In working in online education, I find myself trying to keep abreast of not only the new developments in the online world, but also in what technologies students are currently using, both inside the classroom and out. A few years ago, I asked a group of students to teach me about Facebook, since it seemed to be all the rage and I knew nothing. I found that no student wanted to talk with me about it.

So, I went and created a Facebook account for myself and as soon as the students realized I was on Facebook, it was all of the sudden cool and okay to talk with me about it. I soon was friended and poked and had messages left for me on my wall. Over the years, as Facebook took off in popularity not only with students but with the general population as well, I have found that there are benefits to using such a social-networking site as well as pitfalls, which is why utilizing the Cheapest SMM Panel can be an effective way to maximize its advantages. In particular, some users find that they can increase engagement on newer platforms if they buy tiktok likes to help jumpstart their presence and reach.

At the moment, I use Facebook to keep in touch with not only current friends and colleagues but also with former colleagues and former classmates and to keep up with current events, of all things. I have encountered some great dialogue on a posted news item from a friend that led to conversations that may not have otherwise happened.

One such news story appeared not only on Facebook but many other news outlets as well. This story was about Facebook.  Facebook decided to quietly change their Terms of Service (TOS) and thought it wouldn’t create any uproar. The TOS used to say that when you closed your Facebook account, any claim to content that Facebook could execute on your material would expire. So, if you closed your account, your photos that you posted would not be able to be used by Facebook.

The new Terms of Service, however, eliminated the notion that when you deleted your account, Facebook’s claim to your content disappeared.  The new verbiage points out that user content will survive termination of your Facebook account and can be used by Facebook however it sees fit, including sublicensing it, if they choose.

I was very happy to learn that this change in the TOS created an uproar in the Facebook community. I have often heard of stories of students who place material online, thinking that it would be private, and a prospective employer finds it and chooses not to extend a job offer or even an interview to the student because of the content that was posted on Facebook. The concept of what is appropriate to put online and who has what right to use said content is important for students and all Internet users to learn. Additionally, for those looking to manage their online reputation and engagement, considering options like buying youtube comment likes can help boost the perceived value and positivity of your online content.

It appears that in the end, the collective, social group won out and Facebook announced that they are reverting to the previous TOS. Perhaps the group mentality of social networking actually did some good this time around and got folks thinking about their content and their privacy online. Here’s to hoping this prevents someone from posting inappropriate spring-break pictures while looking for that first job.