I was happy to let this Facebook TOS thing boil over as I expected it would, but a lot of people have been asking what I think, so I thought I’d write it down for posterity.

This is another example of what I’m starting to call corporate democracy. Facebook is the innovator in social networking, which is what makes it fun and cool. But consider that it is still not a profitable enterprise. Therefore, they also have to innovate in the revenue category. They have stepped too far a few times (the most stark example was Beacon a couple years ago), and each time the community reacts quickly and honestly.

In this case, I joined the group along with thousands protesting the new terms. In a matter of days Facebook reverted back to the original terms. In my mind, this was a non-issue. 100,000 people click a button and effect change. If only it were that easy in the political system. But then again things aren’t usually that obvious with complex issues.

I’m sure Facebook will continue to try new avenues to gain additional control over user content and find revenue streams. If they step too far, the community will push them back. Facebook knows that the social networking space is fickle (Remember Friendster?) and they don’t want to lose members. I’m not saying don’t pay attention or don’t worry about it. Nor am I saying trust the corporation and don’t worry about your privacy (be sure to set your Facebook privacy settings appropriately). But I am confident in my trust of the well-balanced relationship Facebook currently has with its constituents.

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Andy Swindler Categories: Entrepreneurship, Social Media, Technology, Web