Social Networking



Be careful with online social networking websites:

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Here are some general tips on being safe when using social networking sites like Facebook or MySpace.

  • Posting on online social networking websites. Most sites will allow you to create a personal profile containing a username and contact email address, and depending on what site you are posting on, your profile may include descriptions of you, your likes and dislikes, photos, music and videos. And depending on how you set up your personal space, it could be seen by thousands and not everyone will agree with what you write. This is something to take into consideration when posting: Could what you post potentially cause you embarrassment in real life? How would you feel if your parents, teachers or even potential employers saw/read details of your personal life? When it appears that more and more companies may be using social-networking sites to recruit or even see what a potential employee might be like outside of work, some items on your site may actually keep your from getting a job or cause you other problems in real life.
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  • Protect your personal details.
    Depending on the site on which you create your personal space, there are different privacy settings that control the amount of information that people can see about you. Most of those settings are set automatically (usually to the most private level) but you should check those settings to make sure they reflect what you want - I.E., set to a level that allows only the people that you specify to view your profile and what you post. It could also be worth reading the site’s privacy policy and user agreements to find out if they use your personal information or not and hand it out to 3rd party companies.
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  • And again…be cautious…
    Be careful about what you post online. Every bit of information posted online can be used by others to build up a picture of you that could be potentially misused. Some basic tips for online blogs and forums would be to not reveal your address, telephone number, date of birth or where you work. Most people would find it beneficial to have a separate e-mail address associated with your social-networking websites so that you do not give away your personal e-mail that you may use for work or that may be associated with other businesses like your bank or credit card.
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  • But you don’t have to avoid social-networking sites, they can be enjoyed…
    People usually do use these sites safely and they really can be a fantastic way to keep in touch with your friends and create new ones. As long as you are able to control access to your site, such as who is able to contact you and what information they are able to view, this can still be a privacy-friendly way to socialize. If anything does go awry, you can always report it to the site administrator.
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    Here is a link to some additional information to protect your identity with some background information at Microsoft’s website. It mainly covers these three important areas:

  • Follow Internet safety guidelines
  • Protect your personal information from ID theft
  • Use anti-spam and anti-phishing technologies

    • If you have any other questions please let us know, and also know that the internet can be a great source of information as to how to protect your personal information and identity.

    Return to Protect Your Computer and Idenity

    Last revised on 07/24/08


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