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What a difference a day — and 175 million pissed-off users — can make. Yesterday, news circulated that Facebook had changed its Terms of Use to say that even if you delete your account, Facebook still had the right to use the content you uploaded. Facebook would access this content from an archive of your account that is created as soon as you sign up for the first time. This morning Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg backed down from his Terms of Use change amid a torrent of outrage from just about everyone who has a voice on the internet. However, the intent behind Mr. Zuckerberg’s terms change may not be as nefarious as you think.

When you sign up for a Facebook account you’re asked to agree to a set of terms governing you and Facebook. It’s that long scrolling text with the I Agree button at the bottom of it. The part of that agreement governing usage of your content, including your photography, gives Facebook the right to do whatever they want with your images. The reason they need such broad rights is so you can share your photos with your friends. Sharing images on Facebook is not like going to someone’s house and showing your portfolio. Facebook is displaying your content in an electronic venue that they own so your friends can have access to it. They can’t do that without permission from you.

The reason for the much maligned changes to the Terms of Use was to keep the links to your shared material active even after you scram from your account. Otherwise your friends are left with a bunch of blank holes where your pictures once existed on their accounts.

The truth about sharing anything on the internet is, once you do, it’s gone. You will have lost control over its web existence forever. It is futile to argue the fairness of this because the web is the web, and to partake it its vast reach and freedom, you must accept the previously stated truth. Kara Swisher has made this point in more detail and I agree with her completely, especially as it regards social networks such as Facebook.

This doesn’t mean that Mr. Zuckerberg is without guilt. Facebook has a dreadful record for disrespecting its users privacy. Indeed, Mr. Zuckerberg’s attempt to change the Terms of Use this last time did not give users who signed up under the original terms an opportunity to opt out and cancel their accounts before the change took place. They just woke up and found themselves bound by a new set of rules. That’s just wrong.

So does this mean you should be an anti-social artists and pray that your friends will email you to say hello since they can’t poke you on Facebook? Oh, heck no. That’s like avoiding a pub to keep from drinking too much. Be smart and you’ll have a lovely time without incurring a hangover. Recognize that anything you place on a social network is no longer yours once you post it. And if you have images that you want share with your friend list, but want to keep away from the Facebook fiefdom, then try something like: “To check out more of my work, please come to my exhibit this weekend or visit my web site at the following URL.”

Every situation you walk into requires a little scrutiny so you can protect yourself and your interests — especially as a photographer. This event at Facebook should not serve as a deterrent from all the fabulous things social networks have to offer. It should serve as the shot of heightened awareness you get after you dodge a bullet. Now you know better. Act appropriately.