Re:Can your online comments affect your credit?
by mbrubeck on Monday January 18, 2010 @02:10PM
(#1060589)
"I've skipped out on this social networking craze, and now I'm really glad."
Until the rating agencies' statistical models decide that not being on Facebook is correlated with high credit risk...
Re:Can your online comments affect your credit?
by jerf on Monday January 18, 2010 @02:52PM
(#1060665)
While I agree that is some worthy snark and I am chuckling, I would point out that for at least the forseeable future it is very likely to be the other way around, due to the fact that young people have worse credit scores (if for no other reason they've had no time to build them up) and Facebook will correlate with younger people for a while yet. (Certainly older people are on there; I said "correlate", not "be solely occupied by".)
Re:Can your online comments affect your credit?
by pavel_lishin on Monday January 18, 2010 @03:00PM
(#1060676)
So would you join Facebook, etc., if and when being on it is more likely to raise your credit rating than lower it?
Re:Can your online comments affect your credit?
by jerf on Monday January 18, 2010 @03:12PM
(#1060707)
There isn't much I could do to raise my current credit score without becoming fabulously wealthy, so, no. A hypothetical other me might consider it, but... remember, it's not just "being on it" or "not being on it", it's who you are friends with. The real problem isn't the direct effect on your credit score, the real problem is that if you're even thinking about your credit score when considering who to be friends with it distorts the entire experience, possibly to the point of ruining it. The net effect of everyone thinking about that is going to change the dynamics in a generally unpleasant way.
Re:Can your online comments affect your credit?
by bootload on Monday January 18, 2010 @05:51PM
(#1061009)
"... Until the rating agencies' statistical models decide that not being on Facebook is correlated with high credit risk ..."
Believable.
If you don't define your online presence you risk being defined by someone else. The worst case, identity theft or at best some reported or leaked half-truth bit of information leaked from someone else. The key point is control over your online persona ~ http://seldomlogical.com/2009/08/20/digital-doppelgangers
People like me have been saying that young people are going to learn that "letting it all hang out" is a mistake, but I sort of figured it would be a mistake for social reasons. I have to admit I never figured that your credit rating could be impacted. The second-order effects of that would rock the entire scene. If Facebook is wise, they will fight this, but this probably looks like a great income opportunity from their point of view.