Using the Internet – The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

To counteract the negative messaging that dominates Internet safety news, online safety advocates were asked by Anne Collier to respond to the question: Why do I like Web 2.0 so much? And What don’t I like? Here’s my top 10 list:

1. I like the ability the Web gives everyone, not just the ‘geeks’, to easily create content and share their thoughts and ideas.
   I don’t like that it can be difficult for people to discern what is factual vs. opinion vs. idiocy vs. deliberate misrepresentation.

2. I like the interactive nature of the Web that allows and encourages dialog.
   I don’t like to see attack comments by people too cowardly and ashamed of their own actions to leave their names, or when ignorance tries to shout so loudly that meaningful discussion is drowned out. Leaving anonymous comments is fine if they are constructive and respectful; if you want to sling mud, allow others to return the favor.

3. I like having so much information at my fingertips 24 hours a day.
   I don’t like having to sift through the trash to find it.

4. I like the opportunity to access the Internet from a variety of devices and be constantly connected.
   I don’t like always being reachable – though this is something I control, I confess to not always being particularly good at shutting ‘off’.

5. I like the ability to set up information feeds on topics I care about and have information automatically flow to me.
   I can’t stand the bombardment of information I don’t want (spam) through every conceivable format.

6. I like the ‘free’ nature of the services and recognize that businesses must make money so I am exposed to advertising to cover their costs and make money.
   I really get angry when instead of transparent advertising, companies (even many companies we consider ‘legitimate’) turn deceptive and resell consumer information in ways not transparent to the consumer, or when everything individuals post can be exploited in any way by the company. People should read the Terms and Conditions before using a service, but there should be a basic expectation of privacy.

7. I like how quickly innovation occurs with new features and services popping up constantly.
   I strongly object to irresponsible business practices related to some features and services:
   
   • The lack of inherent safety built into the tools that make it so even the savviest and most careful users get placed at risk of exploitation, whether that be financially, emotionally or physically.
     
   • I object to the lack of specific safety messaging related to specific fields within a product to help consumers understand potential risks and make informed choices.
     
   • I think it’s an outrage that services can ‘upgrade’ features that expose you to enormous risk without first giving you a way to opt out of the new feature. (Case in point, when Classmates.com ‘suddenly’ added a location feature and exposed every user’s location without giving them fair warning and time to remove location content that they thought was just for the companies information)

8. I like the opportunity the Internet provides to meet and interact with new people. The scaremongering around ‘online strangers’ is absurd. An online friend is simply the modern reincarnation of the old ‘pen pal’.
   I strongly object to the lack of honest safety messaging in services that enable online connections to help users, particularly younger users, understand the risks associated with sharing various types of content, and how to evaluate who is worthy of their trust.

9. I like the global scope and perspective. Never before have we had the ability to understand the world around us in quite such an immediate way.
   I don’t like the global crime, or the lack of laws and law enforcement to protect consumers from blatant criminal activity.

10. I like the whimsical nature of the Web. The games, the humor, the wit, and downright silliness. Life can be taken way too seriously and the Web offers welcome comic relief.

Linda