I had a disturbing conversation with a co-worker today about a colleague whose bank accounts had been hacked online. My friend is planning to change all her passwords this weekend and has already dropped out of some social networking sites.
This was a continuation of last week’s discussion about social media. She told me she had a Facebook page. I told her I can’t get past the date-of-birth requirement. She said she never uses her real date of birth online. Our Webmaster and I were talking about this a short time later and I told him the birthdate story. He gave me A Look and that’s when I knew: the Internet is all fiction.
Apparently, and obviously, I am the last one to know:
- No one uses their real birthdates.
- Your alma mater? Some other ivy halls, halfway across the country.
- Your online resume: what will the recruiter find out when she calls the last three employers? Have you even had three employers?
My problem with social media and social networking is basic: I’ve always been honest. Ask me a question, I give a straight answer. I have no imagination. I follow rules. I just hadn’t fully absorbed the Internet rule book but I think I’ve got it now. Yes, now I understand all those bald elderly men in trailer parks masquerading as 20-something cheerleaders in fans-of-chocolate-chip-cookies chat rooms. I need to be a better liar.
3 comments
Jen_R says:
Jun 11, 2009
I have my real name and birthdate on my Facebook page. I use my real name on my blog too. What can I say…I live on the edge.
travisclark says:
Jun 11, 2009
One thing to remember is that all financial institutions use the internet to run debit cards, credit cards, etc. It's not the internet and social sites that should worry you, it's using simple passwords, having your security question be something obvious, clicking on phishing sites or downloading from sites you don't trust or don't use https.
In my opinion, being honest on a social networking site IS the point. I always use my birthdate. People can find my date of birth all over the place anyways. My birthdate isn't tied to any of my finances, no passwords that I use on Facebook match my bank accounts, etc. It's all in how you use the web. Be smart, be safe, it doesn't mean you have to lie.
CateHahn says:
Jun 12, 2009
I have the same problem with many of the websites. I don't use facebook, my space, etc. I won't allow my teenage daughter to do so either. I have allowed her to register with one that claims to have strict guidelines, but I monitor it closely. Since I chose not to lie about myself, I have to also chose to be very selective. Bottom line, I don't need to have millions of people I don't know reading about my personal life. The point is, it's personal!