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Monthly Archives for November 2008

Should You Blame Or Credit Facebook For Your Breakup?

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Facebook Can Be Another Platform For Cheaters

When we’re using Facebook and we’re hungry to add new friends to our profiles, it’s natural for us to look up ex-boyfriends and ex-girlfriends. It’s understandable to be curious about those which whom we had former relationships. But just because someone adds an old flame to their friends list, it doesn’t make them a cheater. Being a cheater would be what makes them a cheater. This story about Facebook breaking the heart of one woman tells one side of relationships where Facebook is directly involved.

You see several Facebook breakup or Facebook infidelity on Internet news sites all the time–girl catches boyfriend flirting with ex, boy catches girlfriend sending pictures to ex, etc. The flirting is one thing, people have been doing it on message boards and instant messaging and email for years. But when one partner is creating multiple Facebook user accounts to facilitate their women-chasing habits, then you’re welcome to accuse your partner of cheating.

But should you be blaming Facebook for facilitating this behaviour? Or should you be thanking Facebook for helping you identify that your lover is a lying scumbag?

The boundaries of trust and fidelity might be drawn a little differently on the Internet, since online flirting to some may be considered a harmless pastime. But for others, messaging, texting, and other digital flirtations may be considered unacceptable behaviour. Depending on the relationship, it’s up to the two partners to discuss and determine what constitutes “acceptable” behaviour when it comes to communicating with ex-boyfriends or ex-girlfriends, and what level of communication is within the boundaries of the current relationship.

Facebook is a gigantic beast, and it allows millions of people to get in touch with people they might never have otherwise seen again in their offline lifetime. But is Facebook responsible for the feelings and attitudes of jealous lovers? Probably, to some extent. But if your partner is the cheating kind, Facebook isn’t entirely responsible for your lover’s actions, it’s more of a catalyst.

Written on 25 November 2008 by admin under Facebook Relationships with No Comments
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Protect Your Children From Facebook Predators

Facebook Perverts Prey On Profiles

A Kelowna man who is being investigated by Canadian RCMP for attempting to lure children into chatrooms for sexual purposes using Facebook is just one more reason why parents should be aware of what their kids are doing on the Internet, and who they are approving as friends on  their Facebook profiles.

The Internet can already be a dangerous place for youths who might be naive about the presence of sexual predators, which is why parents should spend more time educating their children about the dangers of social networking with strangers, who might not be the people they appear to be on the Internet. Their is no real verification process for creating a Facebook profile, which makes it very easy for people to create false identities and establish relationships with people sharing similar interests, hobbies, political beliefs, and other interests that could be used to lower the guards of susceptible youths.

These Internet perverts are just one more reason to avoid social networks, or at least a very good reason for parents to spend more time monitoring the online activities of their children. At the very least, children should be taught never to provide private details about where they live, where they work or go to school, when their parents are out, or any other information that could be exploited.

We might never be able to prevent sexual predators from accessing the Internet, but we can all do our part in educating our friends, family members, and especially our children about the dangers of people working the Internet under false pretenses, pretending to be our friends while having other darker motives. Predators are on the Internet, and on Facebook, and we should protect ourselves against their evil intentions.

Written on 23 November 2008 by admin under Facebook Dangers with No Comments
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Facebook-Advertised Parties Invite Crashing

Sixty Youths Crash Party Posted On Facebook

If you want to keep your party closed and private, it’s probably a better idea to send out normal invitations than to post your party plans on Facebook. In one instance in London, a girl’s sixteenth birthday party was crashed by over sixty party-hungry kids who heard about the event on Facebook.

The main problem with posting not-so-public events on your Facebook profile, or by creating an event or a group, is that quite often it’s not just the friends who see the invitation, but also friends of friends, and friends of those friends. And with email and instant messenging (not to mention Google maps),  it’s very easy to “spread the word” about a private party, one that might get hyped-up to be more than just a small gathering.

Facebook might be a great tool for communicating special occasions to your friends and relatives, but you should exercise caution when you decide to post party events on the internet, when your expectation is for a quiet, private function. This is probably especially relevant when it comes to grad parties, which are notorious for partycrashers and other uninvited guests.

Written on 23 November 2008 by admin under Facebook Privacy with No Comments
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Get Facebook Outta Our Schools

Facebook Deemed To Have Limited Educational Value

The province of Nova Scotia is taking a bold step in eliminating the distractions of social networking in high schools by having their servers screen out Internet services such as Facebook, Myspace, Gmail, and Hotmail. Nova Scotia school boards have determined that social networks like Facebook do not fit within their educational outcomes as it pertains to the use of technology.

