Facebook For Spies!

     Wouldn't it be great if students were actually encouraged to browse Facebook while they were in class? Since between homework, class, and a possible part-time job, we probably don't have a sufficient amount of time to upkeep our social networking skills, or send pointless bumper stickers to our friends for hours at a time, Facebook in the classroom could actually be quite advantageous.....At least, this is the sort of idea that the FBI, CIA, and NSA have in mind. Top officials are encouraging employees, more specifically, spies, to log on to a networking site called A-Space, in which these government officials can share information, run ideas by each other, or just share opinions with other people in their field. This site is supposedly opening up a whole new realm of information gathering and sharing for spies. Crucial information, that we average citizens never get to hear about, could be shared in seconds...perhaps thwarting a potential security disaster. One caveat, however, is that the spies will have to have special security clearance, and a reason to visit the site. It seems to me, that that could cause a delay in the release of urgent information, but security of the site comes first, I guess. Another problem could be double agents; if a spy has access to all sorts of national secrets, what stops him or her from working for the other side? Or being bribed or blackmailed?....Integrity? Let's hope so. The last problem, which the CNN article failed to mention was about possible hacking into the site. Now, I don't know much about computers and how that hacking business works, and I'm sure that there's someone somewhere that could break into that site if he wanted to. It would only take a matter of time to figure out how to hack in, so the FBI, CIA, and  NSA would probably have to be extra careful about security, but I guess there's no need to worry since that's their job, right?

      And while it may be eons before professors encourage the use of Facebook in class, at least we know that our top security keepers have time to keep up with their social skills....