| The process of meeting people on MySpace is | | | | makes an honest attempt to enforce these |
| extremely easy. MySpace is an online community | | | | terms but this can be a difficult task on the |
| which encourages individuals from all over the | | | | Internet |
| world to become involved and create an online | | | | It is important to remember that the Internet |
| profile. Members are able to create a MySpace | | | | allows a certain degree of anonymity that can |
| website which they can use to provide others | | | | allow some unscrupulous individuals to mask their |
| with information about them. Members are also | | | | true identity and convince other MySpace |
| encouraged to view the websites belonging to | | | | members they are someone who they are really |
| other members to learn more about other | | | | not. Common scenarios which may occur on the |
| members of the community. | | | | Internet include individuals obtaining enough |
| Those who participate in MySpace can provide as | | | | information to steal the identity of another or |
| much or as little personal information as they wish | | | | individuals obtaining information such as an address |
| and are not required to give any specific | | | | which enables them to do physical harm to |
| information when they design their website. Those | | | | another member of MySpace. Those who use |
| who are willing to open up more, however, are | | | | MySpace should be careful to ensure their private |
| likely to be more interesting to other members | | | | information is kept private while they are online. |
| and may accumulate friends very quickly on | | | | Information which can be used to harm them |
| MySpace. | | | | may include any combination of the following: |
| Searching for Friends on MySpace | | | | Full name |
| The search feature can help new MySpace | | | | Place of birth |
| members to find friends in the community. The | | | | Names of children and information on when and |
| search feature allows users to enter in a particular | | | | where they were born |
| word and provides search results which include | | | | High school and year of graduation |
| MySpace members websites which use this word. | | | | Social security number |
| This is an interesting way to meet potential | | | | Credit card numbers |
| friends on MySpace because you can enter | | | | Bank account numbers |
| keywords which are associated to a favorite | | | | Some of the information above may seem |
| hobby, band, book or other interest to find others | | | | harmless but it is important to remember devious |
| who share this interest. | | | | criminals can use public resources such as |
| Those on MySpace can use the search feature to | | | | newspapers and library books to find out more |
| find new friends but can also use the search | | | | information about an individual. |
| feature to meet find friends with whom you have | | | | When you are Being Harassed on MySpace |
| lost touch over the years. Members can also | | | | Harassment is a serious issue which the MySpace |
| search through MySpace for users with a | | | | administrators take very seriously. However, the |
| particular name although this not always effective | | | | most effective method they recommend for |
| because users are not required to post their full | | | | getting those harassing you to stop is to ignore |
| name on their MySpace website. However, there | | | | them. According to the FAQ page on MySpace |
| are many who do include their full name so trying | | | | 99.9% of harassment situations diffuse if |
| this search feature is worthwhile if you are looking | | | | harassing emails are completely ignored. You can |
| to locate someone from your past on MySpace. | | | | also block users which prevents them from |
| Using Caution on MySpace | | | | contacting you through MySpace and remove |
| With any online community, caution should be | | | | them from your friends list which will prevent |
| used when cultivating friendships on MySpace. The | | | | them from adding comments. If another user has |
| vast majority of those who use MySpace are | | | | created a profile about you with malicious intent |
| simply looking to either make new friends or find | | | | you can contact MySpace customer service and |
| long last friends but there are a small percentage | | | | provide them with a link to the profile and they |
| of users who may have malicious intents. | | | | will investigate the profile and delete it if |
| MySpace created their terms of services and | | | | warranted. |