MySpace has garnered more than its fair share of public and media attention — partially for it's amazing rise in popularity and use, and partially because some online bad guys have used the site to perpetrate crimes. The most common stories of criminal activity revolve around adults that use MySpace to contact underage users with propositions of sex. Such stories have been rampant enough that some parents and schools have labeled MySpace as a source of problems and worked to keep young users away from the service.
Is MySpace safe? Yes and no. MySpace is safe the same way an automobile is safe if you use your seat belt, drive in good conditions, and follow the rules of the road. If you don't buckle your safety belt, drive on bald tires, and push your speed over the legal limit, you're asking for trouble. The same thing happens on MySpace if you build a profile that potentially attracts unsavory individuals. Think of MySpace as an online party — although most partygoers are just out for a good time with their friends, others show up looking for trouble. Use common sense and commit to being safe.
As you're gathering tips and techniques for keeping your MySpace profile secure, keep a few general comments in mind:
MySpace is a reflection of the real world. In one article about MySpace, the journalist likened the site to a shopping mall. A shopping mall attracts visitors of all ages and all walks of life. Teens gather for social reasons. Adults handling specific errands are mixed in. People working in the mall are trying to get you to buy things. Also sprinkled in this crowd, however, you may come across a small number of people up to no good, such as shoplifting or making illicit contact with teenagers.
MySpace is a reflection of what's going on in our figurative shopping mall. The main difference between the real world and the MySpace world is that the Internet offers an anonymity that you can't achieve in the real world. Adults can pose as teenagers online to make initial contact.
Just as a parent doesn't send a teenager to a shopping mall alone without preparing him or her to handle any bad situation he or she may encounter, a parent shouldn't let a teenager navigate MySpace without similar advice. MySpace maintains a good set of tips for users and parents of teenaged users on how to address safety concerns. Go to MySpace.com Safety Tips for insight on managing your profile or a teenager's profile for maximum security.
Think before you post. If you have a public profile, remember that what you put on your MySpace site is viewable not only by your friends, but also by MySpace outlaws, your colleagues, classmates, potential employers, and other people with whom you might not want to be sharing certain information.
Before you put up that photo of yourself at the beach in your super small bikini or your blog rant about your co-workers, think about who might see it and how they might react. If the outcome might be negative, it's best that you don't add the content to your MySpace page. Always remember, not only can your friends see those pictures, so can your family members, current co-workers, and future employers.
Change your profile to change your results. You can change or erase almost everything you put on your own MySpace page. You can limit the people who can view your site to your friends list by setting your profile to private. You can also block certain users from accessing your page. In short, you can completely change your MySpace page at any time if you feel that it's attracting the wrong element.
Ignoring is an option. MySpace users who aren't your friends can contact you only through your MySpace Mail. As with your standard email, the most effective way to resist unwanted contact is to simply ignore it. Deleting unwanted messages without responding usually sends the message that you don't want to talk to the user. If unwanted contact keeps coming from the same source, you can then block the user and report him or her to MySpace customer service
0 comments:
แสดงความคิดเห็น