Facebook and Myspace are two of
the most popular networking sites available to us on the internet. Myspace use
to be all the rage a few years ago, however, Facebook is easily accepted as the
major source for networking today. The goals for these sites are to help
members stay connected with friends, meet new people, and provide media
entertainment such as music and celebrities.
Since Facebook is one of the
most popular websites used I am going to go into more detail as to how the site
works. Someone can make an account in just a few moments by providing some
personal information (name, birthdate, gender, e-mail address, etc.) and
clicking “sign up”. To start, you can upload profile pictures so viewers know
who you are when looking to connect and interact with you. Beyond uploading individual
pictures you can also create albums from your own personal computer or camera
as well as videos.
A main feature on Facebook is
posting your own “status” which allows members to post their own thoughts and
feelings about their day. Other can comment or “like” these posts and even post
on each other’s profile walls to reach out and start a conversation. If you do
not want others to see your conversations you can also message them privately.
Another great feature that is
utilized on Facebook is the ability to create events. For example, if someone
graduating from High School and wants to invite their friends through Facebook
all they have to do is create an event and provide the necessary information
(time, date, location, etc.) to allow their friends to attend. It is also a
great tool because friends can RSVP so the creator knows who to expect to show
up and who cannot attend.
This all seems great right? Not
necessarily. There is also a dark side when it comes to social media. We hear
about it quite often on the news and over the internet. There are always risks
to providing even the smallest amount of personal information online. Fox
example, one of the most common and well known crimes committed through the
internet is identity theft. Not only is your personal information provided but
someone could easily create an account as someone else. The website listed
below has a great article relating to this topic. A woman was notified by her
neighbor that they had a discussion through Facebook chat and she had asked her
for money. Immediately it set off an alarm since this individual had never
created a Facebook account to begin with.
Facebook provides certain privacy settings within each
account but sometimes it is just not enough. It is important to do your research,
these networking sites may not be as safe as they may seem. Members should
consider changing their passwords often, do not accept friend requests of those
you do not know, and never go on any unsecure sites requesting personal
information. Overall, Facebook and other networking sites offer valuable
services to its members, but please keep in mind of the dangers you are getting
yourself into when signing up for an account.
No comments:
Post a Comment