Common Sense When It Comes To Blogging

Based on the Wired article Internet Names The Wrong Killer I believe that the media and the general public should start using their common sense when it comes to relying on information released on the internet. It does not take much skill to voice one's opinion, release edited photos or video, etc. to the internet. One does not need a permit or some form of education to do so. That is what makes the internet great. It is a medium to spread a message, no matter what message that may be. But, to be a knowledgeable user, one must take all uncredited or novice blog information with a grain of salt. The internet can be a dangerous place. It can screen adult content to minors, spread viruses and be a means of identity theft. I believe that if we protect ourselves from these things, we should also protect ourselves from believing false information.

As I had stated in the previous blog, there are several ways of weighting the reliability of a certain blog's creditability. This should be the first thing taken into account. Anything from sources to content can help distinguish opinion from fact. Also, in the case of the Virginia Tech Killer, the people who find the information can be a big clue as well. The article labels there researchers as "internet sleuths claiming to be in-the-know." To me, these nameless people appear to be unexperienced and unreliable. Who knows what their intentions were? Perhaps they fall into the same genre of people that send around those bogus "Bill Gates will buy you a birthday cake if you send this to forty people in the next forty minutes" e-mails. In this case, they targeted an innocent person perhaps to gain some limelight. I believe Media also has a responsibility of screening their supplied information and sources before releasing it on their medium, which would be seen as more credible.

Even though I find it ridiculous, I have accepted the fact that the internet is a huge resource for finding almost everyone's dirty laundry. One can look your address up on Facebook, plan out your schedule based on researching your classes, extracurriculars and circle of friends and then look up the fastest way of getting to your house on Mapquest while at the same time avoiding traffic. This of course is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to potential stalking possibilities based on the internet. This is why I believe internet common sense also involves self-responsibility. If one chooses to write a blog or join a community such as Facebook, he or she should educate themselves about all the potential benefits and risks first. Once you release a picture or comment out on the internet, it is then out of your control forever. If you can think of at least one person who you don't want to see whatever it is that you are releasing, then don't release it. It is important to make use of self-restraint for the sole purpose of your own privacy. If you are feeling brave and believe you can trust certain people, there are privacy settings that you should take advantage of. I, being a member of both Facebook and MySpace, make use of these options while at the same time editing my profile to only the things that I want others to see. Finally, it is important to know that people are dumb and/or malicious beings, as this certain situation shows. Even if you do take precise precautions when releasing information, know that it can always be edited, hacked and spun into something demonic. These "internet sleuths" were looking for an Asian male with knowledge of guns, that was disgruntled in one way or another. They found their target and everyone else with a desire for information hopped on the bandwagon.