[Haroldo]

Yes, I know ________ (fill in the blank with your most despised network) isn't secure and is filled with malware, etc.
Just interested in finding if people are using it.

[roddy32]

I joined MySpace a couple of years ago to see some pictures of my Godson's sister's new baby. Every page I went to there was C*R*A*P trying to download onto my computer. If I wasn't so well protected it would have been succesful. I immediately unjoined and called her on the phone and told her to either e-mail me the pictures or scan them and send them snail mail. I will never go back there again.

I DID join Twitter but I rarely go there. I think that is also considered social networking but it is totally different as MySpace as far as the setup. That has been attacked often recently by malware also but I have not been there in a month.

[Celtic Ferret]

I have been known to passively "lurk" at certain social "notworking" sites, however. A coworker uses Shutterfly for photo sharing. But any information on these places is probably NOT secure in any way whatsoever, so use caution.

Info link
--CF

[johngalt]

Considering Bill Pytlovany uses it to post info from both Bits from Bill as well as the WinPatrol blog, and James Fisher uses it to post Windows Talks updates, I'd say that it is a valuable resource - I don't care to follow what Joe Blow does in his spare time, but companies are now beginning to use it to post announcements and such, like Tesla Motors....

[Charlie]

Have many "News medias" on my Tweetdeck and find it as a quick update on todays news breaking stories. I "TWEET" very seldom and only have 3 followers

Facebook, now it's mostly a family thing for me and could be handle in a family newsletter I likely. The "Fan" use connects to some local sites that saves click from my own bookmarks to read

[WiltedShoots]

Funny Haroldo I was actually going to start a poll about Blogging issues this weekend.
I will wait for this one to die down.
It is a good question. I think many musicians and DJs use MySpace.
I am very interested in this "Tweeting" phenomena.
I don't think anyone wants to hear me "tweet" though.

[hewee]

I do not use any of them or want to. Do not use any chat program or any type of sharing program.

MS hotmail I got but I never download the hotmail live and you get bugged to do so.
Later MS Update had two updates and I hide them from showing up. One was something about all your live account being put together and it being more easy and the other was some on sharing I think.

But I said no. MS bugs you to install from Hotmail the Windows Live ID and I will not and then they added it to MS Update or I think it was the same thing.
I do not want it because to me it is like Google and all they give out and the one cookie for all of it.

They just like to track everything you. I do not need programs they go every where I go and track me or do I want to know where some one else is at what ever site because that means it is tracking me and the others.

To me that is all these sites are doing and that is tracking and lots of bad things have happen at MySpace so I never even go there. Hosts file even blocks the site and for good reason.

[Haroldo]

I use FB all the time, I'm not stalked or tracked...or if I am, I haven't noticed anything. I haven't had any downloads and nothing has installed. I haven't seen but a few ads (okay, I use Ad Block Plus). My privacy is intact, since no one (other than people I permit) can see any thing about me other than my name, my picture and who my friends are (and that's because I allow it)
I have, however, found a lot of long lost friends and kept in touch with relatives, many of whom I'd never speak with. I've also been able to see what everyone is doing, including family events, vacations and parties. In addition, I've played over 400 games of Scrabble. Yeah, it may be a threat, but then again, so is using an ATM card or a charge card or Google, for that matter.
Paranoia is good, but IMHO, there is nothing to worry about with FB.
I love it.

[hewee]

What is the FB your talking about?

[Haroldo]

Facebook

[WiltedShoots]

Cool people who use Macs call it FB.

[Haroldo]

Har-har-har-de-har-har

[joe53]

My prejudices against FaceBook, Twitter, et.al. have little to do with security concerns.

I do most of my (non face-to-face, admittedly an ancient custom, but still preferred) social networking using:

- email (about as secure as a post card, but free and convenient for non-sensitive communication)

- my rotary dial phone, (which incidently was the only communication device that continued to work during the big North-Eastern blackout in North America a few years back, since Bell maintains its own power grid). No malware there, and no need to upgrade for decades!

- my basic cell phone (no text-messaging or internet access; for those times when I'm away from home).

What more do I need?

[siljaline]

I have a FaceBook account use it to keep in touch with past and current MS MVP's that are large on FaceBook.
Reddit, etc are part of the CondéNet Empire of which I do want to be any part of.

[Data]

I have an MSN space, but rarely go there.

I disabled my Facebook account because privacy is zero. You share your info all the time (thus the reason I didn't use my real name), and it's all pointless, plus the ads. The employment agencies, and who knows who else, have caught on to the fact they can use it to their own advantage.
People telling you that they just had for tea or are just going to have a bath is not my idea of passing time. I prefer forums.

Would stumbleupon count?

This post has been edited by Data: 17 April 2009 - 01:47 AM

[hewee]

But as it says at their site...

Quote

Sharing Your Information with Third Parties

Facebook is about sharing information with others — friends and people in your networks — while providing you with privacy settings that restrict other users from accessing your information. We allow you to choose the information you provide to friends and networks through Facebook. Our network architecture and your privacy settings allow you to make informed choices about who has access to your information. We do not provide contact information to third party marketers without your permission. We share your information with third parties only in limited circumstances where we believe such sharing is 1) reasonably necessary to offer the service, 2) legally required or, 3) permitted by you.

[Data]

It's a rather dubious paragraph. In particular: "reasonably necessary to offer the service".

You are forced to share with third parties just to use the "features" of the site. Don't share and it basically becomes a shoutbox with photos.
These third parties are not your "friends".

[Donna]

I don't have twitter, facebook or myspace accounts. I personally do not see a need to use them. I have not watch anyone's twitters account.
I did visit twitter site and sample of tweets in the FAQ page then I did not go back since I am not interested.

I also do not encourage MY friends or family to use the said service. We're happy with what we're using:
Private video and call conferencing. Cheaper than making overseas calls but I still continue to use the 3g video calls if we want to show important stuff in real-time.
Emails and text messaging on mobiles or offline messaging using Yahoo! Messenger. Most of our Yahoo! messenger is connected with our mobile # so we get important family alerts even if the PC is not log to Yahoo! messenger desktop client.

I have Linkedin account. I received 1 unwanted connection but I blocked it because I don't know him and whatever he does (as per his Linkedin profile) is not that I know of.
I seldom visit my linkedin. Only go there when I want to connect to another linkedin or if I will respond to introduction or connection request.

[luci2a]

I joined Facebook a couple of years ago at the request of a very unwell friend who asked her sons to report on her health that way, rather than have to respond to huge numbers of phone calls about her. I still carried on visiting her in hospital, but knew in advance how she would be, which prepared me for when she was really sick.
My daughters said they would have to join a Facebook group for people whose mothers were on Facebook!
Sadly my friend passed away last year and I only visit FB when my daughters tell me that they have put photos up. I never post anything myself; my real friends know what I'm up to! It served its purpose, but for me there are better ways of contacting people.
I use Skype and MSN with video to talk to far off folks, and find them very useful.

[weaselthatbites]

I have a Facebook account and myspace account...never write anythign in there or use my actual name. I use myspace quite frequently, more for those silly addictive applications, than to actually communicate anything.

Twitter I have not touched and do not attend....as a general principle I think most people's lives are not interesting enough to have an update every 15 minutes. (I can barely write an email of stuff, let alone writing something every 15 minutes )