Knowing the Facebook Principles

Part of the Facebook Marketing For Dummies Cheat Sheet

Facebook is creating its own virtual world, a world built on openness and transparency. By giving you greater power to share, connect, and market your business through a Facebook Page, Facebook provides a safe environment for all to pursue their interests. Following are the principles that guide the world’s largest virtual community:

Freedom to share and connect: You can share whatever information you want, in any medium or format. You have the right to connect online with anyone — any person, organization, or service — as long as you both consent to the interaction.
Ownership and control of information: You own your information, so you have the freedom to share it with anyone you want and take it anywhere you want, including removing it from Facebook at any time. Your privacy controls allow you to protect those choices.
Free flow of information: You can access all information made available by others. You also have practical tools that make it easy, quick, and efficient to share and access this information.
Fundamental equality: Whether individual, advertiser, developer, organization, or other entity — you have representation for and equal access to information within Facebook, regardless of another person's primary activity.
Social value: You have the freedom to build trust and reputation through your identity and connections, and you should not have your presence on Facebook removed for reasons other than those described in the Facebook Statement of Rights and Responsibilities.
Open platforms and standards: You have access to a programming platform for sharing and accessing all available information in Facebook. The specifications for these interfaces are published and made available and accessible to everyone.
Fundamental service: Facebook is free for you to establish a presence that can market your business, connect with others, and share information. Everyone can use Facebook regardless of his or her level of participation or contribution.
Common welfare: The rights and responsibilities of Facebook and the people who use it are described in a Statement of Rights and Responsibilities, which are not inconsistent with these principles.
Transparent process: Facebook makes available information about its purpose, plans, policies, and operations. Facebook has a town hall process of notice and comment and a system of voting to encourage input and discourse on amendments to these principles or to the Rights and Responsibilities.
One world: The Facebook service transcends geographic and national boundaries and is available to everyone, everywhere, with Internet access.