Are Facebook Groups Really Private?

Facebook is something which some people embrace with abandon. Others just don’t want to go there at all, for fear of privacy issues. Of those of us who do use it, many of us have joined a group or two. These are generally focused on a particular topic and are used to share information, photos, advice etc. They can be extremely useful and enjoyable. Goodness knows, there are plenty to choose from! But, some words of caution:

There are 3 types of Facebook group:

Public groups: The content and membership list can be viewed by anyone and found by search engines.

Closed groups: The content is only visible to members but the membership list is public. If you become a member, this news appears on your friends’ timelines and is shown on your profile. What you share within the group remains private...doesn’t it?

Secret groups: The content and membership list are invisible to everyone except members. Membership is by invitation only.

Members of closed and secret groups can share outside the group, so before you post anything, ask yourself how well do you trust every member of the group? Anything you share can, with a quick copy and paste or a screenshot, appear anywhere online in a heartbeat. The safest policy is to never post anything on facebook which you would not be happy to see in public.

Members of closed groups can add anyone from their own friends list without asking the group administrator, or even the friend they’re adding. They, in turn, can add their friends and so on. So, even a group that starts out as a small group of friends can quickly mushroom into something much bigger. How well do you know the other members of any groups you are in? Have you met them? Do you trust them? You should periodically check to see that you haven’t been added to any groups you weren’t aware of or don’t want to be in.

Before you post, stop and think. Don’t forget, it is very easy for people to create false online personas or even fake profiles. Not everyone online is who they may seem. Most people join groups for genuine reasons, but all it takes is one person with a personal agenda and your group is compromised.

That is not to say that you shouldn’t join groups or share in them. Just be careful.

Further reading:

Facebook Safety & Million Member Facebook Groups Gary Warner, Director of Research in Computer Forensics, UAB

How Private Are Facebook Groups Mark Davies, Social Tech Zone

Even Closed Facebook Groups Aren’t Private Dan Costa, PCMag.com

Facebook Groups: Double-edged sword for privacy Larry Magid, CNET.com

Gifted Students with Learning Difficulties: A Review

The contents of this post have been moved to giftedireland.ie

The Norm Can Blow It Out Its Ear

This post was written by Catherine Riordan in January 2013. It appears on another website, incorrectly attributed to a different author.

Gifted children eventually grow up, but gifted is not a term which adults tend to use in reference to themselves. It comes with many negative connotations and is something people expect you to grow out of anyway. However, gifted is just a term used, usually in education, to refer to those at the upper end of the intelligence spectrum. It comes with various traits, not least of which are the overexcitabilities or intensity.

The problem is that we all compare ourselves and others to the norm. Those who fall to either side of the norm are at risk of being perceived as "abnormal" when, in fact, they are just different to the majority. Below is a summary of a twitter chat which took place in January, including some great articles and resources. Many thanks to those who contributed!

The questions asked were:

1 Is there such a thing as a gifted adult?

1.5 Is there a difference between the characteristics of adult giftedness and child giftedness? 

2 We care that G&T children's giftedness gets addressed. What about G&T adults? Does it matter? Is adult giftedness as relevant as child giftedness in terms of cultivating potential?

2.5. Do you know any adults who discovered as adults that they were gifted? What is your experience of them?

3. Are gifted adults who adjusted to being an undiscovered G&T child lacking authenticity as adults?

4. What problems/issues are likely to present in undiagnosed gifted adults?

5. To what extent do undiagnosed gifted adults try to live their life through their children?

6. What do G&T children say about G&T adults?

7. What do adult friends of gifted adults say about them?

8. What would/should a gifted adult say to their 16 year old self?

9. What affirmations, if any, does your gifted self live by today?