Things to consider when using or availing these sites. Though they may not have an account, your
children certainly may have heard of MySpace
or Xanga by now. The latest hangout for teens
isn’t necessarily the down-town mall or any
other particular space, but rather the vast world
of cyberspace at a website called MySpace.com
or Xanga.com. These websites are networking sites with
interactive blogs, user profiles, groups, photos
and email. There are over 85 million accounts
in MySpace alone. The MySpace domain was registered back in
1998 as an online storage and file sharing firm.
In July of 2003 it migrated to what we know it
as today. The parent headquarters is located in
New York City.
What are the common profile content
aspects of MySpace.com? Each profile is primarily ‘About Me’ and ‘Who I’d Like to Meet.’
Profiles also contain information about interests
such as music, television, books, movies
and such. Profiles contain a blog where people
post messages or comments as related to the
owner’s profile and site content. Photos are also
a large part of a user’s profile page. The profile
page can be designed and changed by the registered
account holder at any time.
The terms of service are posted and very
clear. But as are the other services offered,
there are shades of gray in the usage and or
purpose of these sites. Musicians, or anyone
that posts work, are liable by making these
postings within MySpace.com to be royaltyfree
worldwide licenses to use these works in
any capacity. This includes such site content as
messages, text, files, images, photos, video,
sounds, profiles, works of authorship, or any
other materials on or through the provided
services. Schools and other educational institutes have
started restricting access to these sites because
it is rapidly becoming a place for gossip and
also malicious comments. This is also related to
moral codes and policies that were breached
with this type of web access. And of course
there are always concerns about inappropriate
adult content sneaking into the view of minors.
The fact is that content in some profiles are
offensive to viewers. Professionalism also becomes a concern for
explicit users of MySpace and Xanga. Some
young college graduates may be compromising
their careers due to the content that they have
posted on their profiled site. A visitor does not
need an account to search and browse these
sites. A potential employer can use the information
already found on a resume to find a profile
and check for such site content. Pending what
they find, employment
may be declined due to
the tone or nature of
the site content. It may
also reveal the tendency
to be rambunctious
or unethical tendencies within your personality
or disposition. A highly professional and qualified
person may be turned away simply because
of a careless personal site. Keep in mind that
your blog choices may conflict with a future
career or endeavor. It may come back to you
beyond that specific time of entry. Security becomes another concern regarding
these sites. When a profile is created for a 14 -
15 year old individual it is automatically set to
private. Users that are 16 and above have the
choice of restricting their profiles. 16 year old
users have the option of allowing personal
information to be restricted to visitors other
than those that are on their ‘friends list.’
Despite privacy policies there is still the possibility
of young users being coaxed into providing
that private information and putting that
user in a position where they have compromised
their data voluntarily. It is also possible
that lack of experience or supervision could
potentially place the minor into an unsafe situation.
In recent weeks MySpace.com had alarming
reports of teenagers that found a way
around the set restrictions and have been the
target of online predators. MySpace assures
parents once again that the site is safe for people
of all ages. Safety starts with education, discussion, and
in cases of child access, home policies that are
not only enforced but monitored. Talk with
your children and help them understand the
purpose of the sites and make them aware of
the dangers that are potentially lurking within
the online community. Perhaps having the computer
located in a common space in the home
as well as reviewing your child’s site is a great
way to begin. As with any other internet access, we need
to be proactive and stay involved with the
process. Know what is happening and talk
about issues as they arise. Staying in touch with
MySpace and Xanga can be a great experience
if used correctly and utilizing the safety measures
that are available. There are many safe and
good sites posted. Our safety and usage starts
with good choices and well informed users. For
more information about these sites, view the
site homepages and look into the policies, safety
nets and communities within these sites:
www.MySpace.com or www.Xanga.com. - John Wiggins, Sales & Technician |
