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Online Credibility |
Online issues of confidence-building today involve not only the seller, but also the transaction itself, the electronic exchange of data. People are afraid (reasonably so) to use their credit cards for online purchases. This problem is being addressed by banks, credit card companies, and internet service providers who are creating secure sites, guarantees, and repeated notifications ("AOL will never ask you for your password.") to insure safety and to build confidence.
Make your shopping safe:
(Hints from Verizon.com)
• Be sure you're using a secure server before you enter credit card
information online. If you are using a secure server, the address should
start with https (not http), and a closed padlock should
appear in the status bar at the bottom of the screen.
• Compare prices before buying. If the price is outrageously
low, your item may be refurbished or used.
• Check the ratings of other customers. Sites such as Epinions,
CNET and BizRate aggregate the best prices of various retailers, and
include customer reviews, so you can get an unbiased opinion before you
buy.
• Use companies you are familiar with. Anyone can open an online
store in minutes and be gone tomorrow. If you are unfamiliar with the
store, look for a contact address at a physical location, check for a
return policy, and check to see if there have been complaints filed with
the Better Business Bureau.
• Print and keep information about your order, as well as other information
you may need, such as return policies, company information, specific product
information and warranty information.
• Check the return policy before you order so you will know what
to expect before you order. Some companies offer no refunds or returns,
or charge a "restocking fee"—something good to know before
you do business with them.
• Use credit cards, not debit cards. The Fair Credit Billing
Act in most cases limits your liability for credit card charges you didn't
make to $50, and allows you to protest a credit card charge if you don't
get what you ordered. Debit cards are not covered by the Fair Credit
Billing Act.
• Trust your instincts. If it sounds too good to be true… it
probably is!
Invasion of Privacy: Identity Theft
People also fear an invasion of privacy because of the computer's ability to compile data, combine it with other lists. Currently, the legal use of this data is mostly commercial, for precise targeting of potential audiences.
In the future, who knows? In the movie "Minority Report" (2002), as Tom Cruise's character walks by the billboards and into stores, he is greeted automatically by billboard advertisements speaking his name and making references to his previous purchasing habits.
But, many critics fear misuses of such gathered information, not only by commercial persuaders, but also by social and political persuaders. Such privacy and confidentiality issues are now world wide, needing more attention by our laws and lawmakers. Illegal use is currently the main threat.
By 2006, reporters noted the major problem of identity theft from kids:
"Increasingly, thieves are targeting those too young to file a tax return, get an auto loan, or even own a credit card... making that demographic the fastest-growing target for identity thieves. College students and young adults ages 18 to 29 make up 29 percent of those filing complaints.... Part of the reason is that in 1989, the Social Security Administration implemented the "Enumeration at Birth" program, letting parents automatically register for an infant's Social Security number as part of the birth registry paperwork. The program has increased the number of registrations for infants. "Now they're reaching the age of using credit cards, getting loans, and they're saying 'Wait a minute ... someone's using my number.' " (More)
For common sense tips --e.g. never use a credit card on any site which is not encrypted, or at any "public place" (libraries, internet cafe); never give out personal information in chat rooms or e-mail; be suspicious of all spam, etc. -- see the current recommendations to prevent identity theft .
Sexual Predators Online
With the increasing use of chat rooms and websites such as MySpace.com (which has over 45 million users) has come a great deal of predatory behavior by adults seeking to deceive, lure, and seduce children and teen-agers. Read and heed the Warnings and Safety Tips. For example:
MySpace.com makes
it easy to express yourself, connect with friends and make new ones, but
please remember that what you post publicly could embarrass you or expose
you to danger. Here are some common sense guidelines that you should follow
when using MySpace:
* Don't forget that your profile and MySpace forums are public spaces.
Don't post anything you wouldn't want the world to know (e.g., your phone
number, address, IM screens name, or specific whereabouts). Avoid posting
anything that would make it easy for a stranger to find you, such as where
you hang out every day after school.
* People aren't always who they say they are. Be careful about adding
strangers to your friends list. It's fun to connect with new MySpace friends
from all over the world, but avoid meeting people in person whom you do
not fully know. If you must meet someone, do it in a public place and
bring a friend or trusted adult.
* Harassment, hate speech and inappropriate content should be reported.
If you feel someone's behavior is inappropriate, react. Talk with a trusted
adult, or report it to MySpace or the authorities.
* Don't post anything that would embarrass you later. Think twice
before posting a photo or info you wouldn't want your parents or boss
to see!
* Don't mislead people into thinking that you're older or younger. If
you lie about your age, MySpace will delete your profile.To learn more
please visit these other resources: *
Netsmartz.org | | | | | *
SafeTeens.com
Safe Blogging Tips for Teens
from www.blogsafety.com
* Be as anonymous as possible. Avoid postings that could enable
a stranger to locate you. That includes your last name, the name of your
school, sports teams, the towns you live in, and where you hang out.
* Protect your info. Check to see if your service has a "friends"
list that allows you to control who can visit your profile or blog. If
so, allow only people you trust. If you don't use privacy preferences,
anyone can see your info, including people with bad intentions.
* Avoid in-person meetings. Don't get together with someone you
"meet" through a blog unless you are certain of their actual
identity. Although it's still not risk-free, if you do meet the person,
arrange the meeting in a public place and bring some friends along.
* Photos: Think before posting. What's uploaded to the Net can be
downloaded by anyone and passed around or posted online pretty much forever.
Avoid posting photos that allow people to identify you (for example, when
they're searching for your high school), especially sexually suggestive
images. Before uploading a photo, think about how you'd feel if it were
seen by a parent/grandparent, college admissions counselor, or future
employer.
* Check comments regularly. If you allow them on your profile or blog,
check them often. Don't respond to mean or embarrassing comments.
Delete them and, if possible, block offensive people from commenting further.
Another credibility issue is the basic reliability of any online information.
Rumors, lies, errors can quickly spread on the Internet. We need a constant awareness of the problems of trustworthiness, credibility, and reliability. (Rumors can often be checked at the Urban Legends page, a site with an interesting background.)
Good looking web sites, with their visually appealing "high production values" can create the illusion of expertise: a situation of style over substance. Some "cool" sites (in terms of graphics) have major problems (in terms of logic) with their information and ideas. The sharks are out there: the frauds with intent to deceive, the playful playing "practical jokes," and the crazies.
Yet, the legitimate seller, the honest corporation, the sincere advocate, persuaders all, still have the rhetorical need to create a sense of trust in the audiences they address. Who can you trust?
Consumers Report Webwatch, the long-established, trusted authority offers up-to-date reporting on such credibility issues, and Stanford Web Credibility Research site offers guidelines to website creators to increase credibility: WebCredibility.org
Another interesting aspect relates to the credibility of "Sponsored Links" (paid ads) presented by online Search Engines. At first, the best locations were simply sold to the highest bidder. Then, Google "tamed the ads on the wild,wild, web." by clearly identifying the paid ads as "Sponsored Links."
Abuses exist. Predators exist. In online commercial ads, and in information and news, the problems of credibility and reliability will not go away. We need a healthy skepticism.
The receiver of messages -- the buyer, the citizen -- still has the need to be both open and wary, to avoid the extremes, either of trusting everyone or trusting no one.
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