SolveYourProblem
eLearning Series
Internet Security
Tips
to Ensure Chat Room Anonymity
In this day of electronic technology, going
to a chat room could either give you many new friends or put
you in danger. It’s a challenge to enjoy a chat room
and remain anonymous. It’s dangerous to make it easy for a predator to
discover your identity and from there track you to your home.
There are sites on the Internet that will even print a map
to your home! Chat rooms have become popular hangouts for pedophiles
and con artists. Before you decide to go into a chat room,
and participate in the conversation, just watch and listen
for a bit. This is called “lurking” and you will learn a lot
about the nature of the chat room. If you have a friend that
is involved in chatting, you might want to check with them
for their suggestions. It’s safer if you go to a chat room
where you already know someone.
You
will find that chat rooms can be fun places to spend time
chatting with people with the same interests as you. You can
find a chat room for any interest and for any illness or support
group that you could possibly want. You may think you are exchanging
ideas and views with others that are the same age or with the
same interests. There are some wonderful supportive chat rooms
out there, you can exchange views, get helpful advice and even
make some wonderful friends. They also can be dangerous. Not
only can it be dangerous for children and teenagers, but also
for adult men and women. The news is full of stories of predators
that meet people in chat rooms and lure them into danger.
Whether you’re a teenager or an adult, there are certain tips
to ensure your anonymity.
Don’t
use your real name. This is one of the most important
facts to remember. Don’t use a nickname that would identify
you. Always use an alias. It could be a cartoon name or a silly
nonsense name but never enter a chat room under your real name.
Have you ever tried using a search engine and putting in your
name? I have, and what I found is just about everything that
I’ve ever posted to the Web. From there, the trail will easily
lead to your home address and other relevant information. You
don’t know whom you are chatting with. Anyone can “lurk” in
a chat room until they find out details through your conversations.
Then when they contact you, they are already armed with personal
details. That makes you feel comfortable and lowers your guard.
Never,
ever type your e-mail address in a chat room. For your
safety, you should set up a free e-mail address such as hotmail
and use it. Anyone with any knowledge of computers can easily
track you and get your real name and address. Again, any map
program will lead them straight to your home. Be sure you know
whom your children are chatting with and be sure they follow
the rules as well.
In conversation, be
careful to not reveal your location. There
is safety in anonymity. It’s dangerous to even tell a chat
room what school you go to, where you work, and even what team
you support. The more you reveal of yourself in a chat room,
the easier it is to track you. If you give your place of employment,
you narrow the search, if you say that you have blonde hair,
which narrows it even further. Did you tell your age? Again,
that narrows the field some more.
Another
common ruse to get personal information is for a person
to set up a website and tell you that it’s a cool place to
visit. That website could be an unregistered website. The site
may ask you to take a quick survey, or ask for other personal
information. Once you have logged on to that site, it will
record the IP address of the computer that visited it and from
there easily track you through your Internet service provider.
An
alias or nickname should also be picked carefully. Don’t
use one that will attract unwanted attention. For instance,
“Hot Mama” is an eye-catcher and will undoubtedly invite some
comments you may not like. Your chat room name should be something
you are comfortable with but will not attract special attention.
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SolveYourProblem.com : 2007
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