#14 Facebook

The article by Polonetsky and Wolf regarding privacy issues when using Facebook or any other social networking site makes worthy warnings. The fact that such services may alter privacy settings in a update that may be ignored by the patron is a worry. Another detail that needs to be attended to if using these networking sites. Also how much of our private usage is being "sold" as consumer information is another cause for concern.
The Wikipedia article adds to the concerns of privacy and data mining and provides historical development of usage policy.
7 Things you should know about ... Facebook states the need for students creatively use this new technology to develop their profiles rather than aimlessly searching through network connections without any real goals.
Is your boss friend or foe? highlights how Facebook can be abused, and workplace policies can overstep personal boundaries.
Facebook registration was reasonably straightforward. I was rather hesitant in light of the information read to provide open access. Also as a teacher, I am not allowed to have students as "friends". But as it linked to my email lists, I was able to network with family and friends. That is as far as I need to go with Facebook. It will be fun to share photos and keep in contact with friends in USA.