SUGGESTIONS FOR CHAT/IM, CELL PHONES, EMAIL, AND PROFILES
Don’t forget in each of the following situations ALWAYS •
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keep all personal information private do not put private information in profiles don’t meet online pals understand that the person may be misrepresenting who they are use good screen names tell parents if there is a problem Chat/IM (“How to Keep Safe in Chat”) – this applies to all chat and Instant messaging, including the chats in games "How To Keep Safe In Chat." Chat Danger. 2004. Childnet International. 18 May 2006 <http://www.chatdanger.com/chat/safetyadvice.aspx>. • Learn how to save a copy of the conversation in chat. • For chats, think before you accept a private conversation. For IM, only include those you know on your buddy list. • Don’t reply to abusive messages. Don’t send abusive messages either. It’s best not to say anything on IM that you wouldn’t say to someone’s face. • If you are using an audio chat, use a voice mask to make your voice sound different. • Learn how to block people. • Learn how to report incidences to the company. • Don’t inadvertently give out your friends’ or family members’ information. • Log out if you find yourself in an unpleasant situation. • If necessary, delete your screen name and start over. • Viruses can be sent through these services in attached files, so always save and scan the attachment with your anti‐virus software before opening it. TXT on Mobile Phones ("How To Keep Safe For Mobiles") "How To Keep Safe For Mobiles." Chat Danger. 2004. Childnet International. 18 May 2006 <http://www.chatdanger.com/mobiles/safetyadvice.aspx>. • Only give your mobile number out to people you already know and trust. • Respect your friends’ privacy ‐ don’t give out their numbers without their permission. • Learn how to block other users. • Get your friends’ permission before taking pictures of them, and especially before sending pictures to someone else or to the Internet. Remember that as soon as you have sent them, you can’t control where they end up. • Look after each other and think about what you send to people. Remember when you text you can’t see the impact your words or images will have, or be able to explain them, so it is definitely better to show respect to people. • Never reply to text messages from people you don’t know. This includes spam. www.gacsi.org
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SUGGESTIONS FOR CHAT/IM, CELL PHONES, EMAIL, AND PROFILES
Email Safety Tips (quoted from "Safety Tips for Email Users") "Safety Tips for Email Users." Chat Danger. 2004. Childnet International. 18 May 2006 <http://www.chatdanger.com/email/safetyadvice.aspx>. • Only give your email address out to people you already know and trust – not to cyberpals. Be careful that your email address is not in your profile or on other websites where people you don’t know can find it. • Respect your friends. Don’t give out their email addresses without their permission – and never use emails to bully or manipulate others. • Keep a record. If somebody is bullying or harassing you via email, then keep the email and don’t delete it. You don’t need to read it, just save it in a folder, even your junk folder. It may help you to find out who is sending the messages if you don’t already know, and it will definitely make the situation easier to explain to someone when you tell them. Keep the email until you have discussed how to stop it with somebody you trust. And do tell someone about it. • Tell someone if you receive a message or messages that are bullying, or make you feel uncomfortable or at danger. Tell your parents, or a teacher or counselor at school. Even telling your friends can help. If the message or messages you have received are threatening or harassing then you should tell your local police. • Learn how to block/ignore people. • Change your email address if blocking doesn’t work • Have more than one account. Use a personal one for friends and family for example. If you have to give an email address for entering a competition or registering for a service, it is a good idea to use a different address to your personal one, as this may lead to you receiving a lot of unwanted spam mail for example. • Never open attachments from people you don’t know. Sometimes viruses might be sent unknowingly in attachments from your friends and family – check with the person who sent it if you are unsure about an attachment they sent. • Don’t click on any links in spam. You may risk having your identity stolen or being exposed to an inappropriate website. • Don’t forward spam on to your friends, no matter how threatening it is or what you have been promised. How to lessen the amount of spam you receive: ("Safety Tips for Email Users") "Safety Tips for Email Users." Chat Danger. 2004. Childnet International. 18 May 2006 <http://www.chatdanger.com/email/safetyadvice.aspx>. • Choose an email address that is difficult to guess, i.e. a series of numbers and letters. It is best not to have any identifying information in your email address, such as full name, age, or location. • Don’t put your email address anywhere on the Internet, in a profile or on a personal website for example. It is worth using a separate account to your personal one when entering competitions or other things online that require an email address. • Only give out your personal email address to family and friends. • Never reply to spam. Even if it says ‘unsubscribe’ or ‘Be removed from the list’ do not reply, as it may confirm your email address to the sender and you may get more spam! • Spam filters or junk mail filters can offer some protection by diverting suspected spam into a junk mail folder – ask your provider about this. www.gacsi.org
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SUGGESTIONS FOR CHAT/IM, CELL PHONES, EMAIL, AND PROFILES
Social Networking/Blogging "Blog Beware." NetSmartz.org. 2006. National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. 18 May 2006 <http://www.netsmartz.org/pdf/blogbeware.pdf>. • Use a generic email address (i.e. yahoo.com or hotmail.com… not atlanta.ga.com). • Make sure pictures that you post do not contain your location or personal information (i.e. car tag number, school name on clothing, etc). • Never post provocative pictures of yourself or others. • Remember that posting information about your friends could put them at risk. Protect your friends by not posting to your site or theirs any names, ages, phone numbers, school names, personal plans or locations. ("Blog Beware”) • Check the privacy settings of the social networking sites that you use: ("Blog Beware”) • Set it so that people can only be added as your friend if you approve it. • Set it so that people can only view your profile if you have approved them as a friend www.gacsi.org
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