Using the Internet Safely For Seniors

allow users to create their own quizzes and surveys, but in most cases,

the sites are still making money from the answers.

Just by reviewing the types of surveys or quizzes you take, a criminal

may learn a great deal. Answering whether you’re Hot or Not or a

Fashion Disaster or Diva provides not only businesses in the fashion or

teen magazine industries with information, it also provides information

to a potential predator about topics that interest you. Some quizzes and

your answers are displayed on your social networking sites, which is

something to consider carefully if your site is publicly viewable —

because your answers may expose personal information to a criminal.

Quizzes and surveys on senior social networking sites are typically

more financially or medically invasive. For example, the information

from a medical quiz may be passed directly to pharmaceutical compa-

nies, online drugstores, or insurance companies. (See Figure 8-9.) After

answering a quiz, you may find you receive spam targeted to your med-

ical conditions or financial interests, or have a health insurance policy

cancelled.

Figure 8-9

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Chapter 8: Getting the Most from Social Networks and Blogging