Top 10 Privacy Settings to check in Facebook

There are a lot of privacy and security settings available in Facebook, and the full list can be a bit confusing.  So to help you focus on the most critical items, here is a Top 10 list of settings to check (on your account, and on your kids' accounts!) in Facebook:

1)   Make sure your full birthday is not publicly displayed (Home / Edit My Profile) - Sure, we all enjoy getting a pile of birthday wishes on our big day, but those less scrupulous out there can use this information against you to steal your identity!  If you definitely want your birthday known, at least exclude the year from your Profile:

 

 2)  Make sure your home address is not entered in their profile (Home / Edit My Profile / Contact Information) - there is no need to enter your physical address into Facebook; you (and your kids) should just leave this blank:

3)  See what applications you have granted access to (Accounts / Privacy Settings / Apps and Websites) - any time you go to another website that allows you to log in with your Facebook ID/password, you have granted the ability for that application to gain access to your data (and that of your friends) in Facebook.  In many cases this is just fine, but it's good to know what is out there:

4)  Validate the location-based settings (Privacy Settings / Customize Settings) - Location based applications are all the rage now, but just be aware that when the world knows you're at the ball game right now, they also know your house is empty.  Use with caution!

5)  Google your kids' presence on Facebook - a simple search will help show what information in Facebook is available to the public, and not just to those who are set up as your Friends:

6)  Check for any Events your kids have set up, to ensure they are not set as Public, and that your personal information is not listed.  Also check events that they have replied to (Home / Events) - Another reason to make sure your home address is not public, and also to ensure that small gathering your son wanted doesn't turn into the entire high school showing up at your house...

 

7)  Closely examine the “Things Others Share” section of the Privacy Settings (Account / Privacy Settings / Customize Settings) - Even if you tighten up all your settings, your Friends still have some authority to share your information.  Tighten that up as well!

8)  Check what your friends can share about you through applications (Account / Privacy Settings / Applications and Websites) - Another example of keeping some control over your own information, rather than leaving that up to the others in your network.

9)  Get notifications when specific updates occur (Account / Account Settings / Notifications) - play around with the settings here if you end up getting inundated with emails..  Sadly there is no parental level notifications in Facebook, the emails get sent to the address of the account, so if you child has a Facebook account, the notifications go to his email.

10)  Limit who can see tagged photos (Account / Privacy Settings / Customize Settings) - Pick one of your friends and go through their Friend list - some will let you see their pictures (Friends of Friends setting) and some will not (Friends Only setting).  Use this to decide how you want your privacy level to be.

Facebook continues to modify their privacy features; check these occasionally to ensure you and your family are only sharing what you want to share!

Facebook for Parents- classes in Harrisburg and Gettysburg

Now "Facebook for Parents" will be offered through the Continuing Education arm of Harrisburg Area Community College (HACC)!

Two dates are on the calendar:
Wednesday April 20th - Harrisburg
Tuesday May 24th - Gettysburg



Click here to find out more and to register!

"Facebook for Parents" classes scheduled!

Trying to keep up with your kids online? Do you (or someone you know!) need a roadmap to help you out? Take a look at the 'Facebook for Parents' class that will be offered locally in the near future:

With great power - Facebook - comes great responsibility - as a parent! Learn how information technology is shared, what you have control over, and how you can make it a better experience for your kids and your family.

Carlisle, PA:
Thursday, January 20th, 6:30-8:30pm
CyberSpace Computer Resource Center
219 North Pitt Street, Carlisle
Check out all of their offerings at their web site: http://www.carlislepa.org/ .
You can sign up online at: http://activenet14.active.com/carlislerec/ .

Mechanicsburg, PA:
Thursday March 24, 7:00-8:30pm
Mechanicsburg Middle School, room 158
1720 S. Market St, Mechanicsburg
Check out all their offerings at their web site: http://www.mbgsd.org/recreation .
You can sign up online at: http://activenet10.active.com/mechareaparkrec/ .

Slots are already filling up, so don't delay! Signing up is easy, just follow the links above.  Can't make these dates? Not to worry, more classes will be coming in May!

Do you have a group that would be interested in a personalized class? Contact me! If you have a location with Internet access, I can hold a special session just for your group! Some examples of groups that would benefit:

Church groups
Red Hat Society
Play Date groups
School PTO meetings
And more!

Hope to see you in class!

Facebook impersonations at the AT&Tstore

So we were at the AT&T store the other day looking at cell phones, playing around with all the phones on display along the wall.  Now they are all fully functional phones, to really give you a good feel for how they operate.  So being the immature one that I am, I pick up one of the phones and start texting and calling my wife, who is on the other side of the store.  Hilarious, I tell you.

 

Anyway, I look further, and I start to poke around at the web access features on the phones.  Turns out a lot of them have a Facebook app installed, and wouldn't you know it, on the first one I pick up, the phone is already logged in to someone's Facebook account.  

Facebook Dad Web Roundup

Some funny stuff, some items to make you think, and some that are just ridiculous; it's this week's Facebook Dad web roundup!



So your Mom found Facebook?  Protect yourself with the 'Damn it, My Mom is on Facebook Filter' courtesy of Saturday Night Live:




Worried about kids getting bullied online? Well adults can be bullies too; check out this repulsive neighbor cyber-bullying a 7 year old girl dying of a genetic disease:

Goo-goo-google! Reports say that 81 percent of 2 year olds have a presence online, and many parents are putting info about their kids online even while they are still in utero! 

For anyone with kids, you know you can't tag them in photos in Facebook unless they have a Facebook page of their own.  Well Facebook is fixing the 'can't tag your baby' issue…  Why now?  Well because Facebook execs are growing up and having kids of their own; they now understand the dilemma! 

And finally, what was this one thinking? The story of the Duke University student who wrote a mock 'thesis' about her male conquests and posted it online; naming names and ranking them! 

Enjoy and share!