I didn't jump in the fray about Twitter below because this really applies to all social networking like MySpace, LinkedIn, etc.

Everyone here knows (I HOPE!) the importance of discretion and safety.  Many of us understand the double edged sword even these industry specific discussion boards can be.  Yet many of us do not understand how to do simple things to protect ourselves.  A fellow that I've known on the boards for years last week sent me an email asking if I could tell him how to clear his cache and cookies.
: O

This morning I received the following email from a different friend who is VERY computer literate (she can kick my ass in person if she thinks this is inappropriate):
Even though I refuse to [willingly] participate in the online social networking mind meld, the borg continues to try to assimilate me. It's bad enough with the endless "so-and-so has added you as a friend on whatever....". But, it also seems I am "friends" with multitudes of people I don't recall ever meeting.  And, like an idgit, at one time I poked around on $@3#!@^&% twitter just to see what the hell that was about (using a throw-away account). Twitter, that clever imp,  has managed to attach the throw away addy to my msn address. Now I am being "followed". And, as fast as I block one, another pops up. Creepy. Yesterday I was made aware that 'some guy', whom I do not know, went to the dentist. And, I give a shit why? Apparently 6 other people were interested enough in this banal event to 'twitter' a response---then this morning, in my WORK inbox, found that some guy named Jim---don't know jim, has added me as a friend to something, and the pain in the ass factor finally reached a crescendo.

**THESE SITES ARE DANGEROUS, IMHO**

Some of them have fine print options to go into your email accounts to find and recommend connecting to your "friends."  That's a total no!

Even better, please see the following article.  Just as in every end of our lives, there are companies that are actively collecting and cross referencing your info.  You may think you're covering your tracks but you slip just once and "the system" will connect the dots.  "Oh, it's no biggie, I'll use my personal PayPal to pay for this work related x-y-z from Amazon..."

Please, please, please think twice about connecting into these sites.  At least read this first:
http://pcworld.about.com/od/security2/People-Search-Engines-They-Kn.htm

xoxo,
Sola


-- Modified on 4/13/2009 3:20:09 PM

What might seem like a harmless diversion could end up being quite a ball and chain.

I knew there was a reason I was staying away...  besides the fact that I have no friends...  LOL
skb

i keep the annoying notifications turned off.

a few old friends that lost touch with me after a catastrophe wiped out my contact data base have been able to find me and reconnect... vice versa.

providers can Google on my real name and get a work history that establishes that i am not LE.

i NEVER allow access to my address books.

AH! most important! i never mix activities that are private and personal on hardware that connects to these sites... just a lil paranoid...

so i think a few simple commonsense precautions and all is well.

"You may think you're covering your tracks but you slip just once and "the system" will connect the dots.  "Oh, it's no biggie, I'll use my personal PayPal to pay for this work related x-y-z from Amazon..."

Exactomundo---and the dots are getting connected faster and faster all the time.

Online social networking and privacy are mutually exclusive. And twitter is as about as bad as it gets.


Not only does twitter “connect” you in ways you may not want to be connected, and litter the Inet with breadcrumbs marking your travels, it has been plagued with security problems like:

• Extremely weak password security
• Users having to give passwords to access third party twitter apps--which could allow access to your twitter account, or allow someone to twitter on your behalf, or even result in someone locking you out of your own twitter account and ‘becoming’ you. oops
• SMS spoofing hole—“vulnerability due to an authentication weakness that allowes anyone who knows a user's mobile number to spoof their messages, provided that the user's mobile number is set up to post and receive Twitter messages”
• Aggressively phishing personal data and sharing with 3rd parties

From just last weekend: Teen takes responsibility for Twitter worms:

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10217684-83.html

Twitter thought they had that fixed first time too---umm….nope. No harm really done there, but should be a wake-up call regarding twitter security, and it's ability to safeguard your info. No accounting for bored teenagers.

Twitter is also starting to become a problem for businesses with employees sharing just a little too much information in 140 word bites that bypass standard network security.


Reasons to stay away from twitter are many. For anyone who does not believe that, just google “Twitter” + “security”, throw in “passwords” for shits and giggles, and there is enough information to keep you alarmed for hours.

But A-#1 reason not to be doing this in your hobby life is it's a risk to both provider and client privacy, security and safety.

Hey Sola, maybe you could introduce me to your friend sometime. I totally dig smart chicks

I just know you two smarties would looooove one another!
: D

There's a man with a gun over there telling me I've got to beware. Paranoia stikes me, into your life it will creep. It starts when you're always afraid the man will come and take you away.You've got to stop children what's that sound? Everyone looks what's going down.

I always wondered what all the hype was about on twitter. I def don't have time to use it. I also don't want to know what someone is doing or thinking every second, it's not that serious lol.

The are nothing more than the old chat rooms, just using W2 technologies to make it more attractive and dangerous.

Viruses, identity theft and whole lot of other things.

Tread with caution