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MySpace websites can be created without only the use of solid background colors and text. However, this type of website is not likely to be very interesting. MySpace is an online community which is designed to be a place where members can make new friends, reconnect with long lost friends, network, share ideas or opinions or even meet potential romantic partners. This social aspect of the community makes it almost necessary for members to design websites which accurately represent their personalities. One of the easiest ways members can sow off their personality is through the inclusion of photos on their MySpace website. These photos may be pictures of the members or other photos which provide insight into the members personality.

Tips for Uploading Photos to MySpace

One of the most important things to remember when uploading files to MySpace is that these files may be seen by many people. This is especially important for those who are uploading pictures of themselves to place on their MySpace website. Members are not required to place a photo of themselves on their profile but many users do include a photo so those who visit their website have a visual image of the member. Users may place an embarrassing photo of themselves thinking only their friends will see this photo but in reality many other members and nonmembers may view this photo as well. This other members may include potential bosses, neighbors or others who might be shocked by these photos.

Parents of children who use MySpace should also exercise caution when allowing their children to post their photos on their MySpace profile. There are many harmful predators on the Internet and many of these predators are seeking young children to prey upon. Parents should carefully consider whether or not they want to allow their child to add a picture to their profile. Alternately, parents might recommend their children use a picture that represents a hobby of theirs or a favorite cartoon character instead of their own photo. When posting a picture of an object or character care should be taken to ensure posting the photo is not a violation of copyrights associated with the photo.

Uploading Photos and Videos to MySpace

Uploading photos to your MySpace account is fairly simple. First you must log into your account and then click on the links that says, Add/edit photos. You then receive a warning stating that photos which include nudity, violent or offensive materials or copyrighted images are not permitted. You are also given the option of making photos visible to only you or to everyone. You can then browse through your hard drive to find the desired photo. Photos uploaded to MySpace must be .gif or .jpg format and must be smaller than 600k. Once you find an appropriate photo, click upload and the photo will be added to your account. Once a photo is added you can create a caption for this photo.

MySpace members can search through existing video clips on MySpace to find video clips to add to their website. They can also upload their own videos for use on their website and for others to share. When uploading videos to MySpace, members should be sure to read the terms and conditions to ensure the video they are posting is permissible. Uploading pornography or other objectionable materials may result in the member having his MySpace account deleted.

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A lot of teens enjoy using the MySpace community to communicate with their friends, meet new friends or just to express themselves. Individuals who are over the age of 14 are eligible to use MySpace so there is a large congregation of young people who are creating and maintaining MySpace pages. However, teens that use the Internet to meet friends are possibly more at risk than adults who use the Internet for socializing and networking. This is due to a number of factors including teens being more trusting of others and unaware of the potential of harmful consequences and predators specifically looking for teenagers on the MySpace community.

Parents Need to Stay Involved

One of the best ways parents can help to protect their teens on MySpace is by staying involved in the childs life. Parents should be aware of whether or not their teen has a MySpace profile and if the teen has created a profile the parent should let the child know they will be reviewing the profile frequently.

Then parents should follow up on their vow to check the profile periodically to ensure the teen is not engaging in questionable activities or interactions. Teens who know their parents will be viewing their MySpace website are less likely to make poor choices when designing their website. Also, parents who view their childs MySpace website regularly will see the friends the teen is making and can put a stop to any potentially harmful relationships such as budding romance with an adult member.

Teens Should be Taught Internet Safety

Although the Internet is a great resource for teens and they can learn a great deal through socializing with others online, teens should understand the Internet can also be full of predators. The Internet allows users to disguise their identity if they wish to do so and as a result those who use the Internet might be putting themselves at risk when they befriend these predators.

Providing teens with basic Internet safety rules can help to protect them. Some of the rules parents should enforce for teens include the following:

* Do not give out personal information such as full name and address.
* Do not send photos of yourself without your parents approval.
* Do not agree to meet someone in person without your parents approval.
* Do not respond to threats or other forms of harassment. Instead report these occurrences to your parents or Internet service provider.
* Do not enter online areas which require additional fees without your parents approval and do not give out credit card information without your parents approval.

Offline Meetings Should be Chaperoned by a Trusted Adult

Teens who meet friends online may want to meet with their online friends in person. Meeting online friends in person can be a wonderful experience but it can also be dangerous especially in situations where the online friend has deliberately concealed his true identity.

The previous section mentioned offline meetings should not occur without the approval of the parents. Parents should not only approve all such meetings but should also accompany their teen on these meetings. Personal meetings should be arranged to take place in a busy, public location during daylight hours and parents should accompany their teen to these meetings to ensure their online friend was honest about his identity.

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Many users of MySpace tout the potential for advertising to be one of the most useful features of this online community. However, there are quite a few pitfalls to advertising on MySpace. Most importantly those who advertise on MySpace run the risk of finding themselves in violation of MySpaces terms of service and facing the consequences of these infractions. In addition advertising on MySpace can appear very unprofessional to potential customers. Finally, those who advertise on MySpace may become guilty of spamming. This article will take a look at these three advertising pitfalls and provide advice for avoiding these potential problems.

Violating the Terms of Service on MySpace

One of the most serious potential problems with advertising on MySpace is violating the terms of service outlined by the administrators of MySpace. This is significant because members who are found to be in violation of these terms of service can have their websites deleted and may be banned from the community. The terms of service should be reviewed carefully to determine which types of activities, in relation to advertising, are permitted and which activities are prohibited. Special attention should be paid to the section of the terms of services which specifies member websites are not to be commercial in nature. It might be necessary to contact MySpace directly for ask for clarification of this section and additional information on what constitutes a commercial website.

Appearing Unprofessional

Another potential pitfall to advertising on MySpace is appearing unprofessional. MySpace websites can be created very quickly and easily through available templates. This may result in some members becoming overly anxious to start advertising immediately. When this happens the members may be sloppy in their design and may create a website with many errors which does not present a professional appearance.

Additionally, MySpace is a rather relaxed community where members often use slang or abbreviations haphazard. This practice can also create an unprofessional appearance which may alienate some potential clients. Also, MySpace members must consider the comments left for them by other members of the community. The individual who maintains the website should understand the comments left for them are considered by others to be a reflection of them. Therefore those who do not think highly of the comments left on your website are not likely to think highly of you or your business either. For this reason care should be taken to maintain a lee of control over the comments left for you. This can be done either by not allowing comments at all or by only allowing comments that receive your approval to appear on your website.

Engaging in Spamming techniques

One of the most dangerous pitfalls those who advertise on MySpace might encounter is spamming. Before advertising care should be taken to review MySpaces policy on spam to ensure the advertising techniques you are using are not considered to be spam by MySpace. This is important because those who are found guilty of spamming may have their account and website deleted. They may even be banned from creating a new account in the future.

Also, potential customers are not likely to think highly of a business that they view as engaging in spamming techniques. These customers are likely to purchase products and services from other providers who they believe run a more honest marketing campaign. Spamming can therefore be a very costly mistake for business owners.

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