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Kiwi's Online Lives Exposed. - 16/Feb/2008

Stuff.co.nz
Thursday, 14 February 2008200802140500

Kiwis\' online lives exposed

The desire to reconnect with old friends has led to 1.3 million adult Kiwis turning to the Internet to reunite through social networking sites.

Numbers made public yesterday by Internet marketing company Nielsen Online show that almost half of New Zealand adults have created an online profile and 62 per cent admit to browsing other people\'s sites.

More than a quarter of New Zealanders have created their first profile in the past three months.

New Zealand\'s most frequented social network site, Old Friends - a Trade Me-associated site that boasts more than 1.1 million members - enables users to list their previous schools, workplaces and associations for others to view. They can upload photographs, organise reunions and list long-lost loves.

Trade Me\'s Mike O\'Donnell said they were \"delighted but not entirely surprised\" by the latest report, which put the site ahead of rivals Bebo, Facebook and MySpace.

The Nielsen report said almost a quarter of social network users spent more than five hours a week updating their profiles.

Social networker Krystiarna Jarnet, 25, belongs to multiple social networking sites. \"It\'s really good for seeing what mates are up to overseas and it means I can stay in touch with people I might have normally lost touch with.\"

Miss Jarnet said she was cautious about information she disclosed. The sites have been reported as being used for identity theft and fraud. \"I only accept people I know as friends.\"