Social networking sites first came into existence in the mid 90s. They were first created so users were able to get in contact with old friends as well as have the accessibility to meet others with similar interests as themselves. Today, SNS are much more advanced. These sites allow users to write personalized messages to other users either privately or publicly. Furthermore, the user can set up his/her own page with personal information such as hobbies, interests, favorite movies, etc., as well as including photos and videos of themselves. To reach other individuals with similar hobbies and interests, applications and groups are available to join. SNS keep adding to their sites, making them more advanced everyday. They are fun to use and have become a fad for young adults. Best of all, they are free for use.

Originally, Facebook was designed for only college students. The majority of its users are now between the ages of 14 and 26, as the site has expanded its target audience to increase total users. Facebook is the “in” thing in today’s society. Fitting in and being seen as “cool” often requires people to create a Facebook account. MySpace however, seems to be more popular with those individuals often seen as “rebels.” One way or another, most, if not all, young adults have SNS accounts.

These types of websites are popular not only exclusively with younger generations. Businessmen and employers are also often seen as users of these sites. Employers use these social networking sites to recruit recently graduated students to work for them. To be a credible candidate, Facebook/MySpace users seeking jobs, school admissions, and other employment opportunities, usually edit their publicly seen profiles as a way to censor pictures, videos, and/or any information that may not be deemed as acceptable to an employer. (References to here)

Businesses use SNS to make money, as they are a great source of revenue. SNS are free to use, so how can a profit be made? The answer is advertisements and marketing. Everyday, millions of people will see advertisements and therefore will be more inclined to recognize a company’s name or product due to frequent use of the site and targeting of the advertisement’s product/service.
“These networking sites have come up with a targeted ad solution where the advertiser reaches people going by the user profiles and interests. This is what makes social networking sites a haven for advertisers too. If you have a product on “music” you wish to promote, all you need to do is to join one of these social networking sites and promote it to music lovers. Imagine the number of targeted visitors to your website.”

These websites have immense value because of their popularity worldwide and the immense number of individuals they reach daily. AOL just bought Bebo, a social networking site second only to MySpace and Facebook, for $856 million. However, with the popularity and success of the social networking sites, a question arises. Are they safe to use? (refer to here)
Sexual predators have been an issue with the Internet since instant messages and chat rooms first emerged. This problem has not vanished and has certainly remained a problem as social networking sites allow these harmful individuals to have many people to target at their disposal. MySpace and Facebook have faced heavy criticism from the public about protecting its users from these pedophiles. There have been multiple reports of older men contacting under-aged girls to meet up. However, social networking sites have taken extensive measures to prevent this. Facebook and MySpace each have a database of convicted sex-offenders and have deleted these people from their websites. Additionally, Facebook has prohibited any person above the age of 18 to view an under-aged user’s profile. (References to here, here, and here)
Through studies, it has been discovered that potential predators still use chat rooms and instant messages to contact targets rather than SNS. Less than a third of the solicitations came through social networking sites. Another study showed that 79% of the time when children were contacted by a predator, they were upfront about their age and their intentions. The government passed the Deleting Online Predators Act (DOPA) two years ago to add more security from online predators. This act bans the use of social networking sites in schools and libraries. With all of these measures taken to prevent predators from contacting adolescents, the only place where they can be contacted is on their own computers. (Refer to here and here)
Online predators aren’t the only danger to SNS users. The exposure of their information seems to be a monumental problem too. Users generally have complete control over who gets to see their profiles. However, sometimes this control is taken away. In 2007, Facebook launched Beacon, which is part of Facebook’s advertisement system. Beacon sends data from external websites to Facebook, in order to track websites that individuals go to and products that are purchased. This information is then organized and used to learn about the user. Initially, Facebook users could not turn this feature off, and as a result they protested. After some time, Facebook allowed users to be able to control this information from being released. It is thought however, that Facebook is still receiving this information. (Refer to here and here)
It is also believed that Facebook has ties with the CIA and DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency). The IAO (Information Awareness Office) was established by DARPA with the sole purpose to
“gather as much information as possible about everyone, in a centralized location, for easy perusal by the United States Government, including (though not limited to) internet activity, credit card purchase histories, airline ticket purchases, car rentals, medical records, educational transcripts, driver’s licenses, utility bills, tax returns, and any other available data.”
(Refer to here)
The IAO was shut down after a massive congressional investigation. Many believe IAO has come back with Facebook as its mask. Facebook received $13.2 million in funding indirectly from the CIA. They received these funds from companies set up by the CIA. “Parts of the IAO’s technology round-up included ‘human network analysis and behavior model building engines’, which Facebook’s massive volume of neatly-targeted data gathering allows for.” Facebook’s Terms of use states:
“by posting Member Content to any part of the Web site, you automatically grant, and you represent and warrant that you have the right to grant, to facebook an irrevocable, perpetual, non-exclusive, transferable, fully paid, worldwide license to use, copy, perform, display, reformat, translate, excerpt and distribute such information and content and to prepare derivative works of, or incorporate into other works, such information and content, and to grant and authorize sublicenses of the foregoing.”
(Refer to here)
Additionally, Facebook’s privacy policy states:
“Facebook may also collect information about you from other sources, such as newspapers, blogs, instant messaging services, and other users of the Facebook service through the operation of the service (eg. photo tags) in order to provide you with more useful information and a more personalized experience. By using Facebook, you are consenting to have your personal data transferred to and processed in the United States.”

