Smart Social Networking

The New York Times ran an article about people who are leaving facebook (http://bit.ly/fSgta). Many feel that the social networking fad is leading to a loss of privacy. But, if you are smart in managing your social networks, you can maintain any level of privacy you choose.

Set your profile to private
Don’t leave your profile public so anyone can peruse your life. And beware of the “network.” Do you really want everyone who has ever attended (or claimed to attend) your college to be able to see all your information? Not a wise move. Leave the messaging option open, so if someone does know your name, they can at least privately message you…then you can decide if they are friend-worthy.

Don’t be afraid to deny friends
Is it really important to have 1,000 friends? Isn’t it more important to know who the 200 you have are? Make sure all connections are legitimate and worthwhile. If you start connecting to every person that has ever heard your name, you are sure to end up with no privacy.

Set up groups
It can be a pain, but take the time to group every friend you have (and every new request you get). Once you have the groups, setting and changing privacy settings becomes VERY easy.

For example, my professional contacts and colleagues all have very different settings than my college friends. I just restrict certain groups from seeing certain updates or items that may be posted by me or about me. This way, I am in full control of what others see.

I feel very secure in my social network, and I feel that the benefits of keeping in contact with people worldwide far outweigh and security and privacy drawbacks. But, even if you are still scared, take the time to understand your social network provider and you will find you can eliminate any threat.