Things you should know before entering chatting world

There are few things you need to know before you chat on-line. The first thing is that people are not always who they say they are. I'm sure you've heard stories about people who fell in love with someone over the net, and they turned out to be a mushroom. Would you talk to a stranger in the mall who was leering at kids and reading pornography? I DON'T THINK SO!!! My point is that you can't see peoples' faces from your computer screen, and you can't know if that person is a perfectly normal teenager, or some weirdo.

So let's talk about some simple precautions.

o Choose a gender-neutral id/alias/handle for yourself. You can have lots of fun with this.

o Never give out information about your location, age, gender, school, phone number, address, e-mail or other personal information. It is considered bad netiquette to ask these things and simply saying I don't give out that information is fine. If they bug you or tease you, LEAVE.

o Do not accept downloads. Downloading links your computer to theirs, and they can get access to all that information you've been so careful not to give them.

o Don't mention other sites that you frequent. Even if you are using a different alias, your style is probably recognizable to someone who is paying attention.

o Don't go into private chat rooms.

o Be sure that if you are allowing friends to use your computer, that they are following your rules. Their thoughtless usage can compromise your safety.

Chats can be fun if you find a chat room that focuses on your interests. Good judgment and these simple precautions will let you have fun without attracting piranhas.