(Refer to here)
Facebook’s ability to share an individual’s information is a scary and detrimental characteristic of the site. The following video explains how Facebook shares this information and how it is legal to acquire. Click here to view the video.

Social networking sites have their benefits as well as their insecurities. These sites are great for meeting people with similar interests as well as for keeping in touch with old friends. Using a SNS is a good source for recruiting college graduates for work and is a great place to advertise. There is a lot of money to be made off of social networking sites; however, users must always use caution. Users must be aware of the information these sites have access to. Throughout time, the Internet has proven to be an excellent communication source, breaking geographic, as well as time constraints. Global products can be purchased, employment positions can be filled, and worldwide friendships can be made. The use of the Internet, and certainly SNS has proven to join our global communities as one. Future technologies will unquestionably improve these connections, however, one must always beware of the potential threats.

WORKS CITED

“Conspiracy Theories: MySpace, Facebook, Amazon” by Richard MacMaus
http://blogs.zdnet.com/web2explorer/?p=95&part=rss&tag=feed&subj=zdblog

“Does What Happens in the Facebook Stay in the Facebook?” by Vishal Agarwala
http://www.albumoftheday.com/facebook/

“Facebook – The CIA Conspiracy” by Matt Greenop
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10456534

“Online Sex Predators Prefer IM, Chat Rooms to Social Networks” by Nate Anderson
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080206-online-sex-predators-prefer-im-chat-rooms-to-social-networks.html

“New Scrutiny for Facebook Over Predators” by Brad Stone
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/30/business/media/30facebook.html

“MySpace: Your Kid’s Danger?” By John Kresier
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/02/06/eveningnews/main1286130.shtml

“Social Network Sites Face US Ban”
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/5230506.stm

“Lawmakers Take Aim at Social-Networking Sites” by Declan McCullagh
http://news.cnet.com/Congress-targets-social-network-sites/2100-1028_3-6071040.html

“The Moral Panic Over Social-Networking Sites” by Wade Roush
http://www.technologyreview.com/Infotech/17266/?a=f

“Popularity of Social Networking Sites”
http://rugjeff.com/494/popularity-of-social-networking-sites/

“Social Networking Sites Continue to Attract Record Numbers as Myspace.com Surpasses 50 Million U.S. Visitors in May” by Andrew Lipsman
http://www.comscore.com/press/release.asp?press=906

“Popularity of Social Networking” by Hasan
http://www.dirjournal.com/articles/popularity-of-social-networking/

“Social Networking Sites Gaining Popularity Among Employers Seeking Job Candidates”
http://www.asme.org/NewsPublicPolicy/Newsletters/MechanicalAdvantage/Social_Networking_Sites.cfm

“Facebook’s Beacon More Intrusive Than Previously Thought” by Juan Carlos Perez
http://www.pcworld.com/article/140182/facebooks_beacon_more_intrusive_than_previously_thought.html

“Is Facebook Beacon a Privacy Nightmare?” by Om Malik
http://gigaom.com/2007/11/06/facebook-beacon-privacy-issues/

“comScore: Social Networking Sites’ Popularity Increases Worldwide” by Dee Chisamera
http://www.efluxmedia.com/news_comScore_Social_Networking_Sites_Popularity_Increases_Worldwide_22165.html

“Facebook Marketing – Are You Taking Advantage of Facebook’s Popularity?” By Rich L. Stevens
http://ezinearticles.com/?Facebook-Marketing—Are-You-Taking-Advantage-of-Facebooks-Popularity?&id=1751689

VIRTUAL HUNTING
-a hunter created a website where whoever goes on the site can shoot his gun with the click of a button as long as you pay $100.
-I don’t think it’s the best idea, but I also don’t think it’s a terrible idea as long as nothing living is in the crosshairs.  If you are shooting at little targets that are set up, then I don’t see how this is different than an online shooting game or going to a carnival and shooting the bb guns at a target.
-Do you think it is wrong to have a website set up so that you can shoot at targets?  What about if you were able to shoot at deer?  Why?

