What is Twitter? – Part 5:Twitter Safety Tips

Safety and Privacy are big concerns when using Social Networks.  This section highlights some safety tips and common sense suggestions which may help at home or at work when using Twitter.

Short Links

As Twitter has a limit of 140 characters most people use the URL shortening services which are very helpful

Nobody Willingly asks for this on Twitter!

but make it hard to see if the link is from a trusted source.  If you are unsure of the author of the update be careful it could be a malicious link to a virus.

When using Twitter clients like TweetDeck, turn on the “Show preview information for short urls” option. If you are using Firefox, you can use extensions like LongURL Mobile Expander. Another option is to use bookmarklets and scripts like Unhid and Untiny.

Twitter Spam

You will get people following you intent on sending spam, it is easy to block these people and report them using the Twitter spam account. Don’t follow these accounts.

Questionable People Online

As with any experience when meeting new people, show some common sense and be careful.  Do not give out personal details or meet someone you don’t know without someone else being there or knowing about the situation.  Act like you would with a stranger in the street, friendly but cautious.  If you have suspicions about someone delete them from your account, block them and ignore them.

Protect your Computer

Keep up to date with your virus software on your home computer, just in case you do hit a corrupt link.  AVG is a good free virus checker

Personal Information Online

You wouldn’t give personal details to a stranger in the street the Internet is no different.  When filling out your account details think what you include.  Do you really need to add exact location data?  It’s great to be a part of a community but if you really need to add your location why put your exact GPS your region could be enough.   Twitter has something called geotagging which shows your exact location if in doubt turn it off.

(TMI) Too Much Information

Don’t talk about private subjects, sexual or past events.  Everyone is watching including your boss, friends and family.

Twitter Applications – It is safer to use Applications that use Twitter OAuth and do not ask you to provide your Twitter password.

Be Careful with Random Direct Messages

Phishing attacks try to lure people to sites where they will be prompted for their username and password.  If you are not sure delete the direct message and block the sender.  Again use your common sense.

Avoid Being Impersonated

Twitter does allow Impersonation for parody. If you do find a Twitter account impersonating you in an illegal manner, send a web request on Twitter from the Support page and choose “Impersonation” in the “Regarding” drop-down.

Keep Up to Date with Applications That Use Your Twitter Account

Try to stay way from web-based applications that ask you to supply your Twitter username and password.  Twitter OAuth is a function that many applications use and do not ask you to provide your Twitter password.

You can check to see what applications are connecting to your Twitter account under connections in the settings page.

Regularly Update Your Password

Simple advice but to keep one step ahead of any potential security problems, like you would at home or at work regularly change your password.  If you regularly update and your old password is compromised you will be one step ahead.

Respect Twitter and Don’t Get your Account Suspended

Keep to Twitter’s Guidelines for Following Limits. Automated tools aren’t recommended  to tweet or follow and unfollow users but if you use these services beware. The rules to be aware of are:

• Following or unfollowing hundreds of users within a day can lead to account suspension.
• Keep within a maximum of 250 DMs per day and 1000 tweets.
• Plus you must have lots of followers before you can follow more than 2000 users in one session.

Almost like get rich quick scemes do not use services or applications that promise to get you “thousands of followers quickly”. These methods make your Twitter account seem spam related and can lead to your account being suspended.  Also lots of these methods attract followers with no real connection to your interests and in general are a waste of time and money.

If you have any additional Twitter Safety Tips suggestions please comment below or chat with me on Twitter @briancee1