Scenario 1  - Find Out Who the New Friends Are on MySpace

Problem

How can I tell whether my teenage son is using the Internet, especially MySpace responsibly? How do we know he isn't in any danger?

Solution

Go to the MySpace Report first and get an overview of who he is communicating with the most. Read the relevant email and instant messages; then, go to the appropriate snapshots to get a graphic view of the context. At any point along the way you might want to visit the actual web site and get more detail.

To review the MySpace Report:

1. From the Viewer, click the MySpace tab, and select MySpace Report.

2. Review  the various parts of this window:

• MySpace Accounts displays your son's account name (he may have more than one), and the MySpace email address and password associated with it.

• Click the View button under Profile to open your browser and jump directly to your son's web page on MySpace. You will see the photograph he has placed there, his description of himself, a description of who he wants to meet, his latest blog entries, and pictures of who he considers his "friends" on MySpace. Click on any of their photos to visit their web pages on MySpace. Click each button within the account to view the specific information you are interested in.

• Scroll down and take a look at the Top 10 Messages Received and the Top 10 Messages Sent. These lists contain the  MySpace name of the 10 people he has emailed most frequently, and the number of emails that have been sent to and received from each.

To read the relevant email messages:

If a particular email name catches your eye, or has a large number of messages:

1. In Top 10 Messages Received, click the View button under # of Messages to open a Search Results list in the MySpace Message window. All of the messages received from that MySpace friend are listed. Look carefully at the date and time, and Subject line for interesting or relevant information.

2. Click Exit Search Results to view all email messages sent and received on the MySpace Messages window. Messages to and from the particular MySpace friend selected in step 1 are listed at the top.

3. Click on any item in the list to view the actual message in the lower Content pane.

4. Repeat, if you would like, with Top 10 Messages Sent.

To read the relevant chat / IM conversations:

1. Select MySpace Chat / IM to see if there are any chat conversations with the same MySpace friend.

2. If so, click on of them to view the actual conversation in the lower content pane.

To view relevant snapshots:

1. Click Jump to and select Snapshots. The Screen Snapshots window opens with a snapshot close to the time that the email message was sent or received.

2. Click Next to view a succession of snapshots showing what else was on the screen around that time.

 Read Scenario Two.