Social Networking Blog

Social networking and privacy do not go hand in hand. By signing up to a social network, one is essentially giving up their right to privacy. Nothing is private once it is posted on the internet. For this reason, it is encouraged to not post anything one doesn’t want the world to see. The social network site Facebook has a very faulty privacy system. Ironically, Mark Zuckerberg’s own sister fell victim to the lack of privacy enforced by his social network. In the article written by The Atlantic, “Facebook Privacy Is So Confusing Even the Zuckerberg Family Photo Isn't Private,” Randi Zuckerberg had uploaded a family holiday photo onto her Facebook page believing it would be viewed by only her Facebook friends since she had clicked on Friends and not Public, but to her surprise it had spread to the public due to a flawed system. The issue on Facebook’s part is loosely defining the term Friends. It instead means “my friends and all the friends of people tagged in the post.” If one really meant just their Friends, then they’d have to click on Custom and uncheck “the friends of those tagged.” This is only a small-scale example of the dangers that surround social networking.

Despite its flaws, social networking has become a great tool for companies in need of workers and vice versa. Websites such as LinkedIn have emerged due to the rise of social networking. LinkedIn is a professional social network that is used to hire potential job candidates. According to the article “Social Networking Technology Boosts Job Recruiting”, companies “have started hunting for job candidates using social networking technology.” LinkedIn is a great site for job recruiters because they can search for candidates by typing keywords into the search engine. The site is beneficial for both companies and future job candidates. Those looking for employment can easily market themselves by listing onto their profiles their work experiences and skills.

There are many benefits these technologies bring to society. I think the most important benefit is the efficiency and quickness the technology links its users. Information is spread instantaneously around the world. This is very important because with the old media information took longer to reach those who needed it. Eventually I think these technologies will continue to update especially in their privacy section. Privacy will always remain top priority as long as hackers exists.

Works Cited

Facebook Privacy Is So Confusing Even the Zuckerberg Family Photo Isn't Private,” The Atlantic Wire, Greenfield, R. December 26, 2012 http://www.theatlanticwire.com/technology/2012/12/facebook-privacy-so-confusing-even-zuckerberg-family-photo-isnt-private/60313/

Social Networking Technology Boosts Job Recruiting by Frank Langfitt, NPR, March 16, 2008. available from http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6522523&sc=emaf

Blog vs Wiki

Blogs and wikis serve similar roles in that they both provide information to its readers, although the kind of information can be different. Wikis tend to be used to gain more knowledge about a specific subject while blogs are used to express opinions on a specific matter. A key difference between them is who gets to edit their content. Wikis can be edited by anyone while blogs are only edited by its author. The only contributions that can be done on blogs are the comments by its readers.

Convergence in today’s networked world is important because it facilitates the consumer's experience. Wikis are a part of this convergence. We no longer have to go through multiple books or articles in order to reach the information we're looking for. Wiki has done this for us already and has even provided citations to the books and articles used in case we wanted to go more in depth with it. As stated previously, wikis are used to gain knowledge. There are wikis that limit who exactly is allowed to make changes to it. In the article “An Internal Wiki That’s Not Classified,” they mention a wiki called Diplopedia that can only be edited by anyone who works in the State Department. Diplopedia contained biographies of the political figures the U.S. ambassador was going to meet. Instead of receiving biographies of people who were attending a political event and then having to print them, the ambassador only needed his Blackberry. This made his life easier and provided easy mobility of the information he needed to know. Eventually I think more governments will use wikis for this purpose.

Both blogs and wikis require collaboration. For example, a blog can provide useful information to a community for those who choose to participate in it. This was the case in Brooklyn. The article “Brooklyn Blog Helps Lead to Drug Raid,” shows how useful and important a blog can serve. Community members participated in this blog to bring awareness of the illegal activities going on in their community. As a result of all their efforts they were able to persuade law enforcement to conduct a narcotics investigation which led to multiple arrests. According to the article, the “blogging turned to action, as neighbors started filing complaints with the 68th Precinct Station.” A single blog was able to unite a community to engage in community reforms.

Citation

Brooklyn Blog Helps Lead to Drug Raid By MICHAEL WILSON The New York Times June 26, 2008 available at:http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/26/nyregion/26bayridge.html

An Internal Wiki That’s Not Classified by Noam Cohen. The New York Times, August 4, 2008 http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/04/business/media/04link.html

Social Media: Useful for Some, Toxic for Others

I will be basing my research paper on social media and how it affects its users in many different aspects of their lives. My topics will range from how it affects us economically to mentally. Social media platforms have served as a great opportunity for those in the entertainment and marketing industry. Numerous companies use social media to bring in more publicity for their products, even going as far as paying celebrities to sponsor their product. There is no denying social media generates a lot of money for those who use it effectively in becoming “influencers” or entertainers, however, it is also responsible for causing anxiety and depression in others. One of the dark sides of social media is that it has facilitated cyber bullying from anywhere in the world. It is easier now than ever before to bully with the help of social media. I will study the pros and cons of social media. Do the pros outweigh the cons? Is it worth using?These are the questions I would like to find an answer to.