Opening your social network profile

There have been a lot of stories about what happens when you reveal your social network profile, especially your geo-location information. Probably made famous first with Please Rob Me which would post open Foursquare profile data, showing when you’re not at home. While it’s since been shut down, such information is still being used. The Girls Around Me app is getting media attention this week, which shows women in your area, with links to their online profiles.

I have no issue with using open profiles and geo-location, as long as you’re aware of the risks and making an education decision. If you’re not aware of the potential repercussions, you probably want to stay away until you’re better informed.

On all social networks, there are options to close your profile, so it’s not open for the general public to see. This applies to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Foursquare, for example. Try looking yourself up on each of these, see what you can find!