While other provinces (and states) are already debating the merits of filtering out Facebook, Nova Scotia has already filtered out Facebook access from its schools.

Of course with the proliferation of mobile Facebook applications on cellular phones, the school boards will have to create policies that limit their use on school premises, something that parents are already challenging, due to the necessity of family communications and other emergenccy considerations.

While Nova Scotia is setting a precedent in screening out Facebook from access in high schools, many other regions already use filtering software to prevent teachers and students from accessing “time wasting” services such as Hotmail, Youtube, and other non-educational Internet resources.

Written on 23 November 2008 by admin under Facebook Filtering with No Comments
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Abusing The Power Of Facebook

Facebook Can Be More Powerful Than The Media

I came across a disturbing story on Google News about a Vancouver youth promoting “National Kick A Ginger Day“. The youth stated that this campaign that promotes attacking red-headed people was only “a joke”, however it a huge example of how the power of Facebook can be used to influence large numbers of people.

You need go back no further than the United States presidential election to see the strength and power of communication through social networking and Facebook, as there were literally hundreds (if not thousands) of support groups and campaigns for several presidential candidates. And by using Facebook, it was very easy to join groups and share ideologies and other thoughts. With 150 million members, Facebook has a reach that can potentially exceed that of many major media outlets, and without the same code of ethics or level of journalistic integrity.

But the power of Facebook (as demonstrated by the ginger campaign) can be dangerous when used inappropriately–whether it is a joke, or information is used to destroy character or beliefs. It doesn’t take very much effort to create a new group, invite members to join, and then propagate your own information.

The Internet, as we all know, is a massive ocean of information, and our ability to instantly transmit news, thoughts and ideas around the world is powerful. And Facebook is just another method to facilitate potential abuse of information. Be careful how you use it!

Written on 22 November 2008 by admin under Facebook Abuse with No Comments
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Let’s Agree Not To Be Facebook Friends

It’s Okay To Say ‘No’ To Friend Requests

There is enough social awkwardness in the real world without having to worry about making social faux pas’s on the Internet. But with Facebook thrusting our lives into everyone’s living rooms (or computer rooms), it’s easier to run into people you knew, and more difficult to avoid them.

If you were in the supermarket and spotted someone you didn’t care for in high school, you could turn around and walk the other way without them noticing, nod your head and say “oh hey!” and just keep walking, or you could be polite and chit-chat for a few moments before going on with your life.

But with Facebook, and its 150 million users, you could have former friends, lovers, and casual acquaintances trying to tap back into your life and you have nowhere to hide.

Yes, you certainly have the ability to turn down friend requests–you’re not under any social obligation to accept. But there are situations where you might accidentally accept a friend request (maybe from habit?) and all of a sudden you’ve let someone into your life that you’d rather have stayed outside.

With the Internet drawing new lines for social behaviours, it can be difficult finding where the boundaries should be set, especially when you’re actively using social networks like Facebook or Myspace. But if someone is asking to be your friend, someone you knew but never considered as friend, don’t be tempted to say “yes” out of pity, and then regret the decision. It’s easier to say “no” than to say “yes” and then remove them as friend. You’re better off just leaving them on the outside. There is a good chance that they’re just starting out on Facebook, and are maybe just looking to build up their friend numbers, just like you did when you started. :)

Written on 19 November 2008 by admin under Facebook Faux Pas with No Comments
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President-Elect Screening Applicants Using Facebook

Obama Using Internet Communications To Filter Potential Staff Members

barack obama facebook blackberryIf you are hoping to earn yourself a position with the new administration, you better hope that your Facebook profile is squeaky-clean, free from any potentially embarrassing or harmful posts, pictures, comments, or questionable friends, because Team Obama is screening applicants through Facebook, email, MSN, blogs, and personal websites in order to find qualified individuals for various positions.

President-Elect Barack Obama utilized the Internet heavily for his presidential campaign, and he is continuing to use Internet resources such as Facebook, Myspace, and others to help staff positions by screening out potentially harmful candidates through their public opinions, associations, and public profiles.

I can just imagine how much easier Senator McCarthy’s job would have been had be been able to access such valuable resources such as Facebook. Just think of how much time would have been saved in public enquiries, investigations, and interviews if his committee could view Facebook profiles and blacklist Americans remotely!

Hopefully Obama still believes in free speech and is not opposed to dissenting opinions, figures of speech, and out-of-context expressions, otherwise, social networking will soon become the doom for many qualified individuals whose only mistake might be a lack of discretion of judgement.

