欺诈是全球各大社交网站普遍面临的一大问题。为了应对这一问题，韩国热门社交网站Cyworld出台了一些十分与众不同的功能，譬如要求用户在申请加入Cyworld的同时证明自己的现实真实身份和真实姓名。这一要求在Facebook和MySpace等知名社交网站看来可能十分荒诞，却可以有效遏制网络中横行的诈骗问题。对此，Cyworld门户网站经理Lee Tae-Shin向法新社表示“Cyworld一贯以保护用户隐私著称，通过验证用户真实身份和姓名，Cyworld能更有效地保护用户隐私。“

cyworld

据游戏邦了解，在网络世界中，各种恶意的流言蜚语可以随着网络迅速扩散。2008年，韩国明星崔真实就由于网上盛传其私放高利贷而最终选择了自杀摆脱谣言。据韩国政府2006年的调查显示，85%的高中生经历过网络流言蜚语的压迫。

针对Cyworld的严密隐私策略，一位分析家认为是有利也有弊：好处是加深了“朋友”之间的紧密联系，而坏处则是不利于网站的拓展。然而，也有部分用户力挺Cyworld，他们认为Cyworld便于用户设置隐私保护，毕竟每个人总是会有一些不愿意与朋友分享的信息。

目前，创建于2001年的Cyworld社交网站在韩国拥有2000万用户，这一数据占韩国互联网用户的78%。

Cyworld便于用户们宣泄情感，发布观点。此前，奥运会花样滑冰选手金妍儿在同加拿大教练Brian Orser产生争执后正式通过Cyworld向百万粉丝解释其中缘由。

然而，占据主导地位的社交网站Cyworld也开始出现疲惫之势。6月份Korean Click的调查显示，Cyworld的韩国月活跃用户为2200万，Twitter为510万，Facebook为220万。然而上个月的调查显示Cyworld的用户数下降至1800万，Twitter和Facebook则分别上升至740万和670万。面对这一趋势，Korean Click表示希望本土的社交网站能通过引进游戏，与国外社交网站一较雌雄。

Cyworld也正有此意。两个月前，Cyworld融入了C-log和一些类似Facebook和Twitter的短讯息服务。同时，在Cyworld社交网站中，用户可以对主页面的背景音乐，墙纸，日志发表，图片和动画进行装饰，还可以通过Ilchon服务允许用户结交好友，并对别人的发帖进行评论，复制和黏贴等。

另外，Cyworld社交网站也有虚拟货币Dotori (chestnuts)，用户可以使用虚拟货币购买各种背景音乐或其他装饰类商品。目前，虚拟货币是cyworld社交网站实现营盈收的主要渠道。然而面对Facebook和Twitter的来势汹汹，Cyworld不得不加把劲啊！（本文为游戏邦/gamerboom.com编译，转载请注明来源：游戏邦）

Bullying is a big problem in the digital playgrounds of the world’s social networks. But South Korea’s top social networking site Cyworld is touting several distinctive features — including making people prove who they are in the real world before they can join their virtual one.

This might seem at odds with the whole ethos of social networks such as Facebook and MySpace, but it can be a bonus in a country where cyber bullies have posed a problem.

“Although I think new social networks will take up a certain portion of the Korean market, we are better known, more experienced and have strong privacy protection,” Lee Tae-Shin, portal manager at Cyworld, told AFP.

Cyworld, unlike many other open social networks, requires users to verify their real names and identities when creating an account.

“By doing so, we can protect the privacy of our users and we take the matter very seriously,” Lee said.

In one of the world’s most most wired societies, malicious Internet gossip can wield strong sway. Police in 2008 announced a crackdown on rumour-mongers, whom they blamed for the suicide of local actress Choi Jin-Sil.

Such rumours were also partially blamed for the suicide of actress Chung Da-Bin. A government survey in 2006 showed 85 percent of high school students were under stress from cyber bullying.

One analyst said the privacy policy has both advantages and drawbacks.

“Cyworld’s well-protected privacy allows a tight relationship between ‘friends’. But that prevents networks from expanding,” said Han Sang-Ki, a professor at KAIST’s Graduate School of Culture and Technology.

But at least one active user is enthusiastic.

“It’s much easier to set up privacy settings on Cyworld than on other systems and that is a huge advantage — because there is some information which I don’t want to reveal, like wallposts, to my friends,” said Kim Hoo-Yeon, 21.

Cyworld, founded in 2001, now has more than 20 million South Korean users.

It sees itself as the social network pioneer in one of the world’s most wired societies — with about 78 percent of the population connected to the Internet and some 66 percent of the total using social networks,

Cyworld is a bulletin board for complaints, opinions and even press releases for public figures ranging from Olympic figure skating champion Kim Yu-Na to top politicians.

When Kim broke up acrimoniously with her Canadian coach Brian Orser, she used her Cyworld homepage to explain her reasons to millions of fans.

But its dominance is under threat.

Research and consulting group Korean Click says that in June, Cyworld had 22 million visits a month, Twitter 5.1 million and Facebook 2.2 million.

Last month, Korean Click’s figures show 18 million for Cyworld, 7.4 million for Twitter and 6.7 million for Facebook.

Despite the trend, Korean Click says it expects domestic social networks to raise their game and compete more dynamically.

Cyworld is trying to do just that. Two months ago it introduced the C-Log, incorporating some features of Facebook and a Twitter-style short message service, to meet the competition.

“It will be an interesting competition. We will do our best,” said portal manager Lee.

Cyworld, part of the Nate portal provided by SK Communications, boasts several distinctive features apart from just privacy.

Users can decorate their homepage with background music, wallpaper, postings from diaries, pictures and video footage.

A service called “Ilchon” allows users to become friends and to comment on, or cut and paste, each others’ postings.

Cyworld also has an online currency called “Dotori” (chestnuts). Users purchase the online currency and use it to buy background music and other items to decorate their homepage.

Dotori transactions at Cyworld are worth more than 250 million won (220,000 dollars) a day, a major source of profit for SK Communications.

Professor Han says that although Cyworld has more visitors now by far, Twitter and Facebook are catching up fast.

“And at this speed, they might catch up soon,” he told AFP.

“About the success of C-Log, we’ll have to wait and see.’ （Source：google）