At least the players are trying . .

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/13491883/

The big players are doing what they can, or are they??

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children held a meeting in Washington to discuss ways to protect kids from social networking sites like MySpace, Facebook and Friendster. Experts said there is growing evidence and concern that sexual predators are using the sites to contact kids. "People can pretend to be other people," said 11-year-old Stephanie Wills.

Wills said she is already aware of the danger that may lurk in the possibilities created by sites like MySpace and Facebook. She said her mother realizes the dangers as well and does not like her using MySpace.

,, more . . .

technorati tags:social+networking, friendster, myspace, communcation, online, kids, protection

Kids info online - Control it!

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/11064451/

Watch the info that kids post is the main message.

You may never have heard of MySpace.com, but it's a safe bet, your kids have.

It's a social networking sites — sort of a cyber combination of a yearbook, personal diary and social club. The biggest of them is MySpace.com. With more than  50 million members, its one of the fastest growing Web sites in the country.

.. more . . .

Read and learn

Jack

technorati tags:kids, information, privacy, social+networking, online, safety

Where is the line on privacy and protection

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/13447652/

An endless debate, when dealing with privacy and protection, and online rights.  I think I have to take it from my mother-in-law ----  Education is the best protection.  Teach your kids, be aware of what they are doing, and know what's happening.

Here is an example that illustrates the ideas  

Social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook are raising questions about privacy for the young people who use them. Recently, photos -- said to be of the children of some lawmakers in party situations -- have been launched onto the web from social networking sites.

Alex Pareene is an editor of Wonkette, a Web site that has been showing the photos.

"It's usually pretty funny to see the teenaged children of very stayed- and boring-seeming political types," Pareene said.

Some people said that there is something ethically wrong with the practice.

"I think it's stalking someone, if you don't know someone and you're looking at their picture that's just wrong." Pareene said.

Communication law professor Chris Simpson said young people need to be aware of the unintended consequences of posting their photos on the internet.

.. more . . .

technorati tags:Social+networking, communication, kids, privacy, protection, children, pictures, politicians

A qeustion on Boom or Bust on Social Networking

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/12939175/site/newsweek/

How much is too much.  How fast can the growth be?  Where do we go from here?  Who is the next big one?  And can the Big Giants control things?

The relentless innovators at America Online have done it again. This month, the Internet giant began rolling out a new service called AIM Pages, a social network that allows users to design their own Web sites, publish blogs and forge online connections with friends and colleagues. Last week, the firm also launched AIM PhoneLine, an Internet calling service that allows every user of AOL's instant messenger to make cheap calls over the Internet to anywhere in the world. It's original, ground-breaking stuff.

I'm being facetious, of course. AOL, the 21-year-old senior citizen of the Internet, is trying to duplicate the extraordinary success of youngsters MySpace and Skype. It's only fair to note that AOL does add a few new twists, such as assigning AIM users a phone number and allowing them to receive free incoming calls from regular phone lines. But these two new services are meant to fit AOL's business goals, not satisfy user needs that are overlooked elsewhere on the Web. AOL is trying to get the 49 million users of its successful AIM instant messenger to spend more time on AOL's Web site, so the company can sell more online ads and perhaps reap additional revenues.. More . . .

Let me know where you think it will go?

Jack

technorati tags:AOL, social+networking, social, communication, networking, growth, boom+or+bust

More on that Dog angle

Social Networking: It's a Dog-Meet-Dog World - Newsweek

I don't know if this is a fad, or if Dog sites are the way to go, or what is happening.

Anyone out there whose dog is online chatting with other dogs?  And what I really want to know, what happens if a cat logs onto one of these sites???

Social Networking: It's a Dog-Meet-Dog World Newsweek - 8 Jul 2006 As human social-networking sites like Friendster.com and MySpace.com have become increasingly popular, similar sites have popped up for pets. ...

technorati tags:social+networking, dogs, social, puppy, communicate

Government again out to Get Social Networking

Bill would limit access to social networking sites - San Jose Mercury News

The regulators are always trying various ways to control the populous in the name of safety.  Or is it a realistic way of protecting ourselves.

Let me know by your comments.

Jack

KBTV4.tv

Bill would limit access to social networking sites San Jose Mercury News,  USA - 1 hour ago WASHINGTON - MySpace.com and other immensely popular social networking sites on the Internet were portrayed Tuesday as emerging playgrounds for sexual ... MySpace may face legislative crackdown ZDNet Texas Attorney General Talks About Internet Safety at Hearing KBTV4.tv all 20 related

technorati tags:protect, children, predators, social+networking

Government again out to Get Social Networking

Bill would limit access to social networking sites - San Jose Mercury News

The regulators are always trying various ways to control the populous in the name of safety.  Or is it a realistic way of protecting ourselves.

Let me know by your comments.

Jack

KBTV4.tv

Bill would limit access to social networking sites San Jose Mercury News,  USA - 1 hour ago WASHINGTON - MySpace.com and other immensely popular social networking sites on the Internet were portrayed Tuesday as emerging playgrounds for sexual ... MySpace may face legislative crackdown ZDNet Texas Attorney General Talks About Internet Safety at Hearing KBTV4.tv all 20 related

technorati tags:protect, children, predators, social+networking

Niche site for Dogs this time

DOG FANCY Magazine Launches First Social-Networking Site for Dog ... - Yahoo! News (press release)

Like I said before, Niches are the new thing - and Now a Dog Social Networking site - do the dogs actually talk to each other?

DOG FANCY Magazine Launches First Social-Networking Site for Dog ... Yahoo! News (press release) - 22 hours ago ... from our leading publications like DOG FANCY, DOG WORLD, DOGS USA and PUPPIES USA, with the user-generated content that has made social-networking sites like ...

technorati tags:social+networking, social, dogs, networking

Niche Social Networking Site for Artists

New Social Networking Site for Serious Artists - PR Web (press release)

Niches are all  the rage in websites, blogs, marketing, and now in Social networking.

New Social Networking Site for Serious Artists PR Web (press release), WA - 12 hours ago ... starving artist,” ThePauper.com, continues to expand their services by launching the beta-test version of ArtistSearch.net, a social networking site designed ...

technorati tags:Social, social+networking, artist, art, communication

Student Social Networking Site to Expand

SUBtv to expand with social networking site for students - Netimperative

Student Niche Site Expanding - again with the niches.

Jack

SUBtv to expand with social networking site for students Netimperative, UK - 10 Jul 2006 The site, to be found at www.sub.tv, will let users upload their own content, watch additional SUBtv programming, and chat with new and old friends. ...

technorati tags:social+networking, social, students, college, networking

Artist Social Networking Site!!

New Social Networking Site for Serious Artists - PR Web (press release)

Niche sites are all the rage, and social networking is no different.  By catering to an exclusive niche you can make it very special for the visitors.

Enjoy

Jack

New Social Networking Site for Serious Artists PR Web (press release), WA - 12 hours ago ... starving artist,” ThePauper.com, continues to expand their services by launching the beta-test version of ArtistSearch.net, a social networking site designed ...

technorati tags:social+networking, social, artist, networking