There are 5 steps to social networking online. The Internet is a vast surface area of space where you can do the unimaginable and process a network, which can be unlimited. Every day, new online networking Internet site seems to pop out from nowhere. It is the most popular hobby or maybe because everyone suddenly desires to connect with everyone else. Whatever the reasons, at the close of the day it is fun to be a piece of an online social networking site. There are online communities of interests like Myspace, Facebook and Friendster that can help you connect with individuals in the identical industry for business or help you find new friends to meet for chitchatting or dating. The signing up part is quite simple though once in a while you would need an invitation from somebody who is already a member there. Once you have signed up, there would be no limits. You can connect with anyone, anyplace, any time.
Things to Avoid
You can do many things at a social networking Internet site such as Facebook. You can talk about politics or sport, date online, play games, talk to people, PM people, watch videos, write blogs, etc. However, your first step should be to make or create a profile with your personal data and make it catchy enough for people to add you. There are a few things, 5 in general that you should know about when dealing with Social networking websites online, having a profile, contacting people or having them contact you
1. If you have a profile, remember it is your page and your choice. The best advice is to not jump the gun so to speak. Chances are you will receive hundreds of friend requests your first day. This doesn't mean you have to accept every single person. Use your own personal filter. If you want guys, get all guys. If you want all girls, get all girls. If you have a friend request from someone you don't feel comfortable adding, don't add them. Remember this is what's great about being online, these people can't see you. Don't be "scared" to deny friend requests!
2. Your profile is ultimately you "book cover". Since these people can't see you, it's a good idea to make your profile as close to the real you as possible. What are your likes and dislikes? What are your hobbies? Who would you like to meet?
3. The face-to-face picture: Sometimes, friendships online move to a higher level and might require a face-to-face meeting over coffee. In such a scenario, it is important that you know what you want from the meeting. This will make your life easier. Also, be sure to be smart. Don't just go and meet people right away. It's a good idea to get to know them before hand! Hey, I'm all for social network sites, but I'm also for safety. And it's better to be safe than sorry!
4. Give to get: Help is a universal word often associated with kindness. So be ready to help people if you can. If tomorrow you help someone get a job, then the chances are that the person you helped might help you back.
5. If someone gives you problems, harasses you, threatens you, sends you a virus, etc, it's a good idea to contact customer service. In most cases they won't contact you back with a personalized reply, but they will either warn the person or just delete them altogether. Just know, if you need help, help is there!
Other than the topics noted above, have fun, get to know the site, I can almost guarantee you are going to get addicted pretty darn quick, everyone does! The more time you spend on the site the more things you will find to do, more options to choose from and the more people you will meet!
Social networking sites such as MySpace, Friendster, Yahoo! 360, and others may seem to be a good way for your kids to connect with their friends, know more about the people they meet at school, and to find new people online. However, these sites may also become a venue for online predators to search, know, and target your kids which may definitely put them in danger.
The question now for parents would be: How can I ensure the safety of my kids when they use social networking sites?
To answer this question, you need to focus on 3 things: personal identity, profile privacy, and photos.
Personal Identity.
This includes your kids' name, home address, home phone number, cell phone number, email address, school information, interests and others. Teach them not to post their personal information on these sites. Explain to them why. That way, your kids will know that it is dangerous. The alternative? Instead of giving their name tell them to use a handle; instead of complete address, just the state or town; and instead of using their primary email address, tell them to create a secondary dedicated for this purpose. And, tell them not to post their phone numbers online. The key is: be vague on posting personal information to their profile.
Profile Privacy.
Most social networking sites give options that will give the user the option to secure their profile from access. This way, the information that your kids have in their profile will only be viewed by people whom they are directly connected. This will also keep unwanted people from viewing their profile and using it in a predatory purpose. Thus, tell your kids to keep their profile secured.
Photos
Online predators often view photos of users to judge if that person is a good victim. So, to keep your kids from being a target, review all the pictures they want to post on their profile. Make sure that all photos they will post don't reveal identifiable landmarks that can trace them easily such as street names, doorsteps of your house, and plate numbers of your cars.
Other helpful ways in keeping your kids safe when using social networking sites:
Set clear rules about their limitations on using these sites such as schedule and frequency. Make sure you both agree on these. Also set a consequence if they break this rule.
Tell your kids not to post any blogs that contain their emotional vulnerability since online predators can use this as a weakness to victimize kids.
Finally, sit with your kids and make their profile open to your access.
Both Kristi Ambrose & Jonathan Sin are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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