By now you’ve probably heard the stories of how school officials have taken disciplinary action after finding evident of questionable behavior on their students’ MySpace profiles. Some employers have even taken to checking out their potential new employees on MySpace before extending a job offer.
If you’ve ever been afraid that the wrong person might find your Myspace profile, then you probably would like to know how to make sure your profile stays hidden. So here’s my guide for how to hide your profile on MySpace.
Before I start, I just want to say that the best course of action is to never, ever post anything on your MySpace profile that could get you in trouble. By that I mean, no photos of underage drinking or any other kind of questionable behavior.
One college student at an ultra-conservative Baptist university found herself in hot water after posting photos of her and her friends at a dance. This doesn’t seem like a major thing, but dancing is strictly prohibited at this particular school, so it turned into a much bigger issue than the girl ever imagined it would. With that said, let’s get on with the how-to guide.
DO set your MySpace profile to private
This is the easiest thing you can do. The option to set your Myspace profile to private is located in your Account settings. What it does is make it so that nobody can view personal details on your profile unless they’re on your friends list. Pretty simple, right?
DON’T use your real name as your MySpace address
If your real name is Jane SnuffleWiffer then don’t make your MySpace address read http://myspace.com/janesnufflewiffer. This is the one of the first ways that people try to search for someone on MySpace. Instead, choose a unique combination of letters or numbers or some sort of screenname that doesn’t identify you. Some good examples are ‘greengirl271’ or ‘w9g0sa9’. It might mean something to you, but to an outsider it won’t.
DON’T register for MySpace with your real name
There is no rule saying that you have to use your real name when you register for MySpace. So if you’re worried about the wrong person finding your MySpace profile, then change your name! You can use your middle name as your first name, or even just an initial. Try substituting your mother’s maiden name for your last name. Or just use an alias.
DON’T register for MySpace with the email listed on your resume
If the email listed on your resume is the same one that’s connected to your MySpace, then it’s probably best to connect your MySpace to a different email address. Preferably one that you won’t share with your school or employer.
DON’T list your high school or college on MySpace
By listing your high school or college on MySpace, you are allowing anyone who knows this information to find you on MySpace. MySpace has a school search feature that makes it easy to track you down just by knowing your school name and grad year. Since this information is commonly listed on your resume, it’s a good precaution to just leave it off of your MySpace profile altogether.
Remember, it’s never a good idea to post anything on the internet that you wouldn’t want your school officials, employer or parents to see. But if you want to take extra precautions then follow these tips.