VIRTUAL IRAQ
-this was pretty interesting.  This was a video clip of a program that you do if you are suffering from post traumatic syndrome from the was in Iraq.  A former soldier would be pretty much put into a video game through virtual reality.  You are placed back in Iraq.  You see the things you would normally see there.  The smells.  It is very life-like.
-I think this is a good idea as long as it has no ill effects to it.  The creator says it has had success, but didn’t really talk about the others that still suffer from PTS.  I think they should continue to do this as long as there is a high success rate and a low failure rate.
-Do you think this is a good idea?  Why?

TECHNOLOGY AND THE CAMPAIGNS
-the development of technology and the internet has greatly affected the way campaigns are run today.  You can find all the information you need on the internet.  You can see what each candidate wants to do and how he plans on doing it.  You can get all the information that is on TV and in the newspapers on the internet.
-YouTube has a great impact on the election now.  You can watch advertisements for each party as well as watch debates and see each candidate speak/campaign.
-I think that the candidates needs to spend a lot of time and money advertising on the internet.  Most young voters will use the internet as their primary source of information for the election.  It is also an easy way to accept donations made to the campaign.
-do you think a candidate has a huge advantage if he/she spends more money advertising on the internet than the competitor?

OBAMA USES TEXT MESSAGING WITH EYE ON NOV 4
-Obama has his supporters text message a number telling him/his campaign that he is an Obama supporter and pretty much gave Obama their numbers to be texted back on Nov 4 to remind them to vote and then to get more people to vote for Obama.
-Obama is targeting young adults because they are known to be more active.  Young adults are familiar with text messaging
-What kind of impact do you think this had on the election?

HOW MUCH IS YOUTUBE WORTH TO OBAMA AND MCCAIN?
-thousands of videos were watched on YouTube for this past election.  Obama advertised on YouTube well compared to McCain.  The amount of hours of each candidates videos watched on YouTube isn’t even close.  Obama had about 30 times McCains YouTube time.
-How big an effect this had on the election remains to be seen.  It is certainly a cheaper way to advertise than on TV (free compared to millions), but YouTube won’t do much to get you new voters.  Potential voters will most likely only watch the videos of the candidate that they like.  Why would they watch videos of someone they don’t plan on voting for?  That is the difference between TV and YouTube advertisements.  TV is forcing you to watch the advertisements so this will help attract new voters.
-Do you think YouTube will help attract new voters?  Why?

TWITTER:  AN ANTIDOTE TO ELECTION DAY VOTING PROBLEMS?
-twitter is a blogging site where you are limited to 140 characters
-twitter is easy to get a message across to everyone as well as send out private messages
-twitter is also a very fast way to get information/news out really quickly
-the article suggests we use twitter to avoid issues on election like we normally have.
-do you think that we will one day vote on the internet instead of going to the polls?

SAMPLE CHAPTER FOR SUNSTEIN
-you can filter the types of programs you watch on TV or view on the computer
-by filtering out what information you see, you become blind to the world.  The article argues the filtering of information is against democracy and the freedom of speech.
-if everyone sees the same things on TV and the internet, everyone will have the same views of things.
-by listening and reading about the things you want to read about (political especially), you just hear your voice over and over again.  You will close yourself out of a lot of things in life.  You will never experience anything new.  You need to be open to other things in life that you are not used to.  You won’t be experiencing life.  You will experience a closed off life.
-I do think you should be able to filter some things in life, but that is what the internet is for… You choose which websites to go to and they always have the same information,
-Do you filter information you see/read?  Why do you or don’t you do that?

WEB OF ACTIVISM
-the internet might be the best way to advertise for an election compared to the traditional campaign route.  You can send mass emails, can post up videos on youtube, can advertise on sns’s where there are millions of users.  Emails and youtube are both free.  You would obviously have to pay for the advertisements, but they aren’t as expensive as TV ads and are seen by thousands, if not millions of people.  Also, if you use sns, you can see who your followers are and what their interests are so you can target them better.
-I think in this time of age that you have to use the internet to advertise.  Just about everyone is an internet user.  I don’t think the internet is that good at targeting voters if they are planning on voting for the opposition.  The internet is only good at keeping your voters.  Do you agree with me?

