Starting your MySpace life is
as easy as filling out a form online in order to reserve your space. From
there you just pick a name for your space, put up as much or as little
information as you like and you’re done. Some people keep the space to
themselves; others find it amusing to gain one million plus “friends.” We’ll
get more into the details and show you step-by-step how to set up a site, but
first, you must reserve your space!
Your first step is to join
MySpace and reserve your little nook of space in this “me me me” online world.
Go to MySpace.com and click the <Sign Up> link in the upper right hand
corner. Signing up involves filling out a pretty basic form that asks for your email
address, first and last name, password, county, zip code, gender, date of
birth, the option to keep your birthday private or public (displayed on your
site), preferred language (English, German, French), acknowledgement that you
read the terms of use and privacy policy, and a verification code. If you’ve
never entered a verification code on an online form before, carefully examine
the letters and numbers, and then enter them into the verification box. Enter
items exactly as you see them, including upper and lower case letters. All fields
on this form must be filled out, or you cannot proceed.
If you hit the <Enter>
key and receive a message that says, “error processing your request,” go back
and check your information and try again. Please note that if you need to make
corrections to the form, and you previously requested that your birth date and
age be kept private, you will have to reselect the option as the page defaults
to making this information public. You will also have to reenter the
verification code.
While the form is not elaborate,
please pay close attention to the answers you provide as the personal
information will be displayed. Be sure to read the privacy policy by clicking
the link to the right of the form that says, Privacy Policy.
Your password is needed to gain
access to your MySpace site, but making a password too obvious (i.e.
CindyJones896) only invites trouble. We’re not trying to create hysteria, but
caution needs to be exercised when selecting a password. There are some very
sophisticated hackers out there who use software to “crack” passwords. The
more difficult you make the password the harder it will be to guess. However,
if your password is obvious (i.e. noahsmom23), you’re inviting space invaders.
When less than desirable people have access to your password, and later your
MySpace page, he/she/it can pretend to be you and send hundreds of emails,
pictures, or even blast your personal information to millions of online users.
It sounds terrible, but you can take measures to prevent this.
The good news is that MySpace does have some initial security
measures in place and if your password includes your first name it will be
rejected. A fun and addicting way to develop a strong password is to choose a
song, quote, or movie title and then translate that into a password using a
mixture of letters, numbers, and symbols. Start by using a phrase not normally
associated with you, your region, or age bracket. The movie Urban Cowboy with John Travolta normally isn’t paired with the
twenty-something crowd, so we’ll use “Sissy” and “Bud”’s movie as inspiration.
In password code, this movie translates to eR&B!Nk0?wbY. That is an
example of a very strong password.
Some other tips for creating a
password include:
· Choose a password that is unique only to your MySpace account.
Never use one password for everything (email, Internet, ATM, site log-ins,
etc.)
· Create a password with at least eight characters that contains
both upper and lower case letters, numbers, and symbols.
· Leave all personal references out of your password. This
includes birthdates of you or loved ones, your name, address, phone or social
security number, or other personal preferences that are identified with you.
Remember, your MySpace page will have quite a bit of information about you if
you choose, so avoid using any of those in your password.
· Avoid using words in your password (i.e. jane879 or Chitown9078).
· Protect your password. It doesn’t matter how secure your password
is if you share it with others. Never give your password out or write it down.
Click here to discuss this article.
