Blog Social networking

Social Networking is like all new technology, a neutral tool that can be used for either good or evil. An example of each, for social networking, can be seen in LinkedIn and Facebook. These sites both have custom settings and require a bit of common sense when using. Though both were started with the best intentions, one has strayed from it's original design and become a bit less friendly to the user.

LinkedIn, a website used for finding employers and employees alike, was built on the idea of social networking as a way to help fill job openings. There are many settings available when creating a LinkedIn account, including one that allows others to contact the user when there is an available position for them. Once the account is created though, that is when common sense has to come into play. As Frank Langfitt quoted in his article Social Networking Technology Boosts Job Recruiting "Crawford-Hentz says it's important to load your profile with the right keywords so people can find you the way she found LaSpina." It makes sense when setting up a profile on LinkedIn that the best, and as many as possible, keywords be used to insure that others can find you for the position you want, and that they need filled, rather than for any random position.

Facebook on the other hand has stray from it's original design. Meant to be the social networking site to replace MySpace and create a safe space for friends and families to connect, Facebook has become very user UNfriendly. The safe space it was supposed to be has turned into a maze of settings for privacy that are not intuitive and not very safe, not even mentioning the data "leaks" that have been reported. The settings are so convoluted that not even the sister of the creator can make heads or tails of the instructions. Which leads to the use of common sense, if you don't want the world to know, don't put it on a social media site. Rebecca Greenfield pointed out in her article Facebook Privacy Is So Confusing Even the Zuckerberg Family Photo Isn't Private that "People will find photos they declare 'meaningful' and post them elsewhere — 'fair use' is a vague term in the sharing economy, whether you're a member of the media or not." Meaning if you put something on the internet then the chances are really high that someone will find it and post it somewhere else making it public for all to see.

These technologies, when used properly and transparently, can be a great way to reconnect with friends, family, and even make new friends. They do require an honest own/creator, common sense, and good privacy settings. With how easy it is to spread fake news, private information, and half baked ideas, these tools are very dangerous, but in the right hands they can be tools for education, connecting with people, and making the world  a better place.