WARNING:  This is a no-edit zone…

I’ve been neck-deep in putting together a new series, but received a head’s up this morning and wanted to share it with those of you who are writers with public pages in the social networking realm.

Check your pages.

Once again we have someone who has too little to do and lacks the wisdom to use the gift of time, well, wisely.  A bodysnarking incident occurred (an unflattering photo of some, no doubt unsuspecting, guy was substituted for mine).  In my case, the offender has been reported.  If you note offenses on your pages, do file the abuse reports.  They are taken very seriously.

Also today another individual noted a similar event on a different social networking page.  That too has been reported.  While the identities used for these purposes are typically fake, the IP numbers are very real and traceable.  Getting a new IP doesn’t negate the ability to discover an old one.  (Isn’t technology wonderful?)  Anyway, there are consequences.  For repeat performers, some pretty stiff ones–especially if they’ve previously been warned by authorities to cease and desist.

Do be sure to check your text as well as images.   We all know changing a single word can change a great deal.

Sites you might want to check closely:  Shelfari, Myspace, Facebook, Bebo.  Why not use this is an opportunity to just run a check on all of those in which you participate?

Do note that on Shelfari anyone can edit a page.  That makes it vulnerable to abuse, though abuse on it is exposed in that all changes are tracked to the individual making them.

Back to work!

Blessings,

Vicki

C2008