I'm have not signed up yet to Facebook since it's obvious how they think about my private data. But with out using it I might lose the connection to some not so close friends. So I'm trying to collect some ideas and tips how to use Facebook to connect with people but still preserving my privacy.
Here are some thoughts:
Register a complete new email account only used for your Facebook account. This might prevent Facebook to know too much about me while signup. E.g. they cannot associate people with me that already imported my private email into their address book.
Use an extra browser only for Facebook and nothing else (alternative: activate browser's private mode before logging into Facebook). This will prevent Facebook from giving me cookies they can read while surfing the rest of the internet. I think this is crucial - otherwise they can follow me through all websites that implement a I like this button.
What are your tips for using Facebook in a "secure" way?