Whose space is MySpace? A content analysis of MySpace profiles

Author(s):  
Steve Jones ◽  
Sarah Millermaier ◽  
Mariana Goya-Martinez ◽  
Jessica Schuler

This study examines the content of MySpace pages to reveal the types of personal information users disclose on their pages and the types of communication users engage in via through their MySpace account. The researchers performed a traditional content analysis on MySpace user profiles to learn about user characteristics and about the types of content posted on profiles pages. Findings showed a clear pattern of use of the site for creating and developing personal identities and relationships online. Findings show a high degree of control by users over private information, with very few users posting personal information such as telephone numbers and addresses. The results of this research contribute to an understanding of the use of MySpace as a social networking site, a communication tool, and a means of self-disclosure and identity formation.

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jakob Wirth ◽  
Christian Maier ◽  
Sven Laumer ◽  
Tim Weitzel

Purpose“Smart devices think you're “too lazy” to opt out of privacy defaults” was the headline of a recent news report indicating that individuals might be too lazy to stop disclosing their private information and therefore to protect their information privacy. In current privacy research, privacy concerns and self-disclosure are central constructs regarding protecting privacy. One might assume that being concerned about protecting privacy would lead individuals to disclose less personal information. However, past research has shown that individuals continue to disclose personal information despite high privacy concerns, which is commonly referred to as the privacy paradox. This study introduces laziness as a personality trait in the privacy context, asking to what degree individual laziness influences privacy issues.Design/methodology/approachAfter conceptualizing, defining and operationalizing laziness, the authors analyzed information collected in a longitudinal empirical study and evaluated the results through structural equation modeling.FindingsThe findings show that the privacy paradox holds true, yet the level of laziness influences it. In particular, the privacy paradox applies to very lazy individuals but not to less lazy individuals.Research limitations/implicationsWith these results one can better explain the privacy paradox and self-disclosure behavior.Practical implicationsThe state might want to introduce laws that not only bring organizations to handle information in a private manner but also make it as easy as possible for individuals to protect their privacy.Originality/valueBased on a literature review, a clear research gap has been identified, filled by this research study.


First Monday ◽  
2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Woodrow Hartzog

The contradiction of social networks is that revealing of personal, private information can have harmful consequences, yet users continue to disclose such information at an alarming rate. Ironically, the advent of social network sites opens the possibility of a relatively safe place to disclose private information. This article proposes a “privacy box” application to be used within social network sites that would require users to accept a pre–written promise of confidentiality before gaining access to personal information. Although it would not serve as a universal remedy for privacy harms on social network sites, it could serve to carve out a space for relatively safe self–disclosure online.


2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lila M. Inglima ◽  
Jason C. Zeltser ◽  
Eric Schmidt ◽  
M. Blair Chinn ◽  
Katherine Price ◽  
...  

2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 163-211
Author(s):  
Bernard Doherty

Beginning in 2005 the tiny Christian sect then known as the Exclusive Brethren suddenly underwent a media transformation from a virtually unknown or ignored group of quirky and old-fashioned Protestant sectarians to being touted as “Australia’s biggest cult” by tabloid television programs. This explosion of controversy came on the heels of media revelations about the involvement of Brethren members in providing financial donations to conservative political causes across the globe and a snowballing effect in response which brought forth a number of ex-members eager to expose their former group. This article looks at how this media transformation has been received by the wider Australian public. By studying the hitherto little utilized data contained in readers’ letters to Australia’s three mainstream broadsheet newspapers this article identifies which events or undertakings had the most impact on public perceptions of the Exclusive Brethren and which specific articles and issues struck the most responsive chord with readers. This content analysis found that Australian public opinion toward the Exclusive Brethren, while on the whole negative, was more indicative of their political involvement than their beliefs. The study also found that prior to what I call “The Brethren Controversy” the Exclusive Brethren had maintained a high degree of “sectarian tension” in Australia for almost four decades with little public outcry or media vilification.


2010 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 109-125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanna Krasnova ◽  
Sarah Spiekermann ◽  
Ksenia Koroleva ◽  
Thomas Hildebrand

On online social networks such as Facebook, massive self-disclosure by users has attracted the attention of Industry players and policymakers worldwide. Despite the Impressive scope of this phenomenon, very little Is understood about what motivates users to disclose personal Information. Integrating focus group results Into a theoretical privacy calculus framework, we develop and empirically test a Structural Equation Model of self-disclosure with 259 subjects. We find that users are primarily motivated to disclose Information because of the convenience of maintaining and developing relationships and platform enjoyment. Countervailing these benefits, privacy risks represent a critical barrier to information disclosure. However, users’ perception of risk can be mitigated by their trust in the network provider and availability of control options. Based on these findings, we offer recommendations for network providers.


