I like this article

Anyways, I find it kid of annoying the way ignorant people like to bash the internet for promoting shallow relationships.

Just the other day my step-sister and I were talking about facebook, she's in her late 20's, anyways she really likes facebook because people are more honest there. And the internet does make you more honest in a way because it's a lot easier to say what is REALLY on your mind if you are writing (if you are like me at least who finds it very easy to write online and not so easy to talk out loud). It is this sort of thing that has done the exact opposite of what people claim it does- places like facebook has actually brought a lot of friends and family members closer together.

[Shangrala]

The Internet can promote both, honesty and dishonestly, depending on who it is and what it is they're seeking online.

I have encountered both honest and dishonest people. It didn't take me long to understand the signs of suspicious behavior, which provided me the necessary tools TO avoid trouble. However, although it didn't take me long to learn what is acceptable online behavior, it did take me a couple rather harsh lessons to understand the warnings.

Social networking is not evil, whatsoever. It is the behavior of those who seek victims to target their ill intentions upon which I find disturbing.

Be careful who you trust. (One can hide their entire self behind text).

Shangrala

((kaika)))))))))) I agree alot with what ((Shangrala)) said.
As i have said many times it took me a harsh lesson to learn too.
Ppl sadly can type what ever they want on the net and pretend to be who ever they want.
Thats why there are all those things out there on internet safety.
Not all the net is bad. You just have to be careful ...Do not give out name address e mails phone #s . Till you know forsure who you are talking too.
Shangrala is right its not the net that does it... its the behavior of some with not nice intent.
becareful and be safe

I know, I'm just talking about social networking sites like facebook and myspace mentioned in the article (which, contrary to popular belief most people DON'T add a person unless they know them)

[Michah]

I agree with everyone! I believe everything has its place.......with good and bad outcomes.....

I have been confronted with the "internet" conundrum with my son......he is 14.......one of our rules is no chat rooms, no msn, no facebook/myspace and that sort of thing.......until he is 15. He is angry with this as all his friends do it. I explained the responsibility of the net.......that by being on it, it is in your house, your dwelling.......that there re people out there that are predators.

I say to him, do not be fooled by a screen and keyboard......some people have the epower to find out where you are......do not bring the beast to the door by being irresponsible.

Cut a long story short, he had set up a "bibo"(I think) account at a friends house and my fiance and I found it. He had 117 friends!! Kids will defy.....but this was dangerous as he did not know what he was doing. And he had specifically defied us. He had a "friend" on there who was a 23 year old mother frm new zealand in a "sexy pose". I nearly had a heart attack!! I said to my boy......do you KNOW this person?......and he said "NO"......and I said.....This is exactly what I am talking about....you have nothing in common with this woman.....how can she possibly be a friend? And how do you know that she is not dangerous?

I have no problem with 23 year old mothers(I was one myself!) but to befriend a 14 year old boy? NO WAY!!!

It is hard not to see the internet as "evil" with regards to my son......I am just thankful that my fiance has an IT dept at his work that he has access to and he is also very good with computers......I do not want my son to be paranoid, but I do want him to exercise caution......to not be mislead by the "easiness of it". I cannot it good conscience let him use it for that reason when he has barely an understandng of the fact that you cannot gain a hsitory on the internet by "downloading" info from the wireless router. Thats what i told him when we found the bibo account. A big lie, but one I had to use. He had been using his nintendo DS to access his account. That was confiscated, and he was grounded for a further 3 weeks.

Yep, scary stuff.......I said to him, Son, I would no sooner let you go and sit in a room with 117 people I don't know than fly to the moon, what makes the internet any different?

A question of safety, no? Thanks for bringing this up Kaika.......I have been mildly criticised irl for my strictness.......but I don't care what people think, I do not judge others who chose differently......I would rather my son be safe than worry about popularity

Cheers, babe

Michah

Well, I had friends who were more then twice my age as a kid, and throughout high school I had a friend (little boy actually) who was in elementary school (in regards to an older person can't make friends with a younger person without it being suspicious)... but I think it is foolish to go on places like facebook and myspace and add people you don't know because you don't know them and it's very easy to just make stuff up. It's not like PC, where you don't have to put nearly as much personal info in. (No, my name's not kaika, and I'm not a little blue bird, shocking I know! )

[Typo]

thanks for sharing the article Kaika

lol and *gasps* your not really a little blue bird!

[Monsieur]

I find websites such as Facebook and the like a bit depressing, somewhat of a handicap almost. I know, that many people will find that the networking aspect of it is quite helpful in keeping in touch with friends and such.

But when I have virtually nobody to add, it really doesn't look good on my part. This is especially so when a person who might be a potential friend asks me to add him/her on Facebook....and then I reply that I don't have one and an awkward silence ensues.

Even worse though, is when I had an account with virtually nothing on it. Man, that really shows my social ineptness in an implied way.

~Monsieur

[SeptemberMorn]

I can't stand Facebook! I got hurt the other day just reading what my family has to say. For me, it feels like a bunch of self-involved people who don't really respond to anyone. All they do is promote themselves. Personally, I don't see any kind of "social" to it and much less, "networking."

If you call the worst expletives to say something simple, honest and sincere, well, then... go for it. It's not for me.

Originally Posted by Michah

I agree with everyone! I believe everything has its place.......with good and bad outcomes.....

I have been confronted with the "internet" conundrum with my son......he is 14.......one of our rules is no chat rooms, no msn, no facebook/myspace and that sort of thing.......until he is 15. He is angry with this as all his friends do it. I explained the responsibility of the net.......that by being on it, it is in your house, your dwelling.......that there re people out there that are predators.

I say to him, do not be fooled by a screen and keyboard......some people have the epower to find out where you are......do not bring the beast to the door by being irresponsible.

Cut a long story short, he had set up a "bibo"(I think) account at a friends house and my fiance and I found it. He had 117 friends!! Kids will defy.....but this was dangerous as he did not know what he was doing. And he had specifically defied us. He had a "friend" on there who was a 23 year old mother frm new zealand in a "sexy pose". I nearly had a heart attack!! I said to my boy......do you KNOW this person?......and he said "NO"......and I said.....This is exactly what I am talking about....you have nothing in common with this woman.....how can she possibly be a friend? And how do you know that she is not dangerous?

I have no problem with 23 year old mothers(I was one myself!) but to befriend a 14 year old boy? NO WAY!!!

It is hard not to see the internet as "evil" with regards to my son......I am just thankful that my fiance has an IT dept at his work that he has access to and he is also very good with computers......I do not want my son to be paranoid, but I do want him to exercise caution......to not be mislead by the "easiness of it". I cannot it good conscience let him use it for that reason when he has barely an understandng of the fact that you cannot gain a hsitory on the internet by "downloading" info from the wireless router. Thats what i told him when we found the bibo account. A big lie, but one I had to use. He had been using his nintendo DS to access his account. That was confiscated, and he was grounded for a further 3 weeks.

Yep, scary stuff.......I said to him, Son, I would no sooner let you go and sit in a room with 117 people I don't know than fly to the moon, what makes the internet any different?

A question of safety, no? Thanks for bringing this up Kaika.......I have been mildly criticised irl for my strictness.......but I don't care what people think, I do not judge others who chose differently......I would rather my son be safe than worry about popularity

Cheers, babe

Michah

((Michah))))))))))))))))))))))))Your a good Mom. I agree with you all the way. right down too ((..I would rather my son be safe than worry about popularity))))))))
(( do not be fooled by a screen and keyboard......)))
internet safety......its a must in this day and age.
Ive preached enough on it sorry