IS THIS MAN CHEATING ON HIS WIFE?
-A man is married to two women.  One in real life and one in his virtual life in the game Second Life.  He has been spending more and more time playing that game and doing things with his virtual wife rather than his real wife.
-Mr. Hoogestraat is addicted to Second Life.  It has officially become an obsession.  There is no way his marriage will last (well his real one anyways).
-Virtual life offers some things that you can’t get in real life.  For instance you cannot get fat or bald or go grey.  You make and maintain friends.
-games like these can be very addicting because there is no end point.  There are no goals that when achieved the game is over.  It keeps on going.  You keep striving to get better and better.  Make as much virtual money as possible.
-Do you think it is possible for Mr. Hoogestraat to maintain both marriages (real and virtual)?  How do you think this can be done?

CYBORG ANCESTRY
-this article is about the development of cyborgs and machines in health dating back to the 1920s.
-This article wants to tell us that we have been trying to create a cyborg (cybernetic organism) and how we are more like machines than we originally thought.  I think another message it is getting across is that we have been using/dependent of machines for decades now.  The further advanced we get in technology, the longer peoples life spans will be because of machines’ roles in medicine.
-the article compares us to cyborgs because some of us need machines to live.
-scientists have made great advances in their development of the cyborg over the last 50 years or so.  Where do you think they will be in another 50 years?

IN KOREA, A BOOT CAMP CURE FOR WEB OBSESSION
-This is similar to the article about the man cheating on his wife with a virtual wife.  I think it is kind of ridiculous that someone can get so obsessed with a game that they have to play 17 hours a day.  It is a problem for sure, but how do you really fix it?  Is boot camp the answer?  What happens when the 12 day session is over?  How can you prevent someone from using the internet when the internet is everywhere?  Boot camp is only a temporary answer.  When drug addicts get out of rehab, they are not near drugs when they leave.  For internet users, it is impossible to escape the internet, especially in a country like Korea where it is around every corner.

A WORLD OF WITNESSES
-the cell phone has had a larger impact on politics than you would realize
-text messaging was key for the Filipinos in their overthrowing of their president.  They were able to organize mass amounts of people in short periods of time.
-mobile phones are used my terrorists.  Terrorists used mobile phones to detonate bombs on a train in Madrid in 2004.
-The Hub and Youtube allow people to post videos they record.  The Hub is just for videos on human rights for anyone that captures an act against those rights with their camera phone or a camcorder.
-people can use cell phones for health care using text messaging.  You can find out the toxins that are in a toy you are considering buying for you child as well as finding the nearest HIV testing site to you.
-there are also services you can text to find out information about the environment (whether a fish is safe to eat, pollution levels etc)
-I think these services and numbers should be made more well-known to the average person.  They won’t be utilized fully if only a percentage of the people know about these numbers.
-this article mentions how all different types of censors can be put on a cell phone (censors for pollen, pollution, radiation, ozone, carbon monoxide, etc).
-I don’t think I like the idea of all these censors in my phone.  I don’t want other people to be able to track my exact position and the radiation level where I am and everything about my location.  What if that information gets into the wrong hands?  I don’t think the government or scientists/observers have the right to know everything about where I am and what I am doing.
-Do you like the idea of censors in your cell phone?  Why or why not?

ALWAYS ON/ALWAYS YOU
-cell phones and the internet changed society immensely
-everyone is addicted to the internet and their cell phones (especially blackberrys).  You can have a serious conversation with someone that is hundreds of miles away from you while you are commuting to work in the morning.  You are more likely to talk to someone miles away from you than you are the person sitting next to you on the train or the bus.  Text messaging and emails allow you to have a personal conversation with someone without anyone hearing what you have to say.
-the author talks about her daughters time in Europe.  She explains how her daughter is thousands of miles away from her friends and family but text messages them on a daily basis and is still in constant contact as if she never left.  I have had similar experiences to the authors daughter.  I went abroad in Sydney, Australia last spring and I stayed in contact with my friends and family through text messages, emails and facebook.
-the internet/web and online gaming lets you escape from reality and create a new life.  A virtual life.  You can create your own characters in your games to look however you want.  You can talk to anyone on the internet.  You can break out of your shyness and talk with people.
-the BlackBerry is extremely addicting.  It has all capabilities of any other cell phone but it also has internet and you can easily access your internet through your phone.  You are never out of reach/contact from everyone.  You are always available unless you have no service.  This is both good and bad.  Do you really always want to be available (for family, friends and work)?  Family and friends, yes.  Not so much work.  You don’t want to be bothered on vacation by work.  When you are spending quality family time, you do not want to be bothered with emails from your boss.
-people created robots and computer programs to talk and communicate with people.  I find this very interesting and I see how it can be of good use, but overall I think that is a bad idea.  It is like trying to replace the human connection with a fake one.  What is your take on this?
-Do you think people become too attached to their cell phones and blackberrys?

