Up's and Down's of your Networking Site

In today society social networking sites have become increasingly popular among today’s students. Chatting, texting, blogging and spending times on sites like Facebook, My Space and Friendster are part of everyday life for millions of students.

Most of the information that we post on our blogs are about ourselves and how our friends can stay in touch with us. We upload everything from photos, video and basic information on our lives but how safe is this? When we think of our site being private and for our friends only, when in reality, many of them can be seen by friends, employers, university officials, and even our parents. Our information is out there for the world to see. So how can we protect ourselves from individuals that could harm us?

So here is some suggesting on how we can protect our privacy:

• Before you join a site and post your profile, find out if you can join a closed network, where only those with an email address from your school can register for example. Find out if the site allows others to see your profile without your consent.

• Never expect absolute privacy. Know what you’re getting into by reading the privacy statement and policies. Many sites allow all registered users to view all the information you post on your site with no exceptions.

• Choose the highest and most restrictive security setting available and do not give out information like your birthday, full name, phone number, social security number or address.

• Take a second to think about what you’re posting about yourself and your friends. Remember that what you post could be online forever.

So before you post, think about what you want to said, remember it could be online forever & ever.