If you don’t have a Facebook or Myspace page, create one. Then, think about and write about what you reveal or distort in such potentially anonymous communication. Due July 11
I personally think that Facebook and Myspace are pretty harmless for the ordinary person. I use facebook basically to stay in touch with all of my friends and family that are both near and far. It is a very convenient way to share with everyone what is currently going on in my life. This includes my "status", the one liner that states what is going on in the present moment, and all my pictures and videos of recent events. Instead of having to e-mail all of my friends and family about what is going on, they can log into their account and go straight to my page if they are interested.
The information that I provide on my Facebook is pretty basic. I have listed on their my favorite activities, music, quotes, etc. I know some people don't really like to list all of their personal information for strangers to look at. They either choose to not list some information like interests, or make their site private so only their friends can view their page. The girl that I mentioned before that did not have a Facebook didn't have a page for this exact reason. She felt that the social network was too impersonal, and that this sort of information shouldn't be shared online. She also felt that most of the people who use Facebook use it to put up innappropiate pictures of them getting drunk, taking off their clothes, etc. I guess I never really put that much thought into it. If some random person wants to take a look at my pictures, I don't really care. My intentions for picture postings were for my friends to view them, but who says others can't enjoy!
Although these type of social networking sites are intended to be used for communicating with friends, it sets itself up for internet predators to disguise themselves as someone else. This weeks reading in Wood and Smith was about online identities, and how we can control our own identity online much more than in person. On sites like this, it is so easy for a pedaphile to disguise themselves as a 17 year old girl or boy when they are some dirty 50 year old man trying to meet up. Unfortunately, there are people out there who do this, which is why everyone needs to be careful what information they are sharing with people, and to ensure they know who they are talking to.
It is now official. If you are reading this, you have some sort of account on either Facebook or Myspace, because you are in this class! If you want a new friend, add me! Just look up Bradley Tauscher on facebook. I promise, I'm not that 50 year old pedaphile I mentioned earlier. Or am I?!?!
... Just Kidding
1 comment:
I've always considered Facebook and Myspace to be harmless as well. I have little cousins who, in all honesty, will read their myspace messages quicker than they could pick up a phone. It's become so bad that whenever my family needs to get in contact with them, they will tell me to leave them a message on their myspaces.
Like you, I feel these networking sites are useful in communicating with friends and family. It's easier than having to contact each individual one. It's interesting how people post images of themselves when intoxicated though. Woodman and Smith wrote about how we are able to control different aspects of our identity for public consideration. What does it say about a person when see their profile picture in all it's drunk, naked, beer ponging glory? Not only are we able to read about their personalities but we now can use the visual cues to formulate a different cognitive profile.
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