MySpace Safety: 51 Tips for Teens and Parents (Paperback)

by Kevin, M Farnham (Author), Dale, G Farnham (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
"MySpace Safety: 51 Tips for Teens and Parents" provides teens and parents with a common sense approach for using MySpace.com. The authors provide specific methods to minimize the risk that comes with having a MySpace.com account. Each element of personal information requested by MySpace is analyzed to determine how the data is used. The safety tips describe where information entered into MySpace is displayed, and show how the information might be used by a person with malicious intentions. The book then provides recommendations on the actions a MySpace user should take with respect to the requested information, to minimize risk. The book can also be applied as a user's manual for MySpace.com, since to define areas of risk and appropriate responses for safety the authors investigated and documented all facets and features of the MySpace.com site. The 51 safety tips describe how to: - prepare for opening a MySpace.com account - enter the information required to join MySpace.com - configure "profile" information tabs - make and respond to MySpace friend requests - manage contacts from the MySpace "extended network" - eliminate unwanted contact from strangers - avoid profile invasion, spyware, and phishing scams - report inappropriate content and other problems to MySpace.com - close a MySpace.com account The book also includes programming script code that disables some MySpace options that allow strangers to track the actions of teens without the teens having any awareness that this is happening. While the book specifically addresses MySpace.com, its lessons can be applied to any social networking site, to a person's blog, or to other places where a teen may establish an online presence.

Product Details

• Paperback: 184 pages
• Publisher: How-To Primers (May 14, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0977883353
• ISBN-13: 978-0977883356
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #441,928 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive guide for parents, June 19, 2006

By	Beth Cholette "doctor_beth" (Upstate NY USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

In this book, authors Kevin and Dale Farnham--whose daughter was one of the original members of myspace.com--have created a comprehensive guide to the entire MySpace web domain. In addition to offering specific safety tips, the authors guide the reader step-by-step through each facet of myspace.com. For parents, this is an excellent overview of the site, and the book will likely increase their awareness of MySpace's various functions, settings, and possible risks for their children.

The other intended audience is the teens themselves; unfortunately, I believe that most teens will have little interest in what the authors have to say. The majority of the recommendations which the Farnhams make stem from the basic advisement not to reveal personal information over the internet, including on myspace.com personal pages. The Farnhams do an adequate job of describing the reasons for this caution, but I don't think that they will be able to pursuade most teens. For example, they highly discourage teens from revealing where they go to school, a basic fact which I believe the average teenager would readily share despite any precautions.

Still, I agree with the basic tenet that the best way to keep kids safe is for parents to be well-informed. Therefore, I do recommend this book for parents of teens who are already or who plan to become MySpace users, as it is an excellent means for parents to thoroughly acquaint themselves with this particular online phenomenom.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great safety guide for parents of Internet-generation teens..., July 28, 2006

By	Danielle Taylor "Mom of 2" (Oakland, California) - See all my reviews

While parents may have a hard time getting their teenagers to read the safety guides as they are much more interested in reading the most recent posts on their friends' blogs, Kevin and Dale's book is a comprehensive guide for parents who =need= to know how MySpace works and how their children are using it. As a talking tool and a resource for parents, the book is right on, particularly useful for parents who are not especially tech-saavy. The specific ways to avoid being tracked, examples of ways MySpace can be used appropiately and also how information can be misused and even put your children in danger, are all incredibly valuable and written in an easy, accessible manner.

All parents of internet-generation teens should have a copy!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good place to start "the talk"..., June 26, 2006

By	Thomas Duff "Duffbert" (Portland, OR United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

I recently received a copy of the book MySpace Safety: 51 Tips for Teens and Parents by Kevin Farnham and Dale Farnham. Since I have two teens (and I'm their parent), I thought it might be interesting to see what they had to say. As a means for some common ground discussion (and to help educate the adult side), this works pretty well.

Contents: Introduction; Get Ready For MySpace; Joining MySpace; Setting Up Your Account; Your Profile; MySpace Friends; The Extended Network; Group Interaction; Scripted Safety; Abuse; Leaving MySpace; Afterword; Resources; Order This Book

This appears to be a self-published book that focuses on the MySpace social networking site. The main thrust is to educate parents and teens on how they can be active in MySpace without taking unnecessary risks to expose themselves to predators or identity thieves. The material is presented in (as the title states) 51 safety tips on what you need to know about MySpace when it comes to personal information. The authors have combined the safety tips with a small amount of "how to" information that will help the MySpace newbie get up to speed on the features, as well as helping them to avoid initial mistakes that might be hard to fix later on. The writing is pretty clear and understandable for both adults and teens, so really anyone with decent reading skills should be able to use this guide effectively to understand what's at stake.

Realistically, most techies who spend a lot of time online will not find many new revelations here. There's a lot of emphasis on not giving out information that could be used to allow others to narrow down your location and such. But that's not, in my opinion, a drawback. The value in this book is to give you (as the parent/adult) and your kid a framework for discussing important online safety issues. The clueless parent who knows nothing of MySpace except what is reported on the news will learn that all MySpace members are not potential threats (as the media often portrays). The teen (if you can get them to read the book) will at least be presented with the basic privacy tools to allow them to have fun but not risk falling prey to predators. Since teens already know everything there is to know (just ask them!), they might not take this as seriously as you'd like them to. But if they remember just enough to get that twinge of "something's not right", then you've done well...

So... if you think your child will willingly follow all the steps in the book, dream on. But if you've wanted to instill some sense of online privacy in them and you don't know how, this could well be the place to start...