I'll be completely honest.  I got a little freaked out the other day when Facebook suggested that I may know someone.  Let me explain.  This person was someone who I had just sent a single e-mail to, and had never saved their contact information, phone number, or anything.   We have no mutual friends, and live 120 miles apart. How would Facebook know that I have been communicating with this person?

Here's the full scoop.  I sell real estate, and this person I was contacting was a prospective lead that was selling a property.  I had his number written on paper and had talked a couple of times over the phone.  I had e-mailed him through my private e-mail server, and hadn't even saved his contact yet.  But, the next time I logged on, his name was under the "People You May Know" section.   That's a little intrusive, don't you think?

This isn't the first time this has happened.   I had another case where it was the son of a person's home I was selling.   I had met him in person, but electronically the only trace I can think of was that his name was in the body of an e-mail.    How's that!?

I did a little searching on the internet and I found that Facebook uses some crazy algorithms to connect people.  Some of it could even be using the location that you log in from, and if you are frequently logging in near someone else, it may assume you know each other.

That's creepy.  Unfortunately, we live in a world where it's almost necessary to have an online social media presence, and because of that we give up a great deal of privacy.

What do you think?

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