Some users of online community Facebook are complaining that  Facebook's latest marketing widget, called Beacon,  allows other users to see what you're buying online from vendors participating in the program. They feel it's an invasion of their privacy. You're allowed to opt out of the process,  and given two opportunities to do so for each automatic listing, but there doesn't seem to be any way to opt out of the program entirely.

The idea is that if users see a friend buy or do something, they'd take that action as an endorsement for a movie, a band or a soft drink.

But it also raises privacy concerns.

Mike Mayer, for instance, saw a feed item saying his boyfriend, Adam Sofen, just bought tickets to "No Country For Old Men" from movie-ticket vendor Fandango.

"What if I was seeing 'Fred Claus'?" said Sofen, 28. "That would have been much more embarrassing. At least this was a prestigious movie."


Can't. Stop. Laughing.

Oh, the shame of it. If only there was a way for you to avoid having details of your life posted on this service. I can think of one, offhand.