While I was still living home during high school, I was the epitome of what NOT to do online. I was a shy, in the closet gay male in high school and I went online and eventually discovered chat rooms, etc. My mother always warned me about giving out info, but I always played it off. It didn't help that she was completely inept at working the computer. I used to chat with other gay men (usually a lot older) and met some (I'm sure you can fill in the blanks there). I thought it was harmless until one showed up at my house looking for me. I had never given out my address or phone number or even my last name, but I had met the guy and he apparently followed me home. My mother freaked and I tried to lie my way out of it. I was banned from the computer for a year. I'm an adult now and more aware of people's intentions so just be careful...
I have no idea who these people are, but I bet you a dime they're closet homosexuals.
My parents, suprisingly, have no qualms about anything I do on the internet. I know that yes, the internet can be a dangerous place, but not everyone is a perverted, old man trying to lure you to the mall.
My parents have never given me any sort of "internet safety" talks. It's great. Actually, I was telling my mother about a very good friend of mine (who I've known over the internet since...late July, I beleive), and she said, "Would you want her to come and visit us?" I jumped up and screamed, "Would I?"
My mom (who isn't technologically advanced at all) knows what message boards are, so I don't have to explain them to her. My dad is an engineer. He uses computers all the time, and I know he knows what message boards are.
As for the "safe" part...I don't publicly post my phone number or home address, so I feel safe. I mean, I have no reason to feel threatened or scared.
I'm old enough to not have limits from my mother, but she's still a little sketchy when I mention message boards and people I know from them....
Unless of course she's known them long enough that she knows they're not cyber stalkers or murderers (ie: chasing_rainbows and daisyhilton). Eh, she's gotta play the mom role sometimes, even if she is a bunch of years too late
"You're every gay man's wet dream!" ~ MA
If in Heaven you don't excel, you can always party down in hell...
my parents don't know about the board. when we first got a computer (in 4th grade i think) w/ internet they were like, you're not allowed to go into chat rooms b/c it's dangerous. they're not very computer savy and i don't know if they know about message boards or how they work or anything. i think i actually mentioned it once and they were like, you dont write anything do you? i told them i just read it, not post. so yea, they pretty much don't know about it.
No Child: http://www.epictheatrectr.org/
I Love You Because OCR: http://www.psclassics.com/cd_iloveyou.html