In case some of you missed this.....
the official "don't be stupid when you post" thread
Posted On:12/28/04 at 10:11:04 AM
yes, this applies to you. did you think it did? then it does.
i've noticed lately a great openness on the board and a greater willingness to share personal details. while i think it's great on one hand for people to feel so comfortable here that they have no qualms about posting the minutiae of their entire day and week and life in excruciating detail, i also worry. maybe it's the latent predator instinct in me that sniffs this out and sees how dangerous it could be, but for whatever reason i felt compelled to once again post a warning to those of you who are underaged (and those of age, too) here who feel that everyone here is your friend.
ever notice someone who seems to be where you are constantly and who always seems to be looking at you? ever wonder who they are and what they want, but by the time you look for them to ask them, they're gone? ever lose something in a public place when you're sure you know where you put it? ever find something moved from where you left it when you know that no one could have been in a position to move it?
this board, while filled with lovely people who want nothing but the best for each other and who'd never do anything to hurt one another, is still a public board. you can read it without ever joining anything. anyone can come here and read what you write. just because you think that you are posting among friends does not make it safe. rob and craig were wonderful in that they set up a system by which people could exchange personal information amongst one another without it becoming public knowledge, they're called pm's (still, if you don't know the person, and i mean met them in the flesh, you'd better think twice before answering personal questions). and while out intrepid mods do their level best to keep personal information off the boards, some folks insist on placing it there and the boys can't be everywhere at once to look out for those who can't or won't look out for themselves.
many people on this board have met one another and know each other socially and even intimately which often lends a certain sense of deeper community and safety to the board. someone can hear them sharing the details of their days and want to join in by making their own lives public. hey, it's your choice. if you're over 18 and don't care who knows what about you, then you post away and hang the possibility of any consequences. however, try to remember that there are juveniles posting when you start threads asking for personal information or when threads start heading in that direction. you're the adults.
if you're under 18, think really hard about what you put out there for the world to read. what might seem like an innocent answer that makes you look really cool to the group might be an invitation to someone who is somewhat less than reputable. someone who's never bothered to post here. someone who doesn't even belong to this board. someone who might be in your hometown. someone who might be watching you right now.
there are wolves in this world. sometimes they wear the skin of the lambs they've slaughtered to look less threatening. think before you post, folks. you never know where the wolves might be, or what they might be hungry for today.
"I knew this was probably going to happen." - Rathnait62
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