As a part of this year’s Encore series, Manager of Multimedia and Web Development at SMU Ian Aberle gave an informative presentation on Facebook safety at the Hughes-Trigg theater Monday night.

Facebook is a social networking site that remains a popular aspect of college life. It enables people to share information at the click of a button. Aberle went over five simple strategies to avoid unwanted attention on Facebook: protect yourself, limit access, limit information, the public you and “Google” yourself.

The first, using privacy settings, allows a Facebook user to control with whom he or she shares information, as well as what information is shared. Privacy settings can be established for the Facebook search, profile and contact information.

The second, limiting access, entails selectivity when choosing “friends.” As Aberle mentioned, “you don’t need to ‘friend’ people you don’t know…people don’t bump into you on the street and ask to be your friend,” so it is unnecessary to add someone who you have never met.

Limiting information, the third form of online protection, prevents anyone from viewing any undesirable pictures or statements. A general rule to follow is to not post anything that you wouldn’t want your mother to see. Additionally, employers tend to do Facebook searches before hiring; first year Andrew Hendrix clarified the importance of limiting your information, stating that, “if it’s on the Internet, employers definitely have a right to see it.” Also, avoid giving information to people who are unknown to you.

The last two, the public you and “Google” yourself, are all about maintaining a good image. One good way of appropriately presenting yourself is to form your own Web site; people.smu.edu provides a way to construct a personal Web site separate from the chaos of Facebook. Finally, according to Aberle, it is very important to “check your online presence,” so regularly search Google or Dogpile to uncover any information about yourself.

Always remember to be smart and safe online. If anyone online becomes a problem, be sure to seek help. And as for those who were unable to attend the presentation, the entire lecture will be available at iTunes.smu.edu.