Should your library have a Facebook or MySpace page?
I’m ambivalent about whether libraries should have their own Facebook or MySpace pages. I guess it depends on the goals and the audience. I can see how this is an excellent way for public libraries to reach out to teens, but I don’t think that patrons of academic libraries go to Facebook to do research. If they encounter individual librarians or a library page and take advantage of that serendipity, that’s fine, but I don’t think they go looking for us there.
Are there privacy concerns for individuals when using social networking sites?
I don’t have a privacy concern because I don’t put any information out there that I wouldn’t want the world to see, but as someone mentioned in the comments for week 3, I don’t think students always think about what they are putting out there and who might be viewing it.
What did you like or not like about your experience with Facebook or MySpace?
I joined Facebook a few weeks ago to see what all the fuss was about. I am enjoying it. It is amazing (and a little scary) how much time can go by in the evening when you are playing on Facebook. I was disappointed that not many of my high school college friends seem to be on Facebook. We are obviously outside of their primary demographic — or maybe they just don’t see any value in it.
Linked In was a new experience for me. I’m not sure how necessary it is to be on both Facebook and Linked In. I guess Linked In is geared toward professional contacts. I had a hard time thinking of potential contacts to invite outside of my own workplace, which pretty much seems to defeat the purpose.
