Betty teaches you the importance of keeping your OFFLINE identity separate from your ONLINE identity
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.
A stumble may prevent a fall
- English Proverb
Tea and crumpets
Interests:Chatting, macrame, collecting teacups
August 19 2008
Safe Online Communication: Online/Offline friends
Sometimes it's very difficult to tell if someone is really telling you the truth in Cyberspace. People can hide behind a false identity, and some are so good at it that they can trick you for months, even years. You may be so convinced that the person you are chatting with is a kid just like you, and that you’ll be perfectly safe if you meet up with them offline to go get ice cream. But some kids who have been just as convinced have gotten themselves into some very dangerous situations.
Like Kacie Rene Woody, a 13-year-old girl who was kidnapped and killed by a man she met in an Internet chat room, a 47 year old man whom she thought was a 17 year old teenager. People like the man who killed Kacie are called cyber predators, and they frequently develop elaborate lies to try and trick kids into being friends with them and meeting them in person. Kacie believed the person she was chatting with was her friend, and that he just wanted to spend some time with her. Kacie's misplaced trust ended up costing her dearly.
My dear Cadets, learn from Kacie's story. If you have online friends, keep them as online-only friends. If you want to meet up with people to go get ice cream, only meet up with your offline friends, kids you go to school with or play sports with. Better yet, only chat with your real, offline friends in Cyberspace. You'll be much safer that way.
posted by Betty
topics: Safe Online Communication, Case Studies
June 24 2008
Safe Online Communication: Commenting on someone else's page
If you read my tip Personal Information: Check your friend's posts, you'll know that you have to be very careful and monitor what your friends are posting on your pages in order to protect your personal information. But you should also be very careful when you post comments on other people's pages and never reveal any of your personal information in a comment. Even if it's not on your page, it can still be traced back to you.
You also need to protect your friends' personal information as much as your own, so be very careful and never include their personal information in your comments either, not even their name. Even though you know your friends' real offline identities, you should still refer to them by their online identities, their alias, when in Cyberspace.
Also talk to your friends and share your cyber defense knowledge with them, so that they know what you're doing to protect them and what you want them to do to protect you in return.
posted by Betty
topics: Safe Online Communication
May 27 2008
Safe Online Communication: Your Away Message
If you're using chatting programs like Instant Messenger, you may already know how to set up an away message. This can be a fun way to let your friends know if you're not available to chat with at the moment, like if you are on the phone. But you have to be just as careful with what information you put in your away message as you do with all online communications.
You must remember that anyone can read your away message. You might as well be posting it on a billboard in the middle of town. It could be tempting to set up your away message to say you're going down to the ice cream shop, in case your friends see it and want to join you, but by doing that you're also letting every weirdo stranger in Cyberspace know exactly where you are in real life!
If you want to let your friends know where you'll be or what you are doing, just pick up the phone and give them a ring. Keep your away messages simple, like BRB for Be Right Back. Don't put any personal information in them, especially where you are or your phone number.
posted by Betty
topics: Safe Online Communication
April 29 2008
Safe Online Communication: Blogs
If you've been checking the monthly Ask Omni feature, than you should know that a blog is a personal Web site where you can post entries containing text, pictures, links, or video for anyone in Cyberspace to see. In fact, you're reading one right now!
Many people use their blog like an online journal and write about things they do, places they visit, or just their daily thoughts and feelings. While this can be nice because it allows them to share their lives with others in Cyberspace, it can also be extremely dangerous because blogs make it very easy to share personal information. Just mentioning that you like to visit the library can help lead a weirdo stranger to you, especially if you post about it frequently. The more information you reveal on your blog, the easier it is for someone to trick you or figure out how to hurt you.
Blogs also make it very easy for cyber bullies to hurt other people. Some blogs allow visitors to leave comments, but cyber bullies will abuse these and leave mean comments. Be careful not to turn into a cyber bully yourself, too! If you post rumors about someone or reveal their secrets on your blog, they can find out and be very hurt by your words. You could get into trouble with your parents or school or even lose your friendship. Some people have even lost their jobs or were not accepted to their top choice college because of what they posted to their blogs. You need to be very careful about what information you share in Cyberspace. It's impossible to take something back once it's on the Internet, whether you meant it or not.
posted by Betty
topics: Safe Online Communication
March 18 2008
Safe Online Communication: Only allow your real friends
Many online communications programs like Instant Messenger allow you to create a friend or buddy list, so you know when other people are online and available to chat. It can be very tempting to try and add as many friends as possible to your list. You may even want to add people that you haven't met in real life.
