Facebook Friend or Foe

"How sad it would be if people took your advice and hid on Facebook. It's a great public place and treated with the same respect you would in any public place it's wonderful. Those sad people who are locked down miss the wonderful world it is. But I guess fear is your business like any insurance sales person (Editor's Note: Not really, you can look me up on Facebook any old time)."

My Twopenn'orth: Wrong analogy. I'd say Facebook is not 'any public place'. It's more like trusting people through a front gate and into the back yard. Usually OK, but some people are not trustworthy, and will use that space for their hidden purposes: a bit of sneaky vandalism, an opportunity to embarrass, bully, or defraud you without witnesses [so they think]. I'm not a fearful person, but I'm older now, and live 'alone'. I've learned to be more cautious, and not to be so quick to trust the friendly smile and plausible talk of those who are looking for situations where they'll find people they deem to be more vulnerable. In truly 'public places' there are plenty of witnesses, and 'the bad folk' cannot so easily hide themselves and their actions.

I don't find your mailings increase my fear level - they simply alert me to possibilities. When I had an email from a friend last year, with a link to something she knew would interest me, I read the email through again, thought about it, and didn't click on the link. Email deleted.

Why? Because you had just highlighted the growing problem of false emails, and the opening greeting was not her usual style. Later I had another email from her, warning me someone had got hold of her address book, and had sent out viral emails to all her friends. Thank you, Larry. - DJ