Blog Social networking

Social networking technologies have come a long way since we were first introduced to them. The capacity at which they are integrated with our daily lives and interactions is much more than when they were first used as a place to post your favorite song on your myspace. Now they are more invasive and we have the power to search for information that never would have been available to us without them. For example, using social media for recruiting. This helps companies with specific job openings search and scroll through sites like Linkdin to find niche candidates for the positions. I recall as an intern one of my tasks was to search through Linkdin results for profiles of people working for similar companies. I compiled them all into an organized graph based on their education history, work experience, etc. This is the main discussion in the article for NPR, "Social Networking Technology Boosts Job Recruiting" by Frank Langfitt. This purpose of social networking opens up completely new opportunities for both employers and employees. The article recalls the many hours spent thumbing through a Rolodex and calling contacts to see if they knew anyone who might be a fit for the job. With this technology recruiters are able to compile a list of candidates within a few hours using specific and relevant key word searches. 

On the other side of the argument is the concern of privacy. The data compiled in our social network profiles provides third-party participants with important information about our lifestyles. This data can be used to advertise and market to us in particular way that caters to our personal interests. This occur even in the case of "mutual friends" on social media networks that are able, willingly or not, to view personal information. Privacy simply does not exist any more in social network technologies. In the article, "Leaving 'Friendprints': How Online Social Networks are Redefining Privacy and Personal Security" Knowledge @ Wharton refers to our inability to keep up with our privacy rights online. The privacy policies and terms and conditions have become to confusing and technical for the average user to understand. We will just agree to avoid picking through a think piece of legislation. In doing this we are blindly giving up our control over our own social network privacy. This would be the "dark side".


http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6522523&sc=emaf

http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/leaving-friendprints-how-online-social-networks-are-redefining-privacy-and-personal-security/