How to Make Your Social Networking Sites Private

We all know that there are privacy settings on social networking sites that prohibit an unwanted interloper from viewing your profile. Yet that still leaves two potentially dangerous ways for a stranger to find you...the browse feature and seeing your name on a friend's page. A would-be sexual predator can browse through the students at a local high school and see your name and pretty face on his screen. Not all friends of yours may filter their add requests-- or they have lenient privacy settings exposing their information to countless people-- thus you may pique somebody's curiosity by the inside joke you left on Sarah's wall. What can you do to protect yourself?

Aside from the obvious methods of filtering new friend requests and blocking anyone who makes you feel uncomfortable, try 'masking' your identity. This is not dishonest or deceitful. It is a smart strategy that puts you at the helm of your online experience. If you take appropriate steps to conceal your details, then it is okay to be seen on friend's walls or the browse feature because it's not YOU.

Here are some of the best things to alter when it comes to your personal details:

First and foremost, change your name. Use a nickname or part of your name instead. 'Ramona Elizabeth Zanzibar' is a very uncommon name. She should opt for 'Dizzy Lizzie' or 'Mona Smith.' It's okay to use some variant of your actual name if you want people to know it's you, but avoid anything that's an obvious indicator.

Create a special email address just for social networking sites and use a fake name when signing up for it. Do not tell anyone about the new email so nobody can associate with you. This is advantageous because in this day and age, we use our email address for everything [mailing lists, discounts, general correspondence, academic and professional work, etc.] and it is very easy for a person to locate you on MySpace or Facebook if they have your email. An added bonus to this: your primary inbox won't be clogged with those obnoxious updates informing you that somebody posted on your wall.

Do not disclose your current school or occupation. It is tempting to broadcast your university so you can meet fellow students, but do not do this. You will meet more than enough people on campus and at various social events. If you think the only people who are browsing for students are other students then you are mistaken. As for your job, keep it off the internet. It is unprofessional and you do not want your boss stumbling across that photo of you doing a keg stand because of your link to the company.

Avoid listing your siblings and parents. If somebody is important to you then they'll already know who's in your family. Providing a direct link to their profile could indirectly expose personal information about you.

Change your default picture. Make it a nice photo of an outdoor setting or a funny saying. Don't put a picture of yourself. Strangers with malicious intent are less likely to go after a default photo of trees and a lake than they are an attractive young woman.

Finally, change your location. If you feel safe mentioning your state, that is your choice, but the less specifics, the better. Be exotic. You don't have to live in Meridian, Mississippi when you can live in Phnom Penh!

Of course it is entirely at your discretion the privacy controls you utilize and whether or not you wish to be discovered on social networking sites. Yet there are numerous safety advantages to being anonymous so I encourage you consider keeping your details from public knowledge.