2015 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannelore Crijns PhD ◽  
Liselot Hudders ◽  
Verolien Cauberghe ◽  
An-Sofie Claeys

Facebook as a corporate communication tool for companies? A content analysis of the communication strategies of reputable Belgian companies on the social network site Facebook as a corporate communication tool for companies? A content analysis of the communication strategies of reputable Belgian companies on the social network site This study used a quantitative content analysis to investigate how twelve reputable Belgian companies use Facebook as a corporate communication tool. Findings indicate that companies use Facebook more often to post public relations than marketing communication content. The former is also more often shared than the latter. However, the latter creates more engagement in terms of reactions of the company on comments of users. Furthermore, about one fourth of the company posts did not generate any written reactions from users and can be classified as one-way communication. Almost 40% of the posts generated reactions from the users. To conclude, in one third of the cases companies reacted on these reactions of users, and results reveal that this is more often the case when it concerns public relations content than marketing communication content. Reputation score was not able to predict the communication strategy used on Facebook.


Author(s):  
Sami M. Fawzy ◽  
Tarek M. Esmael ◽  
Hany Hosny ◽  
Abdulmajeed Al Amri ◽  
Khalid Al Malki ◽  
...  

Progress in deciding the opinion of head-teachers on the instructional and logistical characteristics needed for a fundamental cardiopulmonary resuscitation (b-CPR) program for adolescents in secondary school. The purpose of the thesis is to explore the level of educators' preparation to cope with life-threatening circumstances. This paper aims to determine the connection between the score of the instructor to the questions drawn up and their knowledge of BSL. And we have studied the participants' student conduct without any impact on their behaviour. Teachers from chosen primary schools are the partners. There will also be a record of population characteristics. There will be registered personal data and documents. Some of the information involves the compilation of gender, gender, degree of education and weight data using survey questions. A high degree of secrecy would be ensured through this study. In addition, all information from the participants will be collected voluntarily. The educators would be allowed to have an answer to all the questions. The primary aim of the research is to raise awareness of the importance of critical support for life in schools. At the beginning of each academic year, this study is proposed to create a compulsory training session for teachers, and the outcome is gathered using survey questions to produce using personal information and data such as sex, gender, level of education and weight details.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jillian Carmody ◽  
Samir Shringarpure ◽  
Gerhard Van de Venter

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate privacy concerns arising from the rapidly increasing advancements and use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology and the challenges of existing privacy regimes to ensure the on-going protection of an individual’s sensitive private information. The authors illustrate this through a case study of energy smart meters and suggest a novel combination of four solutions to strengthen privacy protection. Design/methodology/approach The authors illustrate how, through smart meter obtained energy data, home energy providers can use AI to reveal private consumer information such as households’ electrical appliances, their time and frequency of usage, including number and model of appliance. The authors show how this data can further be combined with other data to infer sensitive personal information such as lifestyle and household income due to advances in AI technologies. Findings The authors highlight data protection and privacy concerns which are not immediately obvious to consumers due to the capabilities of advanced AI technology and its ability to extract sensitive personal information when applied to large overlapping granular data sets. Social implications The authors question the adequacy of existing privacy legislation to protect sensitive inferred consumer data from AI-driven technology. To address this, the authors suggest alternative solutions. Originality/value The original value of this paper is that it illustrates new privacy issues brought about by advances in AI, failings in current privacy legislation and implementation and opens the dialog between stakeholders to protect vulnerable consumers.


Regular aerial treatment of 14000 km of watercourses has achieved and maintained, over an area of 700000 km 2 of West African savannah, a very high degree of control of the larvae of Simulium damnosum sensu stricto and S. sibanum , the vectors of onchocerciasis in this area. However, particular and relatively restricted parts of this area, mainly in northern Ivory Coast and neighbouring parts of Upper Volta, experience regular and prolonged reinvasions by parous female vectors, which have already taken bloodmeals (and many of them carrying the parasites) and arrive from unknown sources probably hundreds of kilometres away, from directions probably between southwest and north. This reinvasion, now experienced in three successive years, represents the outstanding scientific, epidemiological and logistic problem still facing the WHO Onchocerciasis Control Programme. An outline is presented of the multidisciplinary investigations being undertaken to find a solution.


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