I have to agree with Joe Reco about MySpace and Facebook. His site examines the arms-length approach to socialization where strangers decide to become freinds. I wonder how a person chooses whom they want to befriend if they’ve never met-face to face? If reading about someone’s interests, their favorite music, or their likes and dislikes captures friends, then where is the depth in the relationship.
After reading one of the articles Joe recommended Found in (My) Space I fear the first impression of a person’s site might lead to quick judgments. As this article pointed out, exaggerations are commonplace and people write misinformation. Mistakes like the one in the Allgier’s case, where a false site was created by someone other than the person in question, leaves journalists writing something that isn’t correct.
I began to see how these sites could be manipulated. Anyone can create a site and put whatever they want on it. This could become dangerous as well as hurtful. And what I find even more appalling is how a university can do research on an individual, bring up his indiscretions, then use the information against him. Earlier in the year we wrote about email and the disadvantage of employers peeking into our mail and reading its contents. I find those who helicopter around personal sites to be of a similar ilk. These two Big Brotherish eavesdropping devices scare me. I guess I will remain terribly unpopular in the high school scheme of things because I will never have a MySpace or Facebook site. I think I’m safer that way.
