So, should I social network or not?


I have been in discussion with Stephie on her blog as we both felt we had seemed to focus more on the cons than the pros of Web2.0 and networking sites and we don’t want to appear overly negative but as I said in my comments I think this is because as we look at the tools more closely as we are studying them for this course, they sort of hit you in the face more and the cons always have a more profound effect on us as they are so much more shocking to us and devastating on a personal level as anyone who has been the victim of cyber bullying or identity theft will testify,

I’ve found out so much that I was never really aware of before. I suppose I was always pretty much aware of the pros as a networking tool as I used “Facebook” for 3 years whilst away at college to keep in touch and up to date with friends, but I suppose I never really considered the negatives until I started doing this course and started to consider who I may want to see certain information about me and I didn’t consider how the pros could benefit how I promote myself in a professional sense. That is what the first module of the course has demonstrated to me and I feel I have already learned so much.

So here is my “pros and cons” blog that I should’ve posted 2 weeks ago – doesn’t break any new ground but I may need it to reflect at some point later.  

Web 2.0 Pros and Cons ??!

_{Web 2.o technologies have changed the way we work and revolutionised the way we communicate via social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, My Space and it’s rare to find anyone who hasn’t heard of these sites. It has taken the internet world by storm and it has influenced the way we live our lives in one way or another.}

 _{The subject of constant debate and still unresolved are the pros and cons.}

_{The Pros.}

_{The web has always provided a way for people to make connections with one another, social networking sites just made it easier. Certainly before I had Facebook I used sites such as Bebo and My Space to interact with friends.}

_{Via these sites we have easier access to keep in touch with family and friends and to make new contacts and meet people who share the same interests from almost anywhere in the world. Creating a network of contacts goes beyond geographical and cultural differences as you get to meet people on line. You can send messages, up load photos and videos.  Getting information on a specific subject is faster and easier and you can provide links to websites and contacts can provide links too.  You can track down old friends and acquaintances and renew long forgotten friendships. You can use networking sites to organise an event, advertise an event and invite people to an event. It is also the most cost effective way to keep in touch.}

_{You can instantly message people who are online and chat, exchanging comments and interact with a large number of people at the same time sharing thoughts, information and interests.}

_{One of the big influences is we can use these sites to network professionally by promoting yourself and your skills and your work and to advertise your business. Many sites for example allow users to create special pages; for example: a theatre company, it’s a great way to advertise and get yourself known and seen about. That way a user can keep fans informed about their latest performance or production and via social networking fans can interact with who they admire.}

_{For example with one witty tweet, or clever blog post or download to You Tube a star can be born!!!!}

_{However by the same token one devastating post, photograph or video forwarded to millions by the click of a mouse can ruin a reputation, career or a product.}

_{The Cons.}

_{One of the biggest on line networking drawbacks is that it makes identity theft easier as in order to create a profile on a social networking site you have to share personal information about yourself. As always there are unscrupulous people around who will jump at the chance to spam or steal your identity for criminal intent. If you don’t share information no one will be able to find you (which defeats the purpose of social networking) but if you share too much information someone else who is into illegal activities could masquerade as you and may even try to access your email or financial information. They make you believe they have a business or work offer, ask to meet up or take your money. It has also become easier for someone to stalk you or harass you on line and we see evidence of cyber bullying.}

_{Instant messaging can also cause social isolation because we lose social skills in the real world as we master our on line socialising. A person can easily alter or hide their identity behind a computer screen. This can lead to social awkwardness, loneliness and depression.}

_{Should I network or not???}

_{Of course I should network !!!!  It could be my only way of communication and keeping in touch with home when I go to work on a cruise ship and however we view the cons as long as we are aware of them and take as many security precautions as we can, the good can out -weigh the bad and we can enjoy the benefits!!!!!}  

_{I think we should all be aware of the pros and cons to make informed choices about who we trust and who we share information with and the best weapon we have is to use sound, reasoned judgement. We should be careful how we use these sites so we can minimise the drawbacks and monitor and control how much and what information we divulge and to whom. We should choose our on-line friends carefully.}

_{I also think sites should be regulated and checked as anyone can access them freely but as that is still some way off, for now, we should be fully aware of how we can block users we do not want to see our information and use privacy settings to ensure we are personally in control of who can view our information and we should always ensure we keep some information from public view.}

_{Since I have been researching the pros and cons it has made me think of how I use “Facebook” and I have made my profile private and reviewed the information that is there. I would also now be wary of people I don’t know trying to access my profile and information.}

_{I have also realised the wider impact of how I could use the tools available to promote myself as a professional and how I need to keep my “Social You” separate to my “Professional You”. This is quite easy for me to do as I have a different professional name to my real name. I’ve found out that I can use my real name for anything informal or for personal sites and my professional name ‘Miley Rose’ for anything professional so that’s what I’m currently working on and am intending to change things about some of my profiles!}