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How many people did you invite?

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By Kristen Miranda - bio | email

CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) -  Everyone loves a party.  Especially a sweet 16 birthday party.  It used to be that you either had to call people or mail them an invite in the "snail mail" to get the word out.  Now you have convenient options ranging from sending emails, to sending electronic invites, and even Facebook.  But there are a few hidden dangers using these methods. 

Now there's a new concern, "what if I accidentally invite the whole world to my party?".  That's what happened to one young lady, when she accidentally invited the whole world.  Despite canceling the party online, 1500 people still showed up.  WBTV's cyber expert , Theresa Payton, explains.

FACEBOOK EVENTS

You can set up events and invite your friends and family on Facebook

HOW HER INVITE MIGHT HAVE GONE GLOBAL

When you set up an event, it defaults to "anyone" .  She might have thought that "anyone" was "anyone" in HER network and not the whole Facebook network.

TIPS FOR ANNOUNCING YOUR PARTY:

  1.  If you use email, do not send out a bulk email with every address.  Send the email invites  one at a time.  This avoids accidentally emailing a mailing list, It's a little more personal and less likely to get forwarded along.
  2. If you use an online invitation service, pay close attention to the invite and the settings for the service.  There is a reason why these services are free.  Make sure it is not broadcasting your party like an example invitation.
  3. If you post it as an event on Facebook, mark it private 

WEB RESOURCES:

For tips on how to have fun and stay safe online, check out information at www.nakedsecurity.sophos.com.  They keep on top of the latest consumer issues for using social networking and the internet.

For tips on privacy and sharing settings on Facebook, reference Mashable's page at:  http://mashable.com/2011/02/07/facebook-privacy-guide/ 

Now, our word for the week is:

DWEET This is slang in the Twitter universe when someone has one too many drinks and sends out a tweet.  Something to watch out for especially on holiday weekends or at celebrations.  So, don't tweet and drive or drink!