Much media attention has been given lately to the Internet darling Facebook. Potential offers from technology giants Microsoft and Google rate the value of Facebook at over $10 billion. The estimated 200,000 new Facebook members added each day dwarf, in significance, the staggering sum that companies would pay for a minority stake in Facebook. The age of online social networking is upon us and is not fading anytime soon, but with this age comes certain risks.

Social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace offer a host of opportunities for pinpointing advertisements-and people. Never has the Internet linked people so closely, so creepily.

Facebook poses some potential threats to users. There is the threat that potential employers will discover an applicant’s online profile and prefer not to hire that candidate on the basis of questionable photos or questionable entries under the “Interests” section. To protect the safety of individuals, Facebook provides certain security tools that can effectively hide an individual from the typical online sleuth. However, merely because information can’t be found on an initial search does not mean that any information-personal, public, private or otherwise-is safe online.

When information is posted to an online site, users must assume that their information is accessible to anyone. Private or personal photos on Facebook should be “untagged” if the user feels that the image is potentially damaging or embarrassing. This is common sense that is often forgotten as one becomes caught up in the furor of Facebook friendships.

Other pitfalls in online social networking include the tendency to use the site as a job-search tool. Facebook, MySpace and similar sites are not networks that should be reliably used for searching for employers, or for employers to search for workers. The sites are social networking tools, not intended for business, but rather for fun.

There are, of course, many benefits to joining an online social network-which may vary from the photo based Flickr to Blogger or to the more traditional MySpace or Facebook-including keeping in touch with friends (old, new and nearly forgotten). These networks are also quickly becoming great tools for law enforcement. Criminals are now being identified with the help of photos on social network websites, including Facebook.

While social networking sites are offering more opportunities for people to “gather” and chat about common beliefs, goals, interests and political stances, it must also be remembered that these sites are public. Every Facebook user should enjoy the reunion with long lost friends and the great time-wasting abilities that the site posseses, but above all else, users should think.