Milellam727's Weblog

Addiction to social networks such as Myspace and Facebook has become one of the worlds biggest problems amongst the younger generation. Although the majority of people who use these social networks are young, there are many adults who use these sites as well. On average people spend about two and half hours a day on facebook and around an hour and half on myspace. (http://ad-supported-music.blogspot.com/2007/11/time-spent-on-facebook-limits.html) The addiction to these social networks has people like Steve Lyons, a student of St. Rose, commenting “everytime I go on a computer, whether it is my own computer or not, I feel a need to check my Facebook”.

Myspace started up on October 16, 1999. Facebook was created in March 2004. Myspace has around 75 millions users and facebook has around 55 million users. Privacy is a main concern with both these websites because people want to feel that the information they put on these sites are secure. On facebook the user has complete control over its privacy policy. A facebook user is able to block out anyone they do not want looking at their information. Although Myspace does have similar privacy polices, it is much easier for hackers to gain access to peoples personal profiles. There is actually a site called “Fake your Space” where people can hire hackers to gain access to your personal site.

Online predators is a major factor when joining a social network. Especially for younger members, it is very important to make sure your information is safe. Children today, especially on Myspace do or say things they normally would not say in real life. They feel that they are in a secure area where they are able to say whatever they want to whoever. “According to the “Center for Missing and Exploited Children reported more than 2,600 incidents of adults using the web to target children online in order to engage in sexual activity.” (http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article.cfm?articleid=1463).

Another problem with many of these social networks is the idea of “bullying”. I have seen first hand what these social networks allow bullies to do to certain people who are not well liked. In my high school a bunch of guys created a group called “Gavin Sucks” so that they could humilate him and let everyone on the web see it. It is sad that bullies would use these social networks in order to degrate another human being and make sure everyone can witness it.

Recently a young female committed suicide over a myspace relationship. She had grown attached to a so called good looking sixteen year old male. When this sixteen year old male decided to end the relationship the girl hanged herself in her room. Police then found out that, this was another case of idenity fraud and that this sixteen year old male was really an older women living on the same street. Identity fraud is a very common problem with social networks today because it is very hard to catch people when they are making up information.

Since we are living in a world where almost half the nation has a certain social network, employers have now mad accounts and created ways to check certain peoples social network accounts. This is why it is very important that people should think before they put anything on the web. “More than 1,700 public employees have been sacked or disciplined for internet or email misuse in the past three years.” (http://alwaysnewmistakes.wordpress.com/2007/11/15/are-social-networks-putting-us-in-danger/)

Facebook has around 85% college students, where Myspace is made up more of American high school students. Facebook was created so that students in college would be able to stay connected through there college’s network. Myspace was more an area where anyone could go and socialize. To join facebook you have to be a member of the 30,000 recognized schools, colleges, universities, companies, etc and have a valid e-mail address.

I believe that social networks have a lot to offer but can be taken advantage easily by people who like to destroy all the good things that come from it. Being that I was once a Myspace user and now a Facebook user, I feel that Facebook is a more protected and safer site. Joining a social network is a risk to begin with but people have to make sure they realize what information they are putting out there.

Social Networking Slideshow

milellam727 — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 00:48:32 +0000

BubbleShare: Share photos – Safe Toys

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milellam727 — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 16:04:46 +0000

Social networking has become very popular in todays world. It has changed the way people communicate with others. What was life like before social networks became so popular. Being that I am a facebook user, I realize the dangers that comes about having an account. It is a great way of staying connected with people you already know, and it is even a better way of connecting with people you normally would not talk to in person. You are able to communicate with people that you do not normally talk to on a regular basis. For instance, it is a great way of staying connected with family overseas or across the country. I have family that lives in Ireland that I am able to talk to them through messages on facebook.

Today in English class I norrowed down my essay topic to the comparison of Myspace and Facebook. My paper is now going to focus of the problems between then and I will be taking surveys of people on my floor in Lima that have myspace and facbook accounts. I will be asking questions such as “who has facebook or myspace or both?” and “when did you sign up for your facebook or myspace”.

Throughout my paper I will talk about problems between both myspace and facebook. I will also discuss the differences between both social networks. “Structurally, social networks sites are a cross between a yearbook and a community website.”

Social Networks

milellam727 — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 21:38:48 +0000

In English this morning Professor Fulwiler had us do a free write on our topic. One of the questions was how your topic evolved and how it affects you. We were able to talk about stories involving your certain topic and how it relates to the argument in your paper. I started talking about how I was a big time myspace user. Freshman year of high school came and I finally signed up for myspace. All my friends had already had a myspace so as soon as I became a user I had a lot of friend requests. It made me feel awesome. As high school came to an end people started moving towards facebook because it was a more “mature” website for college students. My older brother had told me that you had to be in college to have a facebook but he was wrong. When I became a facebook user I saw that there were many high school freshman. They were just going with the flow of popular kids who decided they wanted a facebook. Today almost everyone I know has a facebook and most of my friends got rid of their myspace. With these two popular social networks comes plenty of dangers though. Identity fraud, sexual predators, privacy problems, bullying etc. These sites are still very popular among the younger generation even with the many dangers they can bring.

