Social Networks and My Take

This is my comment about the social networks and how they’ve pretty much exploded on the internet scene. I am speaking, in case you’ve been under a rock for the last year, of Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and the like.

I would not be so hypocritical to unequivocally deem them to be of no value because I do participate in some of the frivolity on specifically Facebook. I have found it entertaining as well as a vehicle to reconnect with friends and family of my past and I also play an occasional word game and more. I have pretty much abandoned MySpace and have no use for Twitter probably if for no other reason but I do have to have a life of some sort away from my computer.

I have heard the pros and the cons about the networks. The privacy issues that are breached at times and the underbelly of society making use of these networks to stalk and even ultimately assault the more gullible as well as innocent among us. That is a very unfortunate by-product of these internet networks but I would suggest that these predators usually find a way to achieve there despicable acts. Another way this would be less of a problem would be to have parents actually pay attention to what their children are doing although this may be too much to ask in this day and age.

I read an article just today how the Defense Department is now studying whether these networks and their armed force’s members are being too fast and loose with sensitive information dealing with national security. There are even Generals on Twitter from what I understand. I would find it quite unbelievable to see a General revealing classified information. This could be just another attempt at our government trying to control anything and everything. Perhaps there needs to be a social networking czar.

So my take on these networks is really that they are a benefit as long as they are somehow monitored by the companies that have created them. It would seem to be a minimal responsibility of these companies to comply with that standard. As with all things in this life there are always pluses and minuses to be weighed. I am hopelessly optimistic about humankind and the general population actually doing the right thing and that will always be my first instinct.