After reading about recent controversies, I have decided to write a post about online safety here. To make it clear I am staying out of those controversies and have no opinion on what happened. What I do know, though, is that this provides us an opportunity to talk about how to post safely here without risking one's safety.
I'm writing this thread because I want to remind everyone on how to take precautions to be safe on the Internet. This is very important.
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Out here on the Internet it is like being in public. One of the most important things to remember is that there are bad people with less than honorable intentions in every community, even this one. Or there may be people from right-wing sites out there who may be trolling to harass people for being liberal or progressive. There are people who are more than willing to take an online disagreement into the real world. Whatever the case, as this community has well over 100K members, it is important to stay safe.
Here are some tips:
- Pick a username that doesn't give away your last name or your identity. I would strongly suggest that, when picking a username, not picking one that has any part of your name. Picking a username with elements of your first or last name makes it easy for someone with bad intent to find you offline.
- NEVER mention where you work. Even if you work for a very large corporation or organization that employs tens of thousands of people in offices spread out across the country, it is very easy for someone with bad intent to find out where you are. I've read about posters from other boards harassed at their work, which has put their employment at risk. So I would NEVER mention where you work.
- This rule applies especially to teenagers and college students, but NEVER mention what school you attend. I would not mention where I was attending school. Odds are that no one will try to find you on campus but giving that location puts you at risk. This is especially true if you have a username that gives away parts of your name.
- Although some employers don't care where you surf I would avoid looking at Kos while at the office. This suggestion depends on where you work, but I would not risk getting in trouble. Some offices may be very conservative or may have strict policies regarding Internet use. Generally, in my opinion, it's better to not mix politics with work. This one is a personal judgment call, though. In my opinion, though, you can wait to blog at home after work.
- BE VERY CAREFUL about mentioning where you live. If you have a username that has your last name it will be very easy for someone to find out where you live. Saying what part of the country you live in is fine or even your town is fine if you live in a very large metropolitan area. Otherwise, though, saying anything more could potentially put you at risk.
- IF YOU ARE A PARENT, DO NOT MENTION INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR CHILDREN OR FAMILY. I would be very careful about providing information about your children if you are a parent. Especially if you have information in your username that identifies where you live, where you work, where your children go to school, and so forth, you are potentially putting them at risk. It is very easy for some sick person to find out what school your children are attending.
(If you have children under the age of 18 posting here I would either supervise them directly or indirectly monitor their usage. Some may cry "invasion of privacy", but your children's safety has to come first. I would monitor who they chat with and email).
- ONLY EMAIL PEOPLE THAT YOU TRUST. If you choose to take a conversation offline or begin a personal relationship with a person on this site I would be very careful about sharing email addresses. I would first make sure that the person is trustworthy. I would also be very cautious with whom I correspond since you honestly never know who is on the other end.
- BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT GIVING YOUR PHONE NUMBER. I would only give my phone number to someone after having developed a long-term email relationship. I would not give my phone number out to people without reservation and without making sure that the other person is legitimate and safe.
- MEET PEOPLE IN PUBLIC PLACES! If you do decide to meet someone from this community out in public, do so at a public place. Make sure that you meet that person in a location where many people are like a restaurant or shopping mall. Or, if you are involved in a political campaign, meet said person at the headquarters or volunteer area. Do not go to someone's home immediately without meeting in a public place first.
These suggestions don't cover every situation, but these are good steps to follow. Again the vast majority of people that you will encounter here are generally good, upstanding people who have no intention of harming anyone. But like any public place there are people out there who will look for victims to abuse online. There are inevitably bad people out there. There are some people who will take an online disagreement into the real world.
So I hope that these suggestions help. Even though you're typing from your computer in your own home, keep in mind that you are still out in public.
UPDATE: I just made a couple of additions that I just thought of.