Double Duece

milellam727 — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 20:50:18 +0000

“F:F:F is open there, and she flips back and forth between posts, getting a sense of what’s been going on. Not much, aside from ongoing analysis of #135, which is normal, and discussion of this Vatican story from Brazil. Maurice, interestingly, posts to point out that both the story and the alleged papel interest seem to issue from Brazil, and that there has apparently been no independent confirmation from elsewhere” (90).

Cayce interacts directly with the forum. She is constantly checking the FFF and is an avid user. Cayce says that the forum has become like a second home, the FFF gives her the ability to interact and connect with other users, and she is able to use information from the forum in her job.

The Pew Research Center shows this in scenarios 3 & 4. They have said that technology has eliminated privacy, allows people to know where we are at all times. Users of the forum relate to this because they are addicted to the technology much like the Pew Research talks about.
“Even her relationship to the footage is changing. Margot had called the footage Cayce’s hobby, but Cayce has never been a person who had hobbies. Obsessions, yes. Worlds. Places to retreat to. “But it’s no name,” Margot had said, of the footage, “that’s why you like it. Isn’t it? Like your trademark thing.” (Pattern Recognition Page 94-95)

1) Cayce is the user of the forum.

2) Cayce is always using the footage, Margot says that it has become an obsession rather than a hobby.

3)The FFF seems like a place for Cayce to escape from her real world, as quoted from above the FFF can be compared to a “place to retreat to”.

4) This is the same as the above, the Pew Research Center talks about how addicting technology is, and the above passage shows how Cayce is obsessed with the forum.

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milellam727 — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 18:06:34 +0000

“Briefly, though, she imagines the countless Asian workers who might, should she say yes, spend years of their lives applying versions of this symbol to an endless and unyielding flood of footwear. What would it mean to them, this bouncing sperm? Would it work its way into their dreams, eventually? Would their children chalk it in doorways before they knew its meaning as a trademark.”

This passage has a very sad tone because it is talking about the Asian workers that spend their life working to put symbols on footwear. It gives me the feeling that, she is upset people actually spend days of their lives putting symbols on footwear, does it really matter what kind of footwear you? I feel she is the type of woman that would tell you that you should be blessed with any type of footwear, not a certain type. “Endless and unyielding flood of footwear” makes me feel as if she knows exactly what she is talking about. That there are millions upon millions of sneakers being made a day and poor Asian workers have to labor over putting symbols on them.

People see on the television which type of footwear is hot and which is not. Commericals on the media get people, especially the younger generation, to buy certain goods because it. I see everyday on the television, Nike commericals that show the knew sneaker that makes it look like you will be able to jump higher. The more people want the sneakers the greater demand it has on people creating the sneakers. The people, just like the Asian workers in the book, work all day just putting on those “symbols” so people feel better about themselves.

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milellam727 — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 17:01:15 +0000

“Numb here in the semi-dark, in Damiens bedroom, beneath a silvery thing the color of oven mitts, probably never intended by its makers to actually be slept under. She’d been too tired to find a blanket. The sheet between her skin and the weight of this industrial coverlet are silky, some luxurious thread count, and they smell faintly of, she guesses, Damien. No badly, though. Actually its not unpleasant; any physical linkage to a fellow mammal seems a plus at this point.” (gibson pg. 1)

Numb- great adjective that describes how a person can feel in isolation. I associate numb to the feeling of being alone and know one to interact with.

semi-dark- shows what kid of mood she is in and what kind of place it is. It is obvious she is not somewhere where she wants to be.

She’d been too tired to find a blanket- shows she is so tired and she will take anything or nothing at all to cover herself and keep warm. Is this an early sign of trouble?

industrial coverlet are silky, some luxurious thread count- shows what kind of person she is. She takes count for everything she encounters with great detail.

any physical linkage to a fellow mammal seems a plus at this point- this is a major point in the paragraph because it lets the reader know what she is going through.

3 most interesting

Numb- it gives me a good idea of how she is feeling, almost like she is invisible and can not feel anything. The people and places around her mean nothing to her and she has no emotion at all. I have a feeling this theme of numbness might continue throughout the novel.

semi-dark- shows the the mood of the setting. She is obviously not in a place with a lot of light and people in it. It makes me feel like she is alone in the world and there is no light for her to guide her out of a hole she has dug herself.

any physical linkage to a fellow mammal seems a plus at this point- I believe she is trying to come into contact with anything she can because the numbness she has is getting to her. Its obvious she was not always like this because then she would not know what it means to have physical linkage to a mammal. I have a feeling Damien is going to be that physical linkage.