Are u at risk?

Looking at the current media revolution, we are like swimming in a pool of social media online platforms. Being washed by the endless waves of new and better technology in such a short time span, do you think the existence of Facebook, Twitter, Friendfeed and the like have changed

… the way we view privacy,

… the way we share our lives,

and with whom we share our lives with?

These three questions have been boggling my mind lately as I ponder upon how I have changed from being a very secretive and private person at nature to a person who is trying to let loose a little about myself as I embraced streaming in my lives.

Am I the only one?

I am definitely not the only one because the existence of these social networking sites has redefined a whole new genre of borderless communication. These sites have changed our perception and established a new culture in if not all, in most parts of the world.

Today, we don't keep our thoughts to ourselves. We want to share them with others and simultaneously we want to hear what others have to say about our thoughts. We are more interested in building a web of information sharing. On top of that, it is innate in us the desire of wanting to know what others is up to.

But are we revealing too much?

So, one might ask how much is too much? At the end of the day, it is absolutely a very subjective question as it depends on each individual. However, let me remind everyone that the web is not a very safe place after all.

In this article by Kelly (2008), it is reveled that the personal details of Facebook users could potentially be stolen surreptitiously by just 'creating a malicious programme, masquerading as a harmless application'.

This was discovered by the BBC Technology programme Click. The programme managed to detect Facebook security flaw - the programme is capable of hacking someone's account to obtain information such as name, hometown, school, interest and photograph.

So, remember to think twice before revealing any information about yourself! The choice is in your hands.

Reference

Kelly, S 2008, Identity 'at risk' on Facebook, BBC News, viewed on 11 November 2008, <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/click_online/7375772.stm>.