domenica 10 maggio 2009

The dark side of the Web

After exploring the infinite opportunities of the Web, we should consider as well its dangers and threats. We often came up in class with the question of safety in the Web and this week we tried to see more into detail what the problem consists of.

Users may run into the crime identity theft which is called Internet Fraud when it is made through the Web. Moreover, we are not always aware of the amount of personal information we enter in the Web when using tools such as social networks or when making operations like online purchasing.

It is true that in these cases attentive users should know the risks they are running because almost everybody know of the existence of Internet criminals and hackers. What is really worrying and disturbing is that we are literary spied on the Web. For example, Facebook Beacon is a part of Facebook's advertisement system that sends data from external websites to Facebook and from Facebook to other websites.

This underhand trade of information makes me quite mistrustful of the Web. However, I use the Internet a lot for many purposes and will keep on doing it. I can imagine the Web as a parallel and virtual reality in which, like in the 'real reality', there is criminality and illegality. What I can do to be part of this online community and to defend myself from frauds is exactly what I would do in the real community. The main defence is knowledge. We need to get as much information as we can about who are dealing with, what are their purposes and how they operate. Secondly we need to know that there are tools and behaviours to prevent frauds. The Internet itself is a good source of information on prevention, (see for example this site).
Finally, we should always use our critical sense and our experience. Indeed, the more we get acquainted with the Internet, the more we learn to recognize what is unreliable and dangerous.

1 commento:

  1. Hi Francesca!
    What's up?
    First of all, I really like the title of this post!
    Then, I agree with you when you say "What I can do to be part of this online community and to defend myself from frauds is exactly what I would do in the real community". I think this is true. The Web is a worldwide online community and we should be able to focus on the risks as we do in our everyday society to be able to protect ourselves.
    As far as the language is concerned: run into identity theft, which is called
    *'this week we tried?: I think you probably mean 'last week'... Moreover, I don't know if you can use the simple past when the moment you're referring to is not finished yet... I don't know.
    *'...the crime identity theft which is called Internet Fraud when it is made through the Web': I think it is not so clear what you want to say, so let's try to simplify and maka it more clear! I think you can write, for example, ' identity theft called Internet Fraude when...'. Moreover, since identity theft is a crime, I think you should use 'committed' instead of 'made'. BTW, take everything with a grain of salt,I'm not so good at grammar....
    *'attentive users': I think attentive means 'listening carefully'(see: CAmbridge Dictionaries Online). Maybe you can replace it with 'responsible'.
    *'everybody know': knowS
    *'I use the Internet a lot for many purposes': I think you should add 'and' between 'a lot' and 'for many' to make the sentence more clear.
    *'Secondly we need': 'secondly, we need..'.

    Ok, I think that's all for this week!
    See you soon in class!

    Elisa

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