Social networking sites: current thinking

Here in 2008, becoming Internet famous -- particularly the version where you don't have to work -- requires you to be active in social networking. I'm already a member of LinkedIn and Goodreads, but I'm not very active on those, and also those basically don't count.

The ones that count are Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Flickr, and Twitter. You might argue that that last 3 are not social networking sites, but I'm afraid you'd be wrong. MySpace is currently decreasing in importance, but still worth the effort if you're planning on becoming Internet famous.

I've never thought that social networking was a waste of anyone's time. I think it's neat! But the upside of social networking has always been outweighed by the downside for me:

1. There are people who want to harm you, and I'm told some of them have Internet access. I prefer to avoid their attention. One way to do that is to not post personal information in a broad forum.
2. I like to look before I leap. Social networking is a brave new world of mistakes to be made, and I would like someone else to make most of them, please.
3. I try to resist being, or being treated as a consumer. Social networking exposes me to a lot of new advertisers -- people who see me as a wallet with eyeballs, not a person to be loved. Quixotic as the attempt is, I still try to limit my exposure to these people.
   

However, if I intend to become Internet famous and stop having to work, these thick doors of behavioral assessment must have chunks removed, to become something more like portcullises.


Here's an article I read recently on how to protect your privacy on Facebook.

They have one fascinatingly ugly hole in their thinking: that you should never put your home address in a publicly visible place.

Of course I agree! But if you are an adult, and your first and last name, and city of residence are available, so is your address. Even if your address is unlisted in the phone book, if you own property, City Hall will tell anyone who asks.

Don't make it easy for identity thieves. But don't think you're hiding anything. Name and city are all a clever person needs to find an unnerving amount of information about you.