Computer and internet briefs 2

Jan 15, 2012, 3:06 GMT

Avoid posting private messages publicly on social networks

Berlin (dpa) - The last place you want your private messages to friends and family to appear is out in public on a social network. That's why users of Facebook and other social media websites need to weigh each posting carefully: should it be viewable to everyone who visits the friend's page, or should it be sent as a private message?

Many messages that make it public should have remained private, since they are embarrassing for the recipient and can even be damaging to a reputation. Worse, many such messages either cannot be deleted, or can only be removed with a lot of difficulty.

Before posting, consider whether the message could be read by outsiders or found by a search engine. That applies doubly so to private pictures, which are often uploaded without a second thought from smartphones. If other people, aside from the owner of the picture, appear, their permission should be obtained before posting.

Tick marks tell who's true on Twitter

Berlin (dpa) - Twitter users probably find themselves wondering regularly such thoughts as: am I really following Lady Gaga, or just someone who says they are Lady Gaga?

With Twitter and Google+, you can tell the genuine article by a tick mark behind their name. That means their identity has been confirmed by the network. On Twitter, it's a white tick mark in a blue circle. On Google+ it's a dark gray tick in a light gray circle. But that doesn't automatically mean feeds without a tick mark are frauds, because it's not a designation users can request.

'Generally, we check in with people and websites who, by our judgment, would benefit from this kind of verification,' says Google+. Twitter also verifies 'some reliable sources.'