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The Daily Utah Chronicle

The University of Utah's Independent Student Voice

The Daily Utah Chronicle

The University of Utah's Independent Student Voice

The Daily Utah Chronicle

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Want your voice to be heard? Submit a letter to the editor, send us an op-ed pitch or check out our open positions for the chance to be published by the Daily Utah Chronicle.
@TheChrony

MySpace: dangerous games or harmless fun? (Fawson says fun)

By Jessie Fawson

As the world changes, people must change or be left in the dust. A new, emerging technology is the online sites that allow people to meet and mingle. MySpace.com is such an example, and as much as some would like to worry themselves silly about it, there is nothing wrong with people conversing online.

There are obviously challenges and problems that need to be worked out-however, this doesn’t make MySpace or similar forums a bad idea or even inherently unsafe. They are usually fun arenas in which friends are able to keep in touch and have a good time.

It is not the site’s fault if individuals post information about themselves that could be used for nefarious purposes. If information is posted that puts an individual in danger, it is the individual who places the information that is at fault. Education and a little bit of common sense should prevail online.

Just like in the offline world, where you wouldn’t give your number to a random, potentially dangerous person, you shouldn’t do so in the online world.

Any site on the Internet could potentially be dangerous to children-MySpace does its best to make sure that children aren’t allowed on its site.

There is no way to make sure that a site like this is 100 percent secure, because people always find a way to do something they want. Think of how many of your friends have done something illegal that minors should be able to do. That is why individuals should monitor themselves; it is the individuals who must be accountable for their information.

Think about it like this-when you pay for something online, there is always the chance that your credit card information could be intercepted. The site and company put in safeguards to try to minimize the danger, but are not responsible for that interception.

MySpace is not responsible if someone uses information published on its site to do something wrong. That is the individual’s fault.

What you publish online can, and should, be used to determine what kind of person you are. I see no reason that an employer or school should not look to see what hobbies you have or whether or not you enjoy partying late.

If you don’t want the consequences of your actions to come back and haunt you, you shouldn’t be so willing to post potentially reputation-damaging information about yourself on the Internet. If you decide to post risqu photos or angry blogs in an arena where basically anyone could see them, you should be able to foresee the fact that this could possibly damage you in other aspects of your life.

As our society evolves, individuals need to realize that when they publish their private actions for the world to see, they are exposing themselves to a plethora of unintended consequences. Yes, these consequences could turn out to be negative, but how is that anyone’s problem but the person who exhibited such poor judgment to begin with?

We must learn to monitor ourselves so that we are safe and secure while still having a good time.

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