Blog #4 on Social Network Sites (SNS)

            Taking a course titled "Internet and Society" I had no doubt that there would be discussions on social networking sites, it was just a matter of 'when'. While Facebook is obviously the biggest player in the world of social network sites and comes to the mind very quickly when one thinks of SNS, what I appreciated about the Boyd reading was that for the most part, it focused on social network sites as a whole as opposed to narrowing down on two or three popular sites.
            One of the more interesting sections of the reading was in regard to privacy in relation to social network sites. Over the past few years, there have been news of Facebook privacy policies.  For example, not too long ago there were talks that Facebook was selling users' information to companies.  Using myself an an example, there has never been a time when I had actually explored the user agreements or the fine print of Facebook and I think I can safely assume the same in the cases of countless other individuals.  It wasn't until the Facebook privacy criticisms came to light that I decided to take a look at my settings.  In essence, they are much like the instruction manuals that come with a microwave, DVD player or even an Iphone. They are glanced at quickly, if at all but not thoroughly scanned.  If the consumer already knows how to use the product then why bother wasting time on the small matters? It is only when there is a malfunction or problem in the mechanics does one feel the need to refer to the instruction manual or in this case, the social network privacy policies.
            After having read the Boyd reading, I decided to click on the privacy link on Facebook and amidst all the usual lines, there was a line that concerned me somewhat:
we don't share information we receive about you with others unless we have: 

• given you notice, such as by telling you about it in this policy; or
• removed your name or any other personally identifying information from it.

  
  

         Thus, they can and do share information about the users, they just remove what they consider more specific details about the user. I'm sorry, but I'm not comfortable with any of my information being shared at all and I keep my personal information to a minimum which is in contrast to many people who put every detail about themselves that they can think of.  Also, they also share information when the user is informed of it, such as in the privacy policy which, as mentioned before, many individuals do not look at.  Boyd refers to something called the 'privacy paradox' in which teens are not knowledgeable about the 'public nature of the internet.'

           Another problem related to privacy on social network sites is 'phising' which Boyd mentions. I am somewhat familiar with this term because I remember it from the Myspace days when I would find random advertising comments on a friend's Myspace that I did not write which correlates with Boyd's description 'a "phishing" scheme that appeared to originate from a friend on the network'.