Social Networks, MySpace and Friends

OK - I can now say I have used myspace.com. I created an account and created an identity, totally un-like my normal every-day life. I posed as the opposite sex, and made myself younger. I noticed that after I created the account, the ads seems to be targeted to my character's demographics - young, professional, male. It's sort of scary that marketers are gathering info from the profile, and customizing the ads, and the content seen on the website.

After searching the Myspace website and using its dating and networking features, I am concerned about teens and other non-techie users of the internet are not being taught correct usage of technology to maintain a level of security and privacy on the web. The use of social networks to lure naive users of the web to release personal information to strangers or to the entire web should be a red flag. The increased use of the internet and the wealth of databases, and other services that ask for user information, should trigger an increase in the education of young users and others about online safety and precautions.

Another drawback to the different accounts, and different personaes, is trying to keep all the passwords and user ids straight. I had to request for a reminder emails from a couple of services, since I forgot my user id and passwords to a couple of email accounts and services.

That said, the concept of a social network is intriguing. One of the concerns about increased use of the internet is the isolation of its users from society. But like in anything else, moderation is the key. A little bit of online life, and a little bit of real life, and its a nice balance of the virtual and the real.

I can see how the social network services such as myspace, facebook, and such would be good to keep in touch with friends, co-workers, family, in a far-flung network, but still maintain a feeling of a village.