Be extremely careful about whom you add to your buddy list. Many weirdo strangers will try to trick you into thinking they are kids just like you who just want to make friends. Then before you know it, they're trying to get you to reveal your personal information or sending you malware! Real friends would never try to put you in danger like that. If you only allow your real life friends on your buddy list then you don't need to worry about it as much.
It's also a good idea to use password protection whenever you can, like for comments on social networking sites or blogs. Also, block anyone who isn't on your buddy list from sending you messages. If you ever get a message from someone that you don't know, you should tell a trusted adult about it and don't respond. It could be a weirdo stranger trying to trick you!
posted by Betty
topics: Safe Online Communication
February 12 2008
Safe Online Communication: Is he really 14?
Other people in Cyberspace can easily lie to you about who they are, especially if they are trying to trick you. That cute 14-year-old boy you think you are chatting with may not be so cute, may not be 14, and may not even be a boy! Even if someone is your friend in real life, you could actually be chatting with their older sister who is pretending to be them. Since you can't see or hear them, you really have no way of knowing for sure. You should always be careful.
If someone on your Buddy list or friends list whom you usually chat with is not acting like they normally do-sending strange messages, files, or Web site links-you probably shouldn't keep chatting with them. Whatever you do, don't share any personal information with anyone, even if you think you know who they are. Keep it personal and keep it Offline!
posted by Betty
topics: Safe Online Communication
January 15 2008
Safe Online Communication: Video Networking
Video networking is a new form of social networking that allows anyone to upload and share videos they make, copy or find. Also called video-sharing sites, video networks allow you to watch or link to videos and share them with anyone in Cyberspace.
Sharing videos online is just as dangerous as sharing photos. A video of yourself, your family, your house, or even your school play could be full of personal information. You don't want to share that online with weirdo strangers!
Video networking has other risks too, like video piracy and video bullying. Imagine having something embarrassing caught on tape, and the next thing you know, everyone at school has seen it! You could also come across a video of something that makes you feel icky or uncomfortable, or has threatening words or pictures.
Most social networking sites don't allow anyone under 13 to create a profile, and it's for good reason! Dangerous cyber criminals like to prowl on social networking sites looking for kids to trick or bully. It's best to stay away from them and stick to safe, reliable Web sites.
posted by Betty
topics: Safe Online Communication
December 11 2007
Safe Online Communication: Safe Online Profiles
I sincerely hope that none of you are lying about your age and signing up for social networking sites. When you are old enough to have an online profile, please be sure that it's a safe one!
You have control over what you put in your online profile, so be sure to give it some serious thought. It can be very tempting to provide as much information as possible, but remember how risky even the smallest facts can be? Just entering your birthday and zip code when signing up reveals your age and what city you live in. You're only a few more bits of information away from revealing your whole offline identity!
Before you click, check over everything to make sure you're not revealing any personal information. If you can't alter photos to protect your offline identity or personal information, than don't post them. Don't post anything you don't want your parents, teacher, or a weirdo stranger seeing. They can, and they will. Don't post anything that you're not prepared to have in Cyberspace ten years from now, it will still be there when you're applying to college or your first job and they will look for it!
I tell you, Cadets, it keeps me up at night sometimes worrying about you sharing too much personal information online. Just remember that when you post it in Cyberspace, it is stuck there permanently. Anyone in the whole world could find it!
posted by Betty
topics: Safe Online Communication
November 15 2007
Safe Online Communication: Social Networking sites
A social networking site is a Web site that brings people together in a central location to talk, gossip, share ideas and interests, and make new friends. They often allow you to create a profile, upload a picture, and allow your network or group of "friends" to view your profile or contact you. Most of them are free, and some popular sites are MySpace, Club Penguin, Facebook, Orkut, Friendster, Quechup, Xanga, Flickr, and Live Journal.
Social networking sites are extremely risky because it's so easy to communicate with others and post information. The most common risks are weirdo strangers who want your personal information, cyber bullying, identity theft, and malware from file sharing. Whatever you post will be available for others in Cyberspace for a long time, even after you delete it. You may as well have put it on a billboard!
Most social networking sites don't allow anyone under 13 to create a profile, and it's for good reason! Dangerous cyber criminals like to prowl on social networking sites looking for kids to trick or bully. It's best to stay away from them. Stick to safe, reliable Web sites, and always check with a trusted adult before signing up for anything on the Web.
posted by Betty
topics: Safe Online Communication
September 15 2007
Bulletin Boards
Another favorite hangout of mine is the bulletin board. I especially enjoy visiting the artist bulletin boards. There are some amazingly talented people out there and it is heartwarming to watch them encourage the people starting out to strive toward greatness.
Art is about practice. So is Cyber Defense. Remember to always think about your safety when you are online.