Foot- Facebook a living nightmare?

I was intrigued by the article about Johnson's choice to stop using Facebook because of harassment and rumors spreading about him. My first reaction was to ask why he didn't ignore those people who were harassing him. By this i don't mean suck it up and pretend it's not happening. On Facebook there is an option to block certain users. I personally have used this and found it sufficient. I had someone who was constantly "creeping" and commenting on my Facebook in a very inappropriate way, so I blocked them. When you block someone they do not have access to your profile at all. If a mutual friend posts something on their wall and you both comment on it, neither of you can see each others comments. The best thing is they can't even search for you to add you again. It basically looks to them as if you have deleted your Facebook. I do not know the full extent of what was happening to Johnson, but from what I understand this may have been able to stop at least people from sending him harrassing messages and viewing his profile.

Looking at security issues such as this, we as teachers need to be aware of the risks of social networking. Knowing these risks we need to be aware of the security measures we can take when using technology in our classrooms. These include adjusting privacy settings and knowing how to block users when the need arises. I was personally unaware that a social networking site such as Facebook could be used in the classroom, so I am excited to learn about the more profession Facebook sites that Ms. Foot has mentioned in class.