Who Can You Trust?

Growth in Internet Usage, By Ke4roh

I’ve been getting a lot of emails lately from Facebook and LinkedIn (allegedly) but some of them have turned out to be extremely clever phishing scams. You have to check very carefully to spot the signs. I suspect these messages are automatically generated in response to requests for access to on-line address books, so the system can trawl for other ‘friends’ to contact. Writing is a solitary business, so keeping in contact online is popular. In my early days of social networking, I would merrily click on friend requests received via email. After the accounts of several friends were hacked, I NEVER do this now. Instead, I accept these requests by logging in directly to the social network sites. Incidentally, apologies to anyone who has ever asked for my birthdate. I never give this out if I can avoid it, as the security measures behind things such as internet banking rely on details like that. 

Social networking has revolutionised life for millions of people. When used for good, it’s great fun and a vital link between people who would otherwise never meet, but it has its downside. Spam, fraud and bullying are common. Have you come across any problems like this? Do you find the benefits of Facebook, Twitter etc outweigh the possible disadvantages?