TWITTER, FLICKR, FACEBOOK MAKE BLOGS LOOK SO 2004
-it is much harder today to get noticed as a blogger as it was 4 years ago
-blogging has gotten commercialized
-blogging has become impersonal
-it is really difficult for people to find and read your blogs.  There are too many blogs now and everyone tends to read the professionals’ blogs.
Where do you think blogging will be 4 years from now?

IZEA BLOG:  EIGHT REASONS WHY BLOGGING WILL BE BIGGER THAN EVER IN 2009
-this article pretty much just lists reasons why you should blog and why blogging will be big this year
-people are out of a job and need to vent
-there is money to be made from blogging
-new blogging sites such as twitter are good for getting noticed
Which article do you think is right (this one or the previous article)?  Will blogging be bigger in 2009 or much smaller?

FACEBOOK’S BEACON JUST THE TIP OF PRIVACY ICEBERG
-I knew that facebook was tracking us.  I read about that before.  I didn’t realize though that they were selling our information to other companies.  That should definitely be blocked and controlled by each user.  Right now, the user can manage what can and cannot be seen, but that is limited.  The user can’t stop the “newsfeed” from everything.  You can’t hide everything you do.  Facebook shouldn’t have the right to sell our information away.
What do you think about all this?  Should facebook leave things the way it is or change it?
Do you think it stops with the things we do on facebook or do you think even more private information is being released?

TONE LANGUAGE – TIME
-It is pretty incredible that you can access the internet and send/receive text messages through a cell phone.  It is even more incredible that you can write novels on your cell phone and send it to people.  That is pretty remarkable.
-I had not realized that Japanese people go on the internet more on their phones then on their computers.
-I also found it very interesting that writing on a cell phone is a better business to get into than writing on a computer or paper.
-Do you think that novels on cell phones will be big in the US?

CITY OF SOUND
-fan-bases from hit tv shows write about the show all over the internet.  They write on message boards and forums and blogs etc.  As a fan of several shows, I have gone to facebook groups to check and see what everyone thought of the episode.  I have also gone to IMDB.com (internet movie database) to check the message boards for TV shows and for movies.  They can sometimes give me better insight and reviews than professionals.
-I believe producers and writers check message boards.  Do you think they change the story of their TV show based on what they read on the internet from their fan-base?

CROSS-PLATFORM STORYTELLING:  THE NEW (AND IMPROVED) “INTERACTIVE TELEVISION”
-a great example of transmedia story telling is the movie Cloverfield.  You had to do lots of research on the internet to find out about that movie.  Parts of the movie were a mystery and you were supposed to figure things out for yourself based on clues that you could find on message boards and on Myspace.
-ITV = Interactive Television
-TV shows come out with books and such that are mentioned in the show and then actually made in real life so people can buy it.  It advertises for the show and is readable/understandable by anyone (even if they don’t watch the show)
-A good example of this that I keep thinking of is the show Entourage.  The main character was filming a movie and HBO kept airing the trailer for the movie.
-I think ITV is a good way to get a fan base hooked on the show, especially if it is a mystery.
-Do you think all shows should use ITV?
-do you think ITV helps attain more viewers, less viewers or no change at all?  Why?

SAVING THE STORY
-this article is discussing the possible problem that movies aren’t as good as they used to be.  They don’t have as much meaning.  I think a part of it is that a lot of movies are made with the idea of making a sequal so they can make more money.  The film business has moved from art to money.
-Do you think the movie industry is lagging?  Why or why not?
-I haven’t been around long enough to compare movies from 20 years ago to todays movies, but I think they are still making quality movies.

METAFORAS
- there is no definitive closure to the stories that society tells itself with narrative, as we are constantly dreaming it forward. The only finality that an individual can really know is death; otherwise our narrative is the legacy we leave by being creative.

