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Court Knee: this scares me a little lol

Remember, fear is not necessarily a bad thing. Its presence serves to remind us where we may be vulnerable so it's wise to listen up when it speaks to us. Then again, sometimes we can become too fearful and this isn't wise either.

Should you never make a friend in cyberspace? Should you never share personal information with others? That depends. Just because there are untrustworthy people out there doesn't mean there aren't people you can trust. Do be discriminating however. Before sharing such information, ask yourself -- how essential is it that this other person know my real name, phone number, address, where I go to school, etc.? If they don't need to know, you don't have to share it.

You may however, choose to share it. If that's the choice you make it's probaby best to share that information discreetly, such as in a personal message as opposed to a public post. If you go back to the introductory post to this topic and review the links there, you'll be better able to take care of yourself.

It may also be insightful to go to any search engine and enter personal information about yourself within quotes, like this: "John Doe". Do the same thing with your phone number, address, school etc. Pay attention to what comes up because if you can find out that kind of information about yourself with just a few personal details, that means that everyone else can find that information too.

Naturally, if you're going to meet up with someone you have met in the online environment -- this is becoming especially popular for those seeking romantic partners -- you should choose a public place and ideally, a group setting. As a last resort, ensure that someone who cares about you knows where you're going, who you're meeting, and your basic schedule.