Sites like MySpace, Twitter, Facebook and such can be so much fun. You can track down people you haven’t seen or heard from in years, you can post information about your newest ventures, hopefully help advance your business and make new friends. Some have even found the love of their lives on these sites.Yes, there are a lot of positive aspects to social networks.
On the flip side there are many negatives too. We forget that many of the people we are communicating with and that we consider to be friends may not be. We only know what they are telling us and they could be lying. Even those acquaintances from decades past may not be who you think they are. We warn our children not to reveal too much and not to let anyone know the minute details but what about the adults?
How many people will tell their online friends at MySpace or Facebook that they are going to be out of town for a week or two? Those ‘friends’ already know what city you live in and may know your full name. I am sure that there is a way that hackers can get that information though I don’t know how. Or perhaps you talk about the latest purchases you have made. Someone could be sitting there, reading, keeping stock and just waiting for you to let them know when you will be home and when you won’t.
Posting pictures is fun. You want the online community to see how much fun you had at that party over the weekend so you post the picture of you almost flashing the camera. Or pretending to moon everyone. You have also applied for your dream job though and, unknown to you, your prospective employer is also a member of the community. Or someone they know and your scandalous photos are seen as well as your ribald comments. Perhaps the employer does a little more thinking before hiring you. There have been reports of similar situations happening.
So we have to avoid the temptation to share too much or to go wild on the Internet. Everything posted will be there forever and could come back to haunt you.
TAGS:social networks, Karen Magill,Facebook,Twitter,MySpace,employer
1 hour ago
2 comments:
Scary, but true. We try so hard, sometimes we can overdo it.
Then again, the same can be true about people in your neighborhood. It's not always wise to let everyone there know you're on vacation either, since these people live a lot closer and it's easier for them to get in.
Morgan Mandel
http://morganmandel.blogspot.com
although if you are a pro photographer and you make your living at pictures you would want to be mindful of all the stealing that goes on of pics...
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