NCCES Technology tag:moose.ncces.org,2006:/technology/blog/1 2006-03-23T18:20:50Z Movable Type 3.2 Do You MySpace? tag:moose.ncces.org,2006://1.1 2006-03-23T17:12:44Z 2006-03-23T18:20:50Z Without a doubt, the question I'm most frequently asked by students is "why is MySpace blocked?" So what is MySpace.com and why is it blocked at NCCES? We think it's critical for all members of the NCCES community to be... Brian www.ncces.org Without a doubt, the question I'm most frequently asked by students is "why is MySpace blocked?" So what is MySpace.com and why is it blocked at NCCES? We think it's critical for all members of the NCCES community to be aware of the risks associated with MySpace and sites like it.

]]> MySpace is an Internet community site--a site that encourages users to share personal information and brings together people with similar interests. MySpace is huge and growing at an incredible rate. There are roughly 4 million new users registering a month and the site reports 11 billion hits per month. I'd estimate that well over half of our students have used MySpace. The truth is, sites like this could provide a positive, constructive service; they could be a great tool to build diverse communities, unimpeded by distance or time zones. Unfortunately, internet communities also provide plenty of opportunities for dangerous individuals.

Dangerous Place?
We initially decided to block MySpace because it was distracting students and didn't seem to be a legitimate academic activity. Over the last few months, though, we've seen plenty of other reasons to keep it blocked. Internet communities like MySpace can be dangerous places for users, particularly youths. There have been several instances that illustrate the dangers. Stalking, attacks and even a murder are being blamed on MySpace-related activity. Locally, an 18 year-old male from Rhode Island came to Lunenburg trying to contact a 15 year-old student whom he had “met” on MySpace. He was apprehended as he attempted to get into her school. A student in East Hampton has been charged by police there for posting criminal threats on MySpace against other students at his school. Threats and intimidation are common between students of local schools. In Pepperell, police have started a campaign to delete MySpace profiles for students at the elementary school there (MySpace policy requires that users be at least 14 but no verification is made when a new user registers).

Too Much Information
What we have seen at NCCES is many students who aren't aware of what's safe to post and what isn't. Students have posted their real names, cell phone numbers, addresses, and even a few indiscrete photos of themselves. What they may not realize or appreciate is that anyone in the world can see their profile. You can't trust that anyone is who they say they are, because MySpace doesn't do any sort of verification. Even a few bits of information is enough for a determined person to find out where you live and more--online search companies provide a lot of personal information when given a name and a mere $30. Users often feel that they're anonymous, or that nobody else will find their profile. This is not the case. It's simple to browse profiles or to search for specific types of information about other users. The more information a user puts in their profile the easier it is to find them. And there are people who are looking.

After learning about MySpace, one of our community members went home and logged on to her 14 year-old daughter's account. She was horrified to find that her daughter had posted information about where she lives and the name of her school. There was a personal photo of her in swimwear sitting in a hot tub. Lastly, there was a series of lewd comments posted by other users referring to the daughter and mentioning various body parts. She deleted the profile on the spot and has given her daughter much tighter rules on computer use.

What Can You Do?
Here are a few suggestions on how to limit your exposure to risk:

Parents/Guardians

  • Talk to your student about Internet safety.
  • Monitor your student.
  • Don't allow computers in bedrooms or behind closed doors.
  • Learn what MySpace looks like and how it works.
  • Don't allow younger students to use MySpace and similar sites.
  • If you allow your older student to use these sites teach them not to reveal personal information.
  • Check the web browser history and cookies on your home computers to see the sites family users are visiting.

Students

  • Don't reveal your name, town, address, school, phone numbers, email addresses, etc.
  • Don't post personal photos; if you post pictures, make them group pictures.
  • Assume that people you don't know or trust are seeing your profile.
  • Don't trust users you don't know personally.

Online Safety Resources
Netsmartz: http://www.netsmartz.org
Get Net Wise: http://www.getnetwise.org
Internet Safety: http://www.internet-safety.org
MA Attorney General: http://www.ago.state.ma.us

]]>