Social network site like Facebook, Orkut (the ones which are popular) are increasingly becoming a podium for people to vent their anger and hatred. I use Facebook to the hilt and actually enjoy the stay there but at times I am scared of looking around some profiles, which at times are talking about holy wars and at times are around because they can post anything that can demean one country, community or society.
The lessons and experiences of atrocities are so visible that every media that worth the salt is talking about banning the democratization of content. It may sound foolish but I agree. Because unfortunately millions out there who uses this sites every day have no clue about why they do it! For many it is there virtual self, which can accompolish stuffs that they cannot in real world.
For communal forces who are disliiusioned and according to me the biggest crime to humanity are having a free run in these spaces. You have pedophiles who are looking for there next hunt, you have holy warriors (don't know why they called so, because for me holy warriors are the one who are there to save humanity, but these guys are around because they wish to wipe out communities!!), self taught medics and what not.
Each one are potentially dangerous as the others. An elite group of Facebook employees, tasked with identifying content that violates the site's nebulous terms-of-service, is sitting at the heart of a free speech battle that could have far-reaching consequences across the whole of the Internet.
Facebook banned two Holocaust denial groups, but it took an overwhelming flood of criticism to get the site to take action. According to the Simon Wiesenthal Center, a Jewish human rights group, the proliferation of such hate groups is not isolated to Facebook. The Center recently investigated social networking sites across the Internet, releasing a report claiming that the Web has witnessed a 25-percent increase in "problematic" groups.
The report also says that Facebook's ability to police hate groups will be nearly impossible, since the site employs 150 people to monitor 200 million users.
Here are some small guidelines and learnings from the web:
1) Sending any personal info or incriminating pictures to someone on Facebook is a huge mistake for many reasons. One of the worst possible outcomes is getting blackmailed for money, sex, or, well, anything these sickos dream up. Really, whether they're using a fake profile or not, it's a horrible idea. Heard about story of an 18-year-old who blackmailed 31 male classmates after he posed as a girl and asked for nude pictures. That's lesson enough.
2) Sure, it can be harmless to impersonate a celeb online or create a fake profile for a movie character. But seriously, there's a definite line you shouldn't cross when pretending to be someone else and it can lead to dire consequences for you. Maybe it's not as extreme as the Moroccan man who was jailed for 43 days after creating a fake Facebook profile of a prince, but you never know. Just steer clear of it.
3) Self-Incrimination: Do we really have to explain this? In a recent post a Shoplifter posed with her stolen merchandise, the many photos of drunk underage teens, and, most recently, the album featuring a couple who killed and ate an endangered iguana in the Bahamas.
4) Social networking sites has been blamed for a lot of things, fairly and unfairly, but in public opinion, the worst offense has been their indirect involvement in suicides. Obviously, there are a lot of factors responsible in each case, but there does seem to be links between social networking and a rash of suicides, and obviously theres the case tragic of Megan Meier, who killed herself after a classmate's mom impersonated a teen boy and harassed her over Myspace.
5) Many media have reported on numerous incidents of people getting in trouble because of their online behavior. Now, people are becoming victims because of what they're doing on the Web too. In England, a man was convicted of murdering his estranged wife after she changed her relationship status to "single." So, be careful of who can see your profile and what you're doing, no matter how harmless it seems.
6) Nigerian Scammers: Oh, you thought this only happened via poorly worded emails, right? WRONG. Once people got wise to their old ways, these con men are turning to social networking sites for new targets. This time, they're hacking into people's accounts and impersonating them to ask for money, usually with some weird sob story.
Some more examples of Banned Facebook Groups:
1) Assasinate Evo Morales Here's a good way to get your group banned -- call for the assassination of a political leader. Titled 'Global Collection to Hire a Sharpshooter to Liquidate Evo Morales' was taken down by Facebook since it bans threatening violence. No surprises here.
2) Surrey, BC Terrorist Group A Facebook group supporting the International Sikh Youth Federation, a banned terrorist organization, was taken down by Canadian Police. Authorities were tipped off to the group because its page depicted a young person holding a prohibited gun, which was eventually traced back to 49-year old Bahadur Sandhur. Police seized it and two others when they investigated his home.
3) Dead Babies Group Facebook took down a group called 'Dead Babies Make Me Laugh' after the UK Sun was flooded with outraged calls and emails. A running joke on campuses, the group included fake anecdotes about killing babies, but mothers weren't laughing even though the group was created and classified as being "just for fun."
4) I Need Sex Group Laura Michaels of Bristol, England, created a Facebook group called 'I Need Sex.' According to the UK Sun, the group had more than 100 members after being up for only one hour. Michaels claims to have ended up sleeping with 50 of the group's members -- literally half of the group. Facebook opposes this type of personals-ad use, so the group was taken down.
5) KKK group Facebook recently shut down a group called the 'Isle of Man KKK.' The group called for the elimination of newcomers from the UK island and featured a picture of a hooded Ku Klux Klan member. Thankfully, Facebook's terms of service prohibits content that is hateful or threatening.
Do you really think it is a safe world out there? Be cautious.
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