Written on 15 November 2008 by admin under Facebook Screening with No Comments
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Facebook Teachers Taught A Lesson

Teachers Disciplined Over Facebook Comments

teacher facebookTeachers are not held to the same standards as other professionals. Since they are the ones who are in a position of authority and trust, their morals and ethics are put under much more scrutiny, especially since they are the ones who are teaching our children.

The lines get a little bit blurred now when it comes to privacy and propriety, especially when it concerns Facebook and other social networks. Is it appropriate for a high school teacher to be seen holding a beer at a social function? Is it okay if we see images of an elementary school teacher smoking with her friends? The levels of professionalism that we hold to these educators are much more stringent than other business individuals or workers in most other industries. It can be a gray area when it comes to understanding what is appropriate to publish on Facebook and what can be deemed inappropriate and subject to disciplinary action by school board officials.

But because of these circumstances, teachers should also be much smarter than everyone else, and should be self-censoring their own content, especially when it is fairly obvious that questionable images and comments will most certainly be made public. In one example, teachers of a Charlotte high school were disciplined for posting objectionable content and images on their Facebook profiles. Several teachers in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg school district were facing disciplinary action for posting such comments as “teaching in the most ghetto school in Charlotte”,  racial slurs, and posing in provocative poses.

When are people (including teachers) going to realize that Facebook is an open door, and that publishing this type of material on their Facebok profiles, their Twitter pages, or their personal blogs is just going to cause trouble? People need to remember that there really is no invasion of privacy when they freely post their content to public Internet websites such as Facebook. If teachers can’t understand these simple principles of information flow, then what does it say about our education systems???

Written on 13 November 2008 by admin under Facebook Privacy with No Comments
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Alcohol And Facebook Just Don’t Mix

If You Drink, Don’t Type

We already know that Facebooking while drinking can get you in a lot of trouble, because you’re more likely to be looser with typing, what with your judgement being all impaired and whatnot. But posting pictures of yourself drinking in a public restaurant, when you’re not legal age, not only gets you in trouble with the law, but also gets the restaurant in trouble.

While you might think it’s cool to brag to your friends that you were able to served in a restaurant when you weren’t yet legal age, it’s probably a better idea to boast in person rather than online, where your drinking exploits are announced to criminal investigators, police agencies, by-law enforcement officials, and other authorities who use your Facebook information as proof of your silly antics.

Adults already understand that posting pictures of their wild parties or other drunken adventures can cause them their careers, or jeopardize their chances to establish them. You’re just facilitating them by promoting your dark side on Facebook.

Showing pictures of yourself having a glass of wine at a family dinner might be one thing, but underage drinking is still a serious offense in many regions, and there’s no reason to facilitate your own demise by promoting your underage drinking on Facebook. As you can see, it’s just going to get you (and others) in trouble.

Written on 12 November 2008 by admin under Facebook Faux Pas with No Comments
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You May Be A Facebook Addict

Facebook Can Be Just As Addicting As Alcohol Or Video Games

No, this isn’t one of those quizzes that will test your personality and determine your whole existence based on a short series of questions. Instead, this is just a small wake-up call to see if perhaps you are spending just a little too much time on Facebook.

Keeping in touch with friends and family and coworkers is fine, if you do it in moderation, and it doesn’t detract from other Real-Life ™ activities. So, if you log in to your Facebook account in the morning for a few minutes, or you sign in at night, after work when the kids have all gone to bed, you are probably not a Facebook addict.

But, if you are a person who constantly needs to know what all your friends are doing, and you are sitting in front of your computer refreshing the page waiting for new updates, then perhaps you are hooked on Facebook.

When you go to work, is it necessary for you to log in to Facebook on your breaks? Are you letting Facebook interfere with your work, putting aside tasks and assignments to see if you have any new messages or friend requests?

Are you using the Facebook application on your phone? Do you commute to and from work every day with your mobile Facebook in your face the entire time? Are you avoiding interaction with other real people because you’re more interested in what people typed in what they had for breakfast? Maybe you are addicted to Facebook!

Like any other addiction, you have to understand if Facebook is changing the way you think, interact, or organize your schedule. If you find that you are compromising activities, such as household chores, personal hygiene, shopping, or eating, then you might be a Facebook addict.

If you think you are just a little bit too attached to Facebook, then think about talking to a medical professional to see what can be done to curb your interests in this online social network, and focus your will on other normal pursuits.

Facebook in moderation is the key. It doesn’t need to become an obsession.

Written on 11 November 2008 by admin under Facebook Addiction with No Comments
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