The social network Facebook, created by Mark Zuckerberg, has become second only to breathing for college and high school students, business professionals and professors.

All it takes is an e-mail address and curious stalkers-to-be are free to peruse any and all personal information that Facebookers post naively on the information super highway.

Both automatic firearms and prescription drugs boast safety locks and tops, but the question remains: is there a safety on the increasingly ominous Facebook?

Buried in the fine print of the login page, users can select the “privacy” link and browse through a variety of topics, including “Facebook Principles,” “Facebook’s Privacy Policy” and “Children Under Age 13,” which have been effective as of May 2007.

Prospective members under the age of 13 are asked to refrain from creating a profile, while those between 13 and 18 are asked to consult a parent or guardian prior to using the site.

The majority of Elon users are over the age of 18, but who do they turn to when Facebook becomes “Stalkerbook.”

Suggestions for safer Facebook activity include keeping your password secret and adjusting the privacy settings to accommodate your profile viewership.

Facebook also reminds users that the network is viewable to anyone with an internet connection: “Unless you’re prepared to attach something in your profile to a resume or scholarship application, don’t post it.”

“I think most users understand the importance of online safety, but I have noticed that younger and newer users are less aware of the dangers of providing private information on the web,” sophomore Caitlin McGuire said.

User traffic on Facebook has grown 272 percent in the past year according to the internet tracking system ComScore Media Metrix. Zuckerberg, who created the network while attending Harvard University, relates to the dangers and influx of users.

“People are learning how to use the site and what’s OK to share,” Zuckerberg said in an interview with USATODAY.com. “As time goes on, people will learn what’s appropriate, what’s safe for them — and learn to share accordingly.”

Research compiled by security company Sophos concludes that users are not sharing safely— 78 percent provide their current address to people they do not know.

“My sophomore year someone walked right into my suite and molested my roommate while she was in the shower,” 2007 alumna Liz Earle said. “Besides the fact that you should lock your doors, someone like this might have figured out where she lived based on her Facebook.”

Ron O’Brien, senior security analyst of Sophos, created a fake account and asked 200 people to be his friend.

Of the 200, 82 percent gave an open view of their profiles, 72 percent provided their e-mail address, 84 percent gave their birthdays and 87 percent supplied where they go to school and work.

“I only include my phone number and screen name in case someone needs to contact me but I make sure to keep all my personal information blocked from anyone who is not a friend,” McGuire said.

A social networking system like Facebook encourages creating new relationships, yet a friendship purely based on a rendezvous at the bar or what someone’s profile picture reveals about their personality isn’t what the company is aiming at.

A note to students wishing to find a future in the business world: do not post pictures, information or antics that are unfit in the eyes of a future employers.

Facebook account holders do not have to sacrifice their profile to be safe, simply removing a screen name or an e-mail address can protect an unsuspecting user from online harassment and inconvenience.

Limiting the home address field to a state name is another way to ensure that late night callers don’t come a-knocking.

Features Editor: Caroline Matthews - 08/29/07