/UCWE/ - Myspace.com is an online social-networking service that lets people set up a profile where they can share photos, music and chare their interests with other people.

According to myspace.com, they are the place for:

• Friends who want to talk Online
• Single people who want to meet other Singles
• Matchmakers who want to connect their friends with other friends
• Families who want to keep in touch--map your Family Tree
• Business people and co-workers interested in networking
• Classmates and study partners
• Anyone looking for long lost friends!

The site explicitly prohibits children under the age of fourteen from using their services. In their online safety tips (http://www.myspace.com/misc/safetyTips.html) they say:

“If you’re under 14, MySpace is not the place for you. Go away. If we find out a user is under 14, we will delete his or her profile. If you’re under 14, there are other sites better suited for you. If you see anybody on MySpace who looks or says they are under 14, let us know.”

While this site is fun and usually harmless, offline relationships can and do frequently start online. Pedophiles looking for young teens, married people looking for illicit affairs, con artists looking for victims have the same access as anyone else to these sites. Being basically anonymous, a user can lie about their name, age, gender, marital status, etc. They can even post phony pictures of themselves.

As a parent, a husband or wife You may be concerned about who your family members are talking to on myspace. So, how can you find out? Go to

http://search.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=find

and search for your family member’s profile or blog if they have one. One of alternate search boxes on this page lets you search for friends by Name, Display Name or Email address. If someone you care about has a profile or blog on MySpace you should be able to find it.

If you are really concerned about what your boyfriend, daughter or someone you care about is doing online, you should check out Online Investigation Network (http://www.onlineinvestigation.net). This company is a reputable online investigation service that lets you do people searches. You should be able to find any information that is available on anyone.