The July/August 2014 issue of American Spirit magazine includes an article titled "Finding Family on Facebook." One of the genealogy enthusiasts interviewed for the story was quoted as saying, "If you refuse to engage with social media, you are putting yourself in the same position as people in the early part of the last century who wouldn't allow a telephone in the house." Several people reported connecting with relatives using Facebook (as well as other social media sites). They view their postings as "putting out the cousin bait." Here are some tips from the American Spirit article for "safety first on Facebook":

1. Never post your email address, phone number or physical address on your Facebook profile.
2. If you receive a friend request from someone you don't personally know and that person has only one or two pictures and only one or two friends, that person could be a hacker. Don't respond to the request.
3. If you get a friend request from someone already on your list, check with your friend before accepting the request. Some people maintain separate Facebook accounts for family or work or other organizations, generally using slightly different names and pictures. A second friend request might be an indication the person's account has been hacked.
4. You may want to consider redacting birthday information from Facebook for security reasons.