unofficial Facebook apps for Windows Mobile (see FriendMobilizer, for example), it’s fair to say there is little choice here: if you’re using Windows Mobile and want a Facebook app, here’s your solution.

Facebook’s Tolerance of Holocaust Denial Won’t Last 2009

Attorney Brian Cuban, brother to Dallas Mavericks owner and entrepreneur Mark Cuban, has published an open letter to Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg demanding the removal of Holocaust Denial groups from the site.

Brian has been asking Facebook to remove the groups since last year without success. He makes legitimate points, and even discounting the strong emotional reaction many of us have to Holocaust Denial, Cuban’s argument appears rational and without fault. Facebook will likely need to post a public response and even change its position.

The groups in question include “Holocaust: A Series of Lies,” and “Holocaust is a Holohoax”, but Facebook’s current position is that they will only block access to the groups from countries (such as Germany) where Holocaust Denial is illegal - they will not be removed in the US.

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Open Letter

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In his open letter, Cuban writes:

While I have made it clear that I would like to see these groups removed, I have done a poor job in articulating why. I attempted to take a short-sighted, back door “lawyer’s approach” with Facebook by alleging that Holocaust Denial was illegal in other countries and, therefore, a violation of Facebook TOS. While at the time, these were legitimate issues, I should have focused on the real issue. The issue of the proliferation of Facebook groups that promote hatred of religious and ethnics groups and the hate speech those groups perpetrate. While you may have your doubts, I submit that this includes those who promote the fringe revisionist theory of Holocaust Denial.

The Holocaust Denial movement is nothing more than a pretext to allow the preaching of hatred against Jews and to recruit other like minded individuals to do the same. Allowing these groups to flourish on Facebook under the guise of “open discussion” does nothing more than help spread their message of hate. Is this the kind of open discussion that Facebook wants to encourage? Is this really where they want to draw their line?

Cuban also posted Facebook’s stance on the situation, as expressed by Facebook representative Barry Schnitt in a CNN interview:

“It’s a difficult decision to make. We have a lot of internal debate and we bring in experts to talk about it,” Schnitt said. “Just being offensive or objectionable doesn’t get it taken off Facebook. We want it [the site] to be a place where people can discuss all kinds of ideas, including controversial ones.”

Schnitt further explained Facebook’s position to the blog Technically Incorrect:

“One thing to consider that someone actually mentioned in the thread was the idea that there may be a benefit to having these ideas discussed in the open. Would we rather Holocaust denial was discussed behind closed doors or quietly propagated by anonymous sources? Or would we rather it was discussed in the open on Facebook where people’s real names and their photo is associated with it for their friends, peers, and colleagues to see?”

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Inconsistent Policy

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We recently covered Facebook’s removal of a KKK group, which was fully justified by the Facebook Terms of Service: it forbids posting “hateful” content. It seems, then, that Facebook is being inconsistent: Holocaust Denial is generally considered to be antisemitic, and thus hateful. Even if you were to disagree that Holocaust Denial itself is hateful, you can visit those pages and find that they include a number of racist, antisemitic terms: the presence of racist words should surely make the decision a clear cut one.

It seems highly unlikely that Facebook will be able to maintain its position given that the groups appear to violate its own Terms: we may see a change of policy this week.

New Facebook Auto-Generates Friend Lists and Suggests Users

Recently, we’ve been preaching the benefits of organizing your Facebook () friends into lists to give you better control over privacy and information overload. Now, Facebook is making it easier for you to take advantage of these settings, with a redesign of its “Friends” page (one of the main links in Facebook’s navigation).

Most notably, Facebook is attempting to do much of the heavy lifting for you, by automatically organizing some of your friends into lists, if you’ve been consistently answering the “How do you know this person?” question that Facebook asks when you accept a friend request.

These lists have lots of implications. For one, you can restrict certain parts of your profile – like photos and videos – to only a select group of people (say, “People I trust my life with!”). Additionally, on your homepage, you can set one of these groups as your default when you login, meaning you’ll only see updates from “Close Friends” on your homepage if you want.

In addition to lists, Facebook has added an aggregation of “Suggested Users” on the “Find People You Know” area of the Friends page. These recommendations already show up on your homepage, but now there are more of them, with both profiles and pages (i.e. – brands and celebrities) mixed together. As before, these seem to be generated based on multiple friends already having a relationship with them.

Ultimately, this update looks to address one big concern with the current Facebook – that it’s overwhelming. The easier Facebook makes it to take advantage of lists, the more utility people will get out of the site, so it’s easy to see where they are coming from with these changes.

News How Facebook Serves Up Its 15 Billion Photos 2009

Facebook () might be known as the world’s biggest social network, but it’s also an enormous photo sharing site. The latest numbers the company has shared with us include 15 billion photos uploaded in total, an average of 220 million new pictures posted each week, and at its busiest, 550,000 images being loaded each second.

