Privacy rant.

I missed an entire summer's worth of blogging. There hasn't been much to add that I would add and all the eventful happenings of the summer I won't advertise. Blogs may be about writing what happens in your life, but even with a private blog there is no guaranteed safety with the internet. Plus I'd rather tell my friends then write a blog about everything since friendship is much more important. I think people tend to forget that in a way since the world revolves around technology and staying connected through sites like facebook and blogging, and we all tend to rely on them to stay in touch.
It's all well and good to stay in touch, but when you only intend on being friends with someone via the internet then it is more a friendship with the computer than with the person. Skype is probably the best way to stay in touch with someone since you can have a video chat with them and see the person you are speaking with. Even if they're not next to you they're still there face to face. It makes lying to someone harder and closing the gap between friends who are worlds apart easier. However video chatting with someone you've never met in person poses many threats, including chats that turn sexual when it is not warranted.
Being friends with someone through the internet that you've never met is a bit scary. Pen pals in different countries are fun to have, but there is also a lot of danger since you don't really know who you're talking to, and people have a tendency to reveal personal information that could lead them to be harmed.
Facebook now offers a feature where your phone number is now available for your friends to see. Luckily it can be disabled, but it is extremely scary since people will now be able to get in touch with those who don't know each other. Stalkers can now get in touch with the person they're stalking. Minors can be preyed upon even more by pedophiles and rapists. Facebook is a great way to stay in touch, but it is getting out of hand when something so personal can be published on the internet. There are people who I personally do not want to have my phone number. Standard features such as this are robbing users of their right to privacy. If it hadn't been for my friends (whom I spend time with outside of facebook posts) then I would not have been aware of this feature. How many people have not been aware of this feature? How many minors have personal contact information publicized for the world to see?
Speaking about your personal life through blogging is the decision of the individual, but I would strongly caution those who do to maintain a level of privacy so strangers cannot contact you outside of a blog comment. Be aware that when you publish a blog post online there are people reading this- not just a computer. Make sure you can have the option of making your profile and blogs private or public.