Social networking sites are growing up and becoming much more than glorified address books, says Bill Thompson.
About a year ago I asked my daughter, who was 15 at the time, if she would "ADD" me as a friend on MySpace so I could comment on her profile and be part of her online social network.
She refused point blank.
Not because she wanted to keep things secret, but because it would be unutterably naff to have your dad as a MySpace friend.
Recognising that she was right, I didn't push it.
She knows how to look after herself online - she's a member of the Childnet International children's' panel and helps write the guidance for other young people.
But yesterday she added me as a friend on Facebook, where she now has a profile too. Not only that, she has admitted in public that she is my daughter.
A brave step indeed.
In fact, I'm less concerned with her privacy now than I am with my own.
She's 16 and can look after herself, but now she has access to my online friendship network. Not only will she be able to see who I'm hanging out with, she'll also be able to send them all messages.
This is one of the big problems with Facebook, Bebo, MySpace and the other social network sites.
They bring the many different groups we all belong to into one online space, creating a "social soup" that encourages intermingling when most of us work hard to keep our friends, family and colleagues just a little bit separate, negotiating the boundaries with more or less skill.
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