Social Networking and Privacy

This week focus was on social networking and how private it is. The nature of the read/write web is such that what is posted on a social networking sight is not really private. When using a social networking sight there are settings that one can use but that does not always mean privacy. There are ways to hack into accounts and view anything that is published on the web.

I use facebook on a daily basis to communicate with friends and relatives. It is a fun sight to use for entertainment but could also be used for education. Applications on facebook is one way to harness the education potential but it would be important to separate professional and private persona's. Educators and students need to use facebook and similar social networking sights responsibly. It is important that if educators decide to use social networking sights in their classrooms they need to teach how to navigate these sights safely.

There are basic questions to ask when using a social networking sight.
1. Who can view what is written? The answer to this question is anyone.
2. Would I say this to a persons face? If the answer is no don't publish.
3. Is this something that could harm someone? If the answer is yes don't publish.
4. How long will this be viewable to people? The answer is forever.