There are various ways to use social networking for social good, depending on what an individual's passion is. For example, if one is interested in helping the cause against AIDS, they can use social networking to work with other people who share the same passion, but that they might not ever meet because they live in different cities or states.
One great way to use social networking in your own neighborhood is to help elderly or other people in your neighborhood who might need help, as discussed on fatdoor. This is a great way to get linked up with people who may need help in your neighborhood, because many elderly and people who need help spend almost all of their time in their home and you do not get to meet them and find out their need for help.
The concern I have is that dishonest people could use this to get connected to people that they are supposedly helping but are really trying to take advantage of, just like some people looking to take advantage of teenagers use myspace to find out about them and connect with them. So jsut like other social networking applications this one has a disadvantages as well.
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3 comments:
I believe most people have enough smarts to figure out whether or not one can trust another on the internet. We all agree we must be cautious on the internet, but at the same time we can trust that some sites, such as fatdoor and razoo have not yet reached the point of corruption.
intresting idea Abdul. I've never thought about helping the eldery in my neighborhood via social networking. It's true that some people might get the advantage of using the social networking to meet their hidden or baised intersets. but this is life people are not the same and always there is the bad and the good.
I read the fatdoor article as well and the "Neighborhood" Social Networking section sounded like something possible. Culture in this country has shifted significantly and neighbors no longer meet in their yards, no block parties nor are there many feelings of genuine joy and giving between neighbors simply because they have share a sense of community. If fatdoor's idea of neighborhood social networking is what we have to do to connect with people, then that's fine. The important thing is that we connect with people.
I also was wary of the social services suggested. If we can connect with individuals over the internet and identify a place to meet and greet, then people can determine what sorts of relationships they want to develop. No website wants to be held responsible for facilitating a dangerous encounter.
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