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The Internet is ever
growing. More people online means more people to meet.
Wherever you click to, you'll find a discussion board, a
forum, and a poll to voice your opinion, something to
join and be a part of. All this leads to interaction
with others online. How can you maintain your privacy?
How can you protect yourself from the "cyber stalkers"
that can terrorize online buddies, email friends and
dating service love interests?
Follow the aLoveLinksPlus.com 5 Rules For Online Safety
and you will not easily fall victim to harassment online
and "cyber stalkers".
Rule #1:
Always use an anonymous web based email address to sign
up for anything online! E-mail services such as
available at Hotmail, Yahoo, " Free dateme Email" at
http://www.alovelinksplus.com/email.htm and
others allow you to send and receive email without
revealing any personal information. The email address
that your Internet Service Provider (ISP) gave you,
surprising enough, will send along with the email
message headers plenty of personal information
describing your location, your ISP, sometimes even your
real name. Do you want this information going to
somewhere you've just joined online or on a forum or
discussion list where you just voiced your opinion? Are
you ready to have your personal and private email
address published on a web page for anyone to see and
send to you email you aren't prepared for (spam)?
You can protect yourself by using free web based email
service addresses for any program, club, dating service,
newsletter, discussion list, forum or anything else that
requires an email address from you. Of course, the
beginnings of protecting yourself starts with signing up
for an anonymous email service using your ISP given
email address to begin with. Look for a service that
provides forwarding of email messages to your ISP email
address. This way, should you change ISP's you can
change your forwarding address only, and not have to
email everyone you know about your change of address!
www.mail.com offers this service. Check them
out!
Rule #2:
Know your Instant Messenger Service (IM). Did you know
that some versions of IM's will expose your Internet
Protocol (IP) Address? These 10 to 12 digit numbers will
reveal who your ISP is and what your location is. With
"dial-up" Internet access, this is not too much of a
threat, as you receive a different IP address every time
you dial into the Internet. But with high speed access
being more available, if you have this type of access
you always have the same IP address. With just a couple
of clicks and the right program, someone can find out
your home address in under 15 seconds! Read the privacy
information available on any IM service you are using
and understand how to protect your IP address, your
private email address and any other information that may
be displayed to someone sending you a message. Never
send or reply to a message from someone you don't know!
Rule #3:
Never re-use user, account or nicknames! Most services
will ask for you a user name, nickname, account name or
some other such identifier that you use to log in with
along with your password that is revealed to other
users. It is very important that with each and every
service you sign up for you have a unique user name
(identifier). If someone decides to give you too much
attention online, or starts "cyber stalking" you, you
should "move on" to the next service (after reporting
them and closing your account, of course). But, if you
use the same user or account name somewhere else,
eventually they'll find you again! And again! And again!
Rule #4:
Know the service you are using. Almost every online
service that asks for any type of personal information
from you will have a posted privacy policy. Take the
required time to read it. Make a copy of the email
address you need to report someone that harasses you
through that service. Save it with your user name and
password information, wherever you write that down. If
at any time you are uncomfortable about revealing
private information about yourself, leave the form
blank. If it is required information, contact the
company and explain why you do not want to provide such
information to them. Either you will learn more about
their privacy policy directly from them or not receive a
response at all. If you don't receive a response,
consider it a blessing in disguise!
Rule #5:
What to do if you become the victim of a "cyber
stalker".
Don't panic. Send an email to the service and report the
person that is giving you unwarranted attention. Include
details such as copies of emails and messages you have
received, their user name and other information you know
or have received. If the harassment has only been
through electronic communication (online), close your
account with the service where the harassment took
place. Get a new account name and email address from
your main ISP, or change ISP's. Cancel or close any web
based email services and IM services that you have used
to contact this person or that they have contacted you
through.
If the harassment has been offline as well as online,
contact your local police or authorities and make a
formal complaint and statement against that person.
Contact your local phone company and change your phone
number.
Remember, the odds are in your favor that the people you
meet are "normal" and will not harass you. But you can
never be too safe and that is what we are trying to help
you be, safe. Not paranoid, just safe.
These are the guidelines to follow to protect your
privacy so that the unthinkable will not happen to you!
This article is ©
2000 - 2002 cheerful
attitude web design,
http://www.aLoveLinksPlus.com
and Robert Lee. It
is available for
reproduction in any
format and for
posting on your web
site or for use in
your newsletter as
long as you maintain
this copyright
notice and send an
e-mail to
webmaster@alovelinksplus.com
reporting your use
of this article prior to publication
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©
1999 - 2007 Sheila's Kissing Booth
