The end of last semester graced the SMU campus with the most effective networking tool Ed Board has seen to date. That tool is most commonly known as The Facebook.
The Facebook, however, seems to still have problems. Probably the most annoying of these is the practice of spamming. We all remember spam from back in the days when e-mail services didn’t come with spam filters. It was also before the President enacted the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003. We’ve all noticed a decrease in spam since then right?
The Facebook spam is even worse than regular spam, because often it’s from people that you know. Chain letters, petitions and offers for used textbooks accumulate daily.
Chain letters have been around since the advent of mass communication.
Petitions offer a means for the voice of the public to be heard, but is anything really going to be accomplished over The Facebook?
Textbook offers may be useful, but the vast majority of students are not taking the same classes as you. Also, there are other ways to communicate with others on the subject of used textbooks.
There is a group at SMU called the student-to-student textbook sale alliance. If you are trying to buy or sell books, join the group and use the message board. If that doesn’t appeal to your sense of individuality, then just list the books that you have (or need) in the “about me” section of your profile.
Facebook offers a solutionto mass mailings. On the “my messages” page, a user can click on the “To block messages to multiple recipients, click here” link and be taken to a page listing privacy options.
On this page, users have the option to block messages that were sent to multiple recipients. This won’t catch all spam, only mass mailings. Personalized forwards, such as the current petition to shut down bonsaikitten.com can still get through, but those are far less numerous than their mass-mailed counterparts.
Another concern with facebook is stalking. The privacy page allows users to prevent others from viewing their profile.
Ed Board hopes that these tips help students to make better use of The Facebook. To those people who start and spread spam, Ed Board has one thing to say: STOP!
