Betty teaches you the importance of keeping your OFFLINE identity separate from your ONLINE identity

Betty

Betty
Cyber Defender & Clubhouse Supervisor

Betty learned the hard way about sharing too much information online when rumors she had spread through her online blog upset some of her friends. Since then she has made it her goal to educate everyone about what information is inappropriate or unsafe to share online to prevent others from getting hurt.

As a Cyber Defender, Betty focuses on the most important information you should never share online, your offline identity.

Favorite Quote:

A stumble may prevent a fall
- English Proverb

Favorite Food:

Tea and crumpets

Interests:

Chatting, macrame, collecting teacups

June 24 2009

Summer Vacation

My husband and I are going to take a lengthy trip to Europe this summer for our anniversary.

I love taking a trip somewhere exotic every once in a while, just to purge my mind of all the stress and rejuvenate. I also love visiting different parts of the world to see how their daily lives differ from our own. Like the 2-hour lunch breaks in Europe, long enough to enjoy a large meal and even a small nap before getting back to work. Sometimes I wish we did that at the Academy!

posted by Betty
topics: Miscellaneous

June 16 2009

Safe Online Communication: Flagging/Reporting Suspicious People

I've suggested to you before, when you're searching for a safe social networking site or chat room, to look for one that gives you the ability to flag or report suspicious users if they are disobeying the rules. This is a powerful tool for you to help keep Cyberspace safe and secure, but it's also not something to be taken lightly.

If you see someone doing something inappropriate, such as bullying other users, posting offensive content, or violating the Terms of Use in any way, your duty as a cyber citizen is to report them to the site moderators. But, be careful and make sure you know they are doing something wrong, because if you're just goofing around or trying to get them in trouble you might end up in trouble yourself!

posted by Betty
topics: Safe Online Communication

June 2 2009

Case Studies: Graffiti Scandal

In Florence, Italy there is a famous 15th-century cathedral, the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, with walls covered in graffiti from tourists. Even though the cathedral is a historic monument, it has become so common for tourists to vandalize it by scribbling their name on the ancient stones that the cathedral actually has staff members whose sole job is to scrub off the graffiti. But, this local cultural tidbit didn't become global news until a Japanese tourist photographed graffiti in his own language and shared it online.

Suddenly, Japanese news reporters were scrambling over each other to discover more cases of graffiti. Online forums were full of furious people saying the tourists should be punished for their behavior. Online blogs and photo-sharing sites were scoured for more photos of graffiti, which were then distributed throughout the community. Because the vandals had signed their names on the building, it was very easy for people to figure out who they were.

A few of the students whose graffiti was discovered were expelled from school, while others had to return to Florence to remove the graffiti and pay hundreds of dollars for damages. Another culprit, a 30-year-old teacher, lost his job.

While I don't approve of the tourists' behavior, it is unfortunate that the entire country was in an uproar against a few individuals because of how easy it is to share pictures online and because they signed their full names. In this case, someone shared their personal information offline, but then someone else put it online and the situation rapidly blew out of control.

posted by Betty
topics: Case Studies