GENERATIONAL DIVIDE IN COPYRIGHT MORALITY
-the young generation doesn’t know the difference between right and wrong when it comes to copying/downloading/recording copyrighted movies or songs.
-as the laws get stricter and stricter and as the major companies get better and better at catching the people with their copyrighted material, more people will be arrested.
-Just about everyone I know downloads illegally and I actually know someone that got caught at school and received an email from Warner Brothers.  It is pretty scary stuff.  Just because everyone else does it doesn’t mean that you can get away with it too.
-Do you think high school students should be educated as to how to avoid copyright infringement?
-Does this article make you reconsider downloading illegally?  Will you stop if you haven’t already?

LARRY LESSIG YOUTUBE VIDEO
-Larry is lecturing to a crowd, telling them how plagiarism and copying is impossible to avoid.  Everything has been done before.  In some form or another, you are copying someone else no matter what you are doing.  The government set up flawed laws to prevent copying.
-Larry thinks an artist should be able to let non-professionals and commercial companies use their work as they want ( such as in school).  Laws should be adjusted so this is possible.
-Businesses should embrace this idea of free information that is not for commercial use.
-Everyone is living life against the law.  You are breaking the law by copying someone else at some given time because nothing is original anymore.
-What, if any laws, do you think should be created to bend the laws of plagiarism and copying so that people can be creative with others ideas?

How do you think the plagiarism laws should be?

Great Photo on Flickr? Getty Images Might Pay You for It
-Getty Images and Flickr made a deal in which Getty has access to all the photos that people post on Flickr. Getty will then make offers to the photographers for use of their images.
-posting images in flickr is very similar to blogging. Instead of posting your thoughts, you are posting your imagery. However, now Getty is offering money to the blogger
-Do you think it is right that Getty has access to all of your photos?

Why Blog? Reason No. 92: Book Deal
-If your blog gets a lot of hits, you will become noticed. If people like to read what you have to write, there’s a good chance you will be contacted with an offer to write a book for a major publisher.

Download This: YouTube Phenom Has a Big Secret
-This article tells us a story about a girl, Digby, who’s rise to fame all started with posting videos on youtube. By posting videos of herself singing other musicians music, people stumbled upon her and now she has a record deal. Her songs air over the radio and is a YouTube hit.
-This article shows you how powerful a website such as youtube is at getting people noticed and grabbing peoples attention. It is now an effective way to make it.
-What other types of professionals do you think can use YouTube to get noticed in their field of work?
-Do you think websites like Monster.com or other types of job application websites will add a video section to help get the potential employee noticed?

Keen vs. Weinberger
-Keen and Weinberger argue over the plus’ and minus’ of web 2.0.
-it can be argued that web 2.0 is bad for us. It takes away job opportunities from people (such as writers) because people that aren’t as knowledgeable are saying whatever they want in their blogs and because people don’t have to pay to read blogs, they read their opinions instead of paying to read the professionals opinions.
-information gets diluted with all the non-professionals pretending they are as knowledgeable as the people getting paid.
-web 2.0, however, lets you speak your mind. Freedom of speech. Also, talented people can get noticed through web 2.0 (see previous article on youtube)

CHU:
She is modeling for the camera.  Ashley is trying to pose and be beautiful for everyone to see her.  I think Ashley wants to be seen and noticed as a hot girl.  All over her profile she talks about how she’s interested in modeling and posted links of her from beauty pageants.

Dan:
I can’t read most of Dan’s profile because he is Israeli and it is written in Hebrew.  I guess I chose a bad one to do, but I’ll still do this one anyways.  Dan is traveling all over South America.  He just got out of the army and wants to travel the world.  This picture describes him perfectly.  He is adventurous and living life the way it was meant to be lived.

Geffen:
Geffen is trying to look cool.  He is in middle school.  He clearly lied about his age to get on facebook.  Geffen used his macbook to take this picture of himself.  It is consistent with almost every other photo of him.  He likes to take pictures with his macbook and use an effect on the image and then post it on facebook.  His profile suggests he likes a variety of things.  All types of music from Eminem to Red Hot Chili Peppers to Smashing Pumpkins.  He posted funny quotes from his friend and likes comedic movies.  So pretty much I think Geffen wants to fit in and be cool.  Everyone likes comedies and he put every type of music as his favorite.  He is posing and trying to look cool in his photo.

Scott:
In this picture, Scott is skydiving.  This picture depicts scott well because he is a very active person with lots of interests and activities he enjoys.  On facebook, his list of activities and list of interests is much longer than the average facebook user.  He is always doing something and can’t just sit around doing nothing for hours.  I think the only thing Scott is trying to show in this picture is that he’s wild and fearless.