Internet Safety – It’ s not always what you think. Joseph Baxley
Southcentral Katahdin Hair Sheep Association 8
Internet Safety – It’ s not always what you think. Joseph Baxley
The first thought that probably comes to mind when someone mentions“ internet safety” is don’ t put your personal information out on the world wide web. Although, that is very true, internet safety can also refer to not trusting or believing everything that you read on the internet. More specifically, you shouldn’ t believe everything you read on social media. Judging from the responses and rhetoric at the annual SCKA meeting in Mississippi, social media is a hot topic and elicits very opinionated responses from both sides of the issue. This article is not being written to antagonize or kindle those arguments, but to warn social media users of some hazards and pitfalls to look for. No one can deny the way social media applications have transformed the way we communicate, advertise, and network. Most successful large and small companies now employ a social media specialist in their IT departments. Numerous universities across the nation are now offering Social Media Marketing Degrees to fill the void of this evolving technology. With all the positives that organizations and individuals can reap from social media, there is a dark side. Like any technology or tool, social media can be very good or very bad. A pistol can be a fun hobby or be used to commit horrible crimes. Social media and the pistol have one thing in common; the difference between good and bad depends on the user. There are a lot of knowledgeable and helpful users on Facebook that can be a real asset to you in time of need. They can be contacted when you have a sick animal, questions on husbandry, sales of breed stock and more. Unfortunately, it seems for every one of those“ good users” there are two bad users. So how do you know the difference between good information being given to you and bad information? That’ s the easy part.
Get off your hind quarters and do some research and verification on your own and EDUCATE yourself. Too many times, breeders, especially new breeders, go to social media groups and ask questions without doing their homework first. Don’ t trust everything that you read on the internet or social media. Contrary to popular belief, it’ s not all true. Verify information that you receive on social media for accuracy. Where do you go and what do you do? Here are some suggestions and pitfalls to avoid:
� Call or email an experienced successful breeder that you have come to know outside of social media. All breeders who sell you breed stock should be interested in your success and will make themselves available to you for support. This is our responsibility as breeders to further our breed and assist newcomers in becoming responsible and competent producers.
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Research product websites and brochures. Read the fine print on medications and products especially if you are being told to use them off label. Know what is in them and how animals react to those chemicals or minerals. Use online retail websites to read reviews on the product.
Research education institution resources and cooperative extension services. Read the studies on husbandry that pertain to your industry. Print them out and put in a notebook with tabs for quick reference in the future. Pick up or download brochures from the extension cooperatives around the country and organize them the same way. Read trade magazines and newsletters and save them for future reference.
� Discuss issues with other producers in your area, even if they may raise a different species of animal.