Building Your Online Network Safely

There are so many great ways to hook up with people online that it's super easy to stay connected with your friends - and to make new ones.

You can IM your friends, comment on their blogs, or check in on their profiles and Web pages. And if you like skateboarding, snowboarding, or anything from comics to karate, you can find people online who share your interests. There are chat rooms, newsgroups, and e-mail distribution lists devoted to almost any topic you can name.

Protect Your Privacy When Networking Online

Building your own social networks is very cool, but it pays to be smart by taking a few simple steps to protect your privacy whenever you connect with other people online. Scammers, predators, and other online criminals are constantly on the lookout for personal information they can use to take advantage of you, your friends, and your family. Why make it easy for them?

Tips for Safe Online Networking

Here are a few tips that can help you stay safe while networking online:

• Don't get personal. Create your own alias-without personal information-to use on your blog or in online communities. Your alias gives you a chance to create whatever identity you want to display, along with helping to keep your personal data guarded. Never include your real last name, address, birth year, school name, or other personal information in blogs or Web pages. Be thoughtful about posting your cell phone number, e-mail address, or IM contact information, since this information can lead to spam and other annoying contacts.
• Be picture perfect. Photos and videos are part of online fun; just keep in mind that pictures can tell someone as much about you as your words. Make sure any images you post don't reveal too much personal information about you, your friends, or your family. Remember to check the background in the image for revealing details that you wouldn't notice at first glance. A picture of you in front of the Eiffel Tower is fine; a picture in front of your school reader board shouldn't be publicly posted.
• Remember, Web sites are forever. It's easy to think of your online activities like a day at the beach: just footprints in the sand that disappear and are soon forgotten. But posting on the Internet is more like walking through wet cement: the impressions you make today could last a lifetime. Don't forget that anything you publish on the Web can be viewed, e-mailed, printed or archived by almost anyone.
• Stay cool. When you're posting or chatting online, keep in mind that there are other people on the other side of the screen-don't write anything you aren't ready to say in person, in front of your family and friends. If someone attacks you, stay cool and report their behavior to the Web site where the incident occurred. If the bullying or abuse gets bad, get your parents involved. If someone makes physical threats, call the police.
• Surf safe. Use sites that are serious about protecting your privacy. Before signing up, make sure the site offers password protection, a feature that allows you to control who can see your blog or Web page, and an option for blocking anonymous comments. Reading a site's privacy policy and user code of conduct may seem boring, but it's a small price to pay to make sure you are using a site you can trust.

For more information about staying safe online, see "How to Stay Safe While Building Your Online Network" and "What Does the Web Say About You - And Why Does it Matter?"