What I don't like about facebook for teens is that you can search for their name and picture and then you can see the names and pictures of their friends without going into their page, even if it is locked to friends only.

What really needs to happen is students need to be educated on how to keep themselves safe. How not to post a real picture as their profile, but to keep the pictures on their page instead for friends only to see. Education is the name of the game with any social networking site for teens.

Hey, I’ve always thought that Facebook is safer than MySpace. But I guess I still needed to see the other side of the coin. I’ve never really considered that MySpace does, in fact, seldom let others see/use the actual names of its users whereas in Facebook, important info like the first and last name and the school and grade I attend are indeed displayed so much in the open. For now, my answer to the question would be a YES! 

Thank you for your perspective on this, Demexii - and for the screenshots, xposure to Facebook and MySpace privacy features a lot of parents and educators can't get.
Anne
--
Anne Collier
BlogSafety co-director

Well,

This site I do have to say is amazing

I mean I put in my opinion and its actually heard from a police officer this is thee way society need to work.

Opinions need to be heard from all Big and Small

I cant thank you enough I will definatily be visiting this site more.

~WRRY

Let me first say that I think blogsafety.com is an amazing site!

I would like to comment from my perspective...a police officer/detective who investigates Internet crimes against children. I talk to kids, parents, teachers, AND the predators.

I like a lot of what I have read in this post and I have a couple of comments:

1. Anne says, "I think by their nature, social-networking sites just can't guarantee user safety". I agree 100%. There is always some degree of risk to kids that they may connect with dangerous people no matter where they are on the Internet. It doesn't have to be an online community like Facebook or MySpace. I have had investigations involving predators going after kids on gaming sites, online groups, photo storage sites, different messenger services, and other online services.

2. gtpsych said, "It is still a choice to belong to said networks. It's a choice to be listed in the phone book. It's a choice to leave your home. The best way to protect yourself is to simply not be dumb. Don't engage in unsafe meetings. Don't take unnecessary risks"

I wish it were that simple! Not all young people (or older for that matter) make careful and well thought out decisions. Peer pressure, teen perceptions and attitudes, etc are all factors in determining what choices we make. We are all different and make different choices based on who we are and the life we live. I have seen good kids who are Internet savvy tricked and lured into inappropriate stuff by predators. One of the most prolific predators my office was involved in obtained information from hundreds of kids simply using a carefully thought out "social networking" strategy. He gained thier trust and, without the kids knowing he was doing it, he obtained key information about them and their accounts.

3. About the privacy thing, I tell parents that the risks are too high to give your kids unsupervised access to the Internet. We all need our privacy! Having said that, young people should not expect to get that privacy while online. Of course the 17 year will be monitored differently that the 11 year old depending on level of maturity, honesty and trustworthiness. Parents need to know where their kids are going online, who they are talking to, and what they are talking about. (I know that won't sit well with some)

4. I loved what theebayk1d said, "I believe the best way to moniter your child's account if you wish to do so is make your own account and become familar with the site maybe even get some of your friends on there". I have started telling parents to ask their kids to teach them about the Internet. Have the kids help the parents create online profiles and places on whatever social networking site they want. Create a blog, instant messenger accounts, etc. The bottom line is adults need to get as connected as young people. The Internet is a huge part of our kids lives so if adults want to be effective parents they need to know about their kids world.

Sorry about being long winded.

Anne and Larry...keep up the good work!

Randy

--
Detective Randy Wickins
Edmonton Police Service
Alberta Integrated Child Exploitation Team

Well I have to say as a Seventeen Year Old Highschool Student who has a Mysapce and a Facebook account.

I have to say if my parents were to ever login in as me even if were for my safety I say thats an invasion of privacy. I would be glad to show them my account. Theres nothing on there I am hiding but logining on as your kid is not right.

Futhermore,

I believe the best way to moniter your child's account if you wish to do so is make your own account and become familar with the site maybe even get some of your friends on there.

According to the privacy issues between the 2 places. I do belive both have gone to great lengths to potect the kids using them but they always need the parents reenforcing that.

The contact information on there is normal.

Also I could easily find infomration on almost anyone in the world I want wiether they are on myspace or not its not hard at all what you need to worry about rather than other people is your own childs account.

I believe it to be alright to list things such as an email or instant message name but as for a telephone espuically home certainly not.

As for either place being less safe the only factor I have to say is...

Facebook had a news release as they were selling information after this world spread there is now an option you must uncheck in privacy. So you must do that. Otherwise I find them really equal.

~Will

I have to say that your argument is rediculous.

1) The contact information provided on facebook, with the exception of AIM screennames, is all available in university and high school directories. In order to get your hands on a University Directory, you just have to go to the university website. In order to get a High School directory, you have to have physical access to the school or a single student. Again, this information is freely available through other sources.

2) High school students today have grown up with this technology, at least its predecessors, which parents have not. Social Networking software shares information in a way that hasn't been done before and the people most apt to deal with its ramifications are the people who are growing up with and developing it, not the people who are afraid of it because it wasn't around when they were kids.

3) Myspace remains completely uncontrolled. Anyone can sign up for an account. Anyone can view complete profiles (with the exceptions of full size pictures and video) without any acces control or access logs. Any personal information chosen to be shared is completely open.

4) It is still a choice to belong to said networks. It's a choice to be listed in the phone book. It's a choice to leave your home. The best way to protect yourself is to simply not be dumb. Don't engage in unsafe meetings. Don't take unnecessary risks.

Lastly, all I want to say is stop bitching about supposed problems that you don't understand.

Larry,

What would you expect Facebook to say? It's on the market with unconfirmed reports of a $2 billion "ask".

I totally disagree with the information their spokesperson is providing. Jumping the fence on Facebook is easy and there is more information there than there typically is on MySpace. It's that simple.

If you have one members account information you can access an entire (and large) group of teens providing information about how to contact them.

In fact, Facebook includes e-mail addresses on most profile pages. It's a fact.

Anyone with access to one member's page has access to (potentially) hundreds of fellow students' cell phone numbers. It's like an addendum to the high school phone directory, including photos, e-mail addresses, class schedules and cell phone numbers!

It's also a great site. I have no problem with it. That said, parents need to be fully informed about its safety issues and risks.

Let Facebook publish its propaganda as part of its sales pitch to potential buyers. I hope they are very successful; they deserve a great price.

Just don't let them infer that parents are stupid on their way to the bank.

Thanks.