Title page: Who is really our friend online?
Abstract: The role of online social networks is to expand a person's social environment, but is there a limit to how social your circle should become. In this generation, the networks and applications gaining popularity among adults and teens are Facebook, MySpace, and E-harmony. How do these networks compare in the amount of privacy maintained? How can one distinguish between an online identity that's falsified or how can we protect our own? Through research and peer surveys, information can be gathered to show if computer users know what to look out for in online identity theft and how to avoid it. Also research gathered will show how the social networks differ among age groups and should there be a boundary concerning age groups using the same social networks.
4. Fieldwork
The best way to gather my research is to survey the population that is most familiar with these social networks. When presenting my research question I can survey related question such as: What number of people that trust Facebook on a high level or not at all? Which network is more preferred between MySpace and Face book and why? Is e-harmony online dating service considered secure and should there be stricter implications of safety for this network?
-should there be programs incorporated in the social networks to increase privacy and avoid identity imposters?
In what ways can we teach kids
The age groups that would be surveyed on the use of these social networks are adults, pre-teens and teens.
Teens-could be my fellow peers and sibling's friends
Pre-teens-neighbors or at the local middle school/High School
Adults-Neighbors/ friends or professors
In order to conduct my survey I can formulate a list of questions for people to answer privately on individual surveys and also ask them questions in person as discussion. This way I can get an accurate reading for my survey. (I can talk about why I chose this way to survey people; the physiological aspect of answering question in front of people seem similar to be conformed to one answer)
5. Source Review/Conversations:
-The physiological aspect that adults are interacting with kids' social lives can have negative effects.
- Through social networks how have individuals targeted computer users, intentionally harming them by virtual harassment?
- What is the ingredient behind these social networks that keeps drawing people in
-Do online identies convey the same personality outside the virtual world?
6. mla bibliography
Emily Tan. "Facebookers Beware -- Online Identity Theft on the Rise". Lemon drop.com. 24 February 2009. web. 27 oct 2009.
Rutgers University. "Stalking, Harassment, Online Fraud and other Criminal Activities". 6 march 2009.http://rusecure.rutgers.edu/content/stalking-harassment-online-fraud-and-other-criminal-activities
Gelfand, Alexander. "Startup plans to solve online identity theft but does anyone care?". wired.com. 8 feb. 2008.(17pgs) <http://www.wired.com/politics/security/news/2008/02/credentica>
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