Facebook has become a way of life for most people. Placing information and photos on the internet has become second nature to many individuals. People do not think twice to post things such as “Trip to Florida for a week!” or “Home alone, nothing to do.” Sure, it seems harmless, but the internet has become a source of information for anyone who wishes to obtain it. I may be talking about the worst case scenario, but what if someone is creeping on your Facebook page because your information is available to anyone? I thought an article that I came across while looking on MSN.com was very informational and helpful. The article titled 10 Privacy Settings Every Facebook User Should Know. Discussed what every Facebook user should know and be aware of when he or she is using the site. The article consisted of a list that outlined the basic things to be aware of such as:
1) Use your lists to organize who can view your profile and information
2) Remove yourself from Facebook search results
3) Remove yourself from Google or other search engine searches
4) Avoid unwanted photo or video tags
5) Protect your photo albums
6) Prevent stories from showing up in news feeds
7) Protect against publishes by applications
8) Make your contact information private
9) Avoid embarrassing wall posts
10) Keep your friendships private.
The article itself is very informational. Facebook can be a good or bad thing. I would recommend each individual that uses Facebook to visit title and review your personal settings because obviously the list I made does not discuss how to. Once I saw the article I immediately changed mine. Don’t get me wrong, Facebook is a great way to stay connected to friends and events, but most of one’s information should stay private.
Many users are careless as they post their lives on the site daily for anyone to see.
Personally I don’t care if you dyed your hair, got drunk last night, or hooked up with some guy or girl. It’s almost sad how technologically advanced we have become, yet most people are unaware of how available their information is to whoever may wish to see it. Some users have gotten smart and experimented with their settings, but many individuals have not. When will people learn that it’s not cool if you have 1,000 Facebook friends, 15 of them being good friends and the remaining 985 from high school, college, or people one has met at a random party. Of course it’s entertaining to see someone I know head down in a toilet, passed out with marker on their face, or jumping from a roof, but we should all think before posting these sort of things online. Carelessness can mean not being accepted into school, not receiving that scholarship, or not receiving that job you thought you had in the bag, or for that matter it can mean being kicked out of school, losing that scholarship, or losing a job among other things. People need to think twice about what they are doing on the Internet, not just Facebook. Most people know not to give out their credit card number to a foreigner who calls so why can’t we learn to not give out basically the same information on the Internet?
Moral of the story: be responsible, don’t be careless, and remember IGNORANCE IS NOT AN EXCUSE.
I have these things before and that criminals use it to target people. I know the police department where I live also uses it. Good story.
ReplyDeleteIt is crazy how much information some post on facebook! The 10 tips you listed were helpful. People need to be more aware that facebook can give too much information. I have often thought about canceling my account since I have almost everyone hidden anyway! They post too much personal nonsense that I don't want to read it.
ReplyDeleteThat picture is so funny. A friend of mine got tagged in a picture of her passed out on a side walk outside a club. She laughs at this picture. But the truth is, for college students like us, this would be completely unacceptable, for instance if our soon to be boss saw this picture, and decided not to hire us. Good info.
ReplyDeleteYeah I make sure all my settings block anyone from getting to my information, or at least I try. I do not accept anyone that isnt my friend so therefore, I do not have all kinds of people having access to my personal stuff. That picture is kinda funny but I would hate if someone took a picture of me and posted it on facebook, myspace or anywhere on the web. I would die, my family would kill me, I would be so embarrased. This was very informational to me. A lot of things people post on there is rediculous, like who cares!!!
ReplyDelete