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Blogging
Harmless fun or hidden danger?
By Alex Palmer - Arlington High School
Jan 2, 2007, 10:33

   Blogging is a method of communication on the internet where people post whatever they want whenever they want on their own personalized portion of a website. Others can view their blogs and post a comment about their entry or just exchange pleasantries. They can also be used to convey information or tell about your day. Blogs can be useful or possibly be a tool for online predators.

   I believe that blogging is safe, as long as personal information is not given away. Also, on some blogging sites, you can regulate who can go to your site. MySpace and Xanga both have similar systems to prevent others from seeing your blog if you so wish.

   Others, however, disagree about the safety and worth of blogging. Another student in my media writing class commented, "Blogging is a waste of time and it creates more drama when people write about daily drama online."

   Blogging has become incredibly popular with young adults. I surveyed 158 of our high-school students and 71% had a blog, compared to 29% without. Many students also had multiple blogs, but the most popular is MySpace according to my survey.

   As well as asking if they had a blog and what kind in my survey, I also asked if they had ever been approached by a stranger online, and if they felt safe posting personal information online. 48% of the students surveyed said they had been approached by a stranger online, and 51% of students do not feel safe posting personal information online.

   Although many predators lurk on online blogging sites, Xanga, MySpace and Facebook all offer their own ways to keep their users safe online. On Xanga you can make a setting so only signed in users can view your blog. You can also block any users you don't want seeing your site. On MySpace you can make your profile private so only your friends can see it, and only Facebook users can view others' Facebooks.

   Blogs have many positives and many negatives as well. They can help people to communicate and keep in touch, or they can help lead a predator right tot their victim. With the growing popularity of blogging, it is hard to say whether or not this craze is harmless fun or a lurking danger. This is a decision that none but you, the reader, can make for yourself.