In the past month or so, a small team at Facebook has quietly rolled out a new infrastructure – dubbed Haystack - for supporting this massive storage and bandwidth hog. According to the engineers behind it, Haystack represents a 3x performance improvement for Facebook, translating into “substantial” cost savings and more efficient photo loading for users.

Without getting into all of the technical details (Facebook’s engineering blog has an extensive description), the basic change behind the scenes is that a single server now has a lot more capacity for serving and storing photos. With Facebook reportedly spending a ton of money on hardware, that could be big news for the company’s bottom line.

One interesting tidbit for Facebook users that I learned while talking with the engineers behind the project - Doug Beaver, Peter Vaigel, and Jason Sobel – is that when you load a photo from within an album, Facebook actually pre-loads the 3 photos to the right and the left of the one you’re looking at. This is what makes the experience of clicking “previous” and “next” almost instantaneous. I always assumed something like this was the case, but actually reading all the details is fairly interesting - if you’re into that sort of thing.

News TweetDeck Has a Fierce Rival in Seesmic Desktop 2009

Aside from the Twitter.com website, the desktop app TweetDeck is the undisputed king of Twitter apps, with 14.51% of users posting this way according to TwitStat. That compares to 24.54% on Twitter itself.

The only posting method to come even close to TweetDeck ()’s lead among third-party clients is the iPhone app (and now Mac desktop app) Tweetie, which 8.80% of Twitter () users utilize. And yet, on features at least, TweetDeck now has a rival on its tail: Seesmic Desktop (), which only 2.16% of users choose to post with, is iterating faster and may have taken the lead on some key features.

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Seesmic Appears to Emulate TweetDeck

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Seesmic Desktop, which owes its pedigree to the single-column desktop Twitter app Twhirl (), was clearly an attempt to emulate TweetDeck: the layout is virtually the same, with multiple columns of updates as the defining feature. Seesmic Desktop was seen as a follower, but not a leader. And yet it did boast an incredibly useful feature that TweetDeck still lacks: support for posting to multiple Twitter accounts. TweetDeck has another limitation, too: it limits you to 10 columns of updates, while Seesmic () has no such limit.

The Seesmic Desktop launch may have kept TweetDeck on its toes: the timing was perhaps coincidental, but the day after Seesmic Desktop’s release, TweetDeck patched a memory leak which was slowing down computers and could have encouraged users to look for alternatives.

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Imitator Becomes an Innovator?

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Today’s update to Seesmic Desktop puts it a step ahead on some Facebook ()-related features: while TweetDeck lets you view updates from Facebook friends and post status updates to the site, Seesmic has added the ability to view Facebook comments, “like” updates, view Facebook photos and more.

For many, this won’t be a compelling reason to switch to a newcomer, but it may mark Seesmic Desktop’s transition from TweetDeck imitator to social media innovator.

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New Facebook Inches Towards Real-Time

We apparently can’t get our social information fast enough. In fact, it almost seems like a race for who can get information out the fastest. Twitter () updates are lightning fast, even occasionally breaking the news before the major outlets, and FriendFeed ()’s interface now updates in real-time. And today, Facebook has jumped back into the real-time race by implementing live updates within the Facebook home page.

As you might recall, one of the things that Facebook () removed during its home page redesign was the live stream, which displayed your friends’ Facebook activity as it occurred. Users were not happy that it disappeared - in fact, real-time updates became one of the top requests from Facebook users. And so it is back, but with a different implementation.

Facebook’s live stream isn’t a new tab or section of the homepage, like it once was. Instead, when friends post new content or update their status, a section right under the update bar appears that asks whether you want to show new posts. As more updates occur, the number of new posts increases until you click on it. Once clicked, these new posts will appear.

The live stream is not yet available to all users - Facebook rolls out updates in several cycles, meaning that it could be a few days until live streaming is available in your Facebook.

In any event, Facebook’s approach to real-time makes access to live streaming information easily available, while not overwhelming the user with automatic live updates. Yet it’s clear that the social network, and perhaps the rest of the Web, is slowly nudging its way towards a real-time ecosystem. Are you ready for your Facebook friends in real-time?

Facebook Gets the College Humor Treatment [Video] 2009

Twitter ()’s not the only hot social network to get the CollegeHumor treatment. Last week, the video production company took Twittering to the streets, but this week their “25 Random Things” video (below) pokes fun at the Facebook meme that shares the same name.

If you’re unfamiliar with the viral note that’s spreading through Facebook (), it’s like the chain letter of the social Web generation, where you share 25 things about yourself and then tag people in your note to do the same. College Humor mocks the randomness of content shared to the reworked tune of Miley Cyrus’, 7 Things I Hate About You. Enjoy.

Also worth checking out is the Facebook Manners PSA-inspired spoof to help you keep your Facebook social graces in check.

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