Social Network scandals

In the 21st century, many websites are created in order to facilitate our daily live among them are social network sites such as myspace, facebook, twitter, youtube, etc and commercial sites such as ebay, amazon, or craigslist. These sites purpose is to help us with easy access to what we need whether to socialize or to purchase things at a better price. These website however have negative aspect to them as people with the wrong intension can used them to their advantage and if one isn’t careful can be a victim through those social network sites.
Social networking sites are easy to use. One just has to sign up to create and account and then begin to socialize whether by adding someone you know as you friend or search for people whether by name, group, or interests. Communication is possible for no matter where the person is in the world. On your account, you can put self pictures or pictures or things of interest, in order to create a profile that tell others a bit about yourself. In a nutshell that is how these site works. In general, when you join one of these social networks, you hope to keep in touch with your friends, make new friends through other ones, or meet brand new people all over the country or world.
These sites however can be misused by people who will try to gain advantage of other people. In the past years many scandals have occurred through these sites. For example: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,312018,00.html
This link is about a 13 year old girl that committed suicide because an alleged boy who was talking to her told her she was cruel. Later, the ‘boy’ turned out to be a former friend of the girl who played a crude joke on her.
http://www.wisn.com/news/18641625/detail.html
This link is about an 18 year old male using facebook to blackmail student from a high school into having sex with him by posing as a female. There are many other scandals that happened through the access of social networking sites some like stalking, fraud, and rape. There are people who either lie about themselves on their profile or pretend to be complete different person in order to fool people.
Commercial sites like ebay amazon and craigslist have scandals too. Many people sell things through these site and some sellers are honest and some aren’t. Many frauds occurred on these sites whether by the sellers or buyers.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,328878,00.html
This link is about frauds that occurred in Romania and how people are scamming others mainly Americans. Ebay is trying to have law enforcement to crack down the frauds.
Craigslist is a very popular commercial site. One can use craigslist for many purposes such as job search or advertise a job position, buy or sell items, give away free items, even find a date. Craigslist has had many scandals that occurred whether through fraud, prostitution, rape, or murder. While I was in Maryland, one of the lawyers I worked for on my internship worked on a human trafficking case where the offenders used craigslist. Here are 2 craigslist scandals that occurred recently.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2009/03/25/2009-03-25_violent_sex_ad_led_to_murder_of_wabc_new.html
http://www.truecrimereport.com/2009/04/boston_police_have_craigslist.php

In conclusion, social networking site are great tool to communicate among friends and a great way to interact with people all over the world. I have communicated with people in Australia, United Kingdom, etc and that wouldn’t have been possible without social networking. However, these site are open to anyone who knows how to use a computer. There are many people who targets young teenagers and use social network sight to prey on them. These networks need to be used with caution and one can’t be too trustworthy. There are privacy settings to help secure one’s account etc. The point is socialize cautiously and be very careful when meeting someone off them.

Politics and internet

It is no doubt that in this day in age that the internet have an immense effect on politics especially when it comes to political campaings. I have never blogged before so I don't know personally how blogging affects politics however I know that there are many youtube videos that covers political topics and more. I fell upon a youtuber who's a comedian and does music video spoofs. A few of his spoofs videos are about Obama after he won the election. They are not only funny but some of the message in the lyrical contents are strong and straightforward. Here are the links for his videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PqI12R8YNU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVaiIvcav64
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1D8lj3dg5-o
I posted my favorite videos of his (since this is my blog lmao) anyways look at the number of views and his ratings he received. His message is heard by many and many people agreed with him also. This is one of the many ways of how internet affects the political world.
Another topic I would like to mention also (and I would really like you guys to look more on the issue if you haven't heard about it yet. The cause of Nobel Prize winner, Aung San Suu Kyi. I have never heard of her before this summer when I had to do a presentation on her leadership skills (to me the woman is more than a leader she is a hero and one of a kind) and as part of my presentation I showed a couple of youtube videos that are promoting her cause:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSkJAws4Y5Q
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1ZlLd1fnxU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9LizSi4zc&feature=related
Here are the videos I used on my presentation for Aung San Suu Kyi. As you will see it is a very serious issue that is current and the website that promoted the video is: http://www.humanrightsactioncenter.org/dyr/
I would highly suggest you guys to check it out. By just checking the website out and promoting it (I posted the link on my facebook and there are many facebook groups that support Ms Kyi who is currently in house arrest in Burma because she's fighting for freedom) you'll be helping the issue to. Also the website ask to send you congressman/woman and speaker of the House and Senate on the Issue (the letter is wrtten for you all you need to do is put your name and send it. This cause is important as not only because of the injustice but Ms Kyi sacrificed a lot for her country and it would be nice for her to get the international support that she needs.
I just use this blog noto only to talk about politics but to promote a political issue. Internet is changing the world in many ways and the politcal is highly affected by it.