Fw: com 125 hw

I, like most people my age use AOL Instant Messenger I have had several
screen names in my time on AIM. Most of the time I choose my screen
name by what most interests me at that point in time. For example when
I first started using AIM my screen name had something to do with a
Metallica album because that was what I was into at that point in time.
Since then I have changed my screen name multiple times, mostly because
of what could be considered a troll. Someone had gotten my password and
was signing on pretending to be me. Also, I had other problems with
deception where people would create a screen name and send you an
instant message just to mess with you. Similar to a Killfile on Usenet,
AIM has a blocking tool as well. "Killfiles are filters that allow
you to skip unwanted postings: if you put someone in your killfile, you
will see no more of their postings (Donath, p.24)." Similar to
Usenet, AIM will block a user under a certain screen name from being
able to contact you. However the same rules apply for both it is fairly
simple for anyone to just make up a new screen name and the problem then
continues. This I find to be a great tool even though there are loop
holes around the blockers, I have found that most people do not go out
of their way to harrass you past the initial block. Recently, there has
been an growth in online communities such as Myspace and Facebook.
Where as most use these sites simply to keep intouch with friends, and
family, a great deal of private information can be found within these
profiles. Although the creaters of myspace have gone to great lengths
to make profiles secure, as with most things on the internet security
technology can become obsolete overnight. As with UseNet, Myspace
offers the option to put in a user identifcation that is not your name,
and sites like this can be very misleading because you can make your
username what ever you want and you can even make your profile picture a
picture that you downloaded off of the internet. "A close look at the
account name, a seemingly simple identification signal, proves to be
quite interesting for it touches on issues ranging from the reputations
of various virtual neighborhoods to techniques for detecting identity
deception (Donath, p.7)." One can pretend to be almost anyone that they
want on these web pages, sometimes easy to pick up on other times it is
rather difficult. Some people feel that added security and keeping a
close eye limiting what the younger generation can view is the way to
go. However, I feel that this uncalled for, protecting our kids is one
thing however world experience can only be learned, not taught. Being
told that the world is a cruel place and experiencing it are two
different things. Also, dealing with it is on a completely other
level.

Works Cited:

Donath, Judith S. "Identity and Deception in the Virtual Community."
Communities in Cyberspace.: 1-34.
--mpgiaime