Sunday, May 04, 2008 Facebook D.L. POST A COMMENT Reading about folks bitching about "privacy" on "social networking sites" (such as Facebook). One dude's boss saw embarrassing party pictures on his facebook page: "It was fine when I was in school, but I just started my first job. I can't be out there like that." The new trend now is to assume "online aliases" on Facebook, and MySpace... to "avoid the prying eyes of parents, college recruiters, potential employers and other overly interested strangers." - going on the Down Low with their freaky side... First of all, privacy is very generational -- (younger folk will happily share every pimple), while older folk that grew up in a world without the Internet may be so concerned they wont even post a profile picture of themselves. They don't want people at work knowing they suck toes at night for fun. My questions are -- less the privacy issues -- more the long-term results of kids using Social Networking sites to "hang out" instead of hanging out "in the flesh" - I can't imagine "online socializing" translating to very good people skills. In real life, you meet people. And then meet more people through people you know. I get it, That online statement: “it is all in who you know” is kinda true in getting ahead in life...but, do you really know someone on the the Internet...when all they do is leave you comments like: “showing some mad love” Is that really “networking?” - do we need to know what brand of underwear you wear? Usually ends up being: getting creepy daily "friend requests" from total strangers (who rarely look like that one good picture) -- and people I thought I left behind in high school. New Rule on my facebook: "it’s NOT OK to “friend” me on Facebook unless you're either very very hot or super rich" - now, that's what I call networking. Source: Washington Post Labels: Facebook, privacy, social networking sites posted by Henry Cruz at 4:11 AM     ARCHIVES October 2005 . November 2005 . December 2005 . August 2007 . September 2007 . October 2007 . November 2007 . December 2007 . March 2008 . April 2008 . May 2008 . June 2008 . July 2008 .