Information and the Internet

Once again I was forced to talk with my Sunday School class over what not to put on the internet, in this case a 15 year old girl whom had posted her phone and homes address.  Sigh, kids just do not understand that there are creeps out there looking for someone just like them.

So, I gave them a real example of how I managed to collected information on one of the girls in the youth group - just by viewing photos on the church's web page and cross referencing first names until I had her narrowed down to her phone number and address - all posted on the web.  It took me 20 minutes and I did not use any of the facts I did know about her!  So if an internet clumsy user like me could find her that quickly, guess how much less of time it would take for someone whom is a stalker with poor intentions!  (I should mention that I am a friend of her parents, so I already knew more than what could be found on the web about her!)

Then I woke up this morning to a news story about some woman whom met a man online and traveled to Australia, then Arizona, then California, before figuring out he lived in Issaquah (sp?), Washington!  I guess she managed to confront him in front of his family! (wife and children) and is now suing him for leading her on an around the world trip to meet him!

I really hope that wife got a really good look at what kind of creep she married!  Man, if one of my son-in-laws pulled a stunt like that!!!!!  Well, certainly daughter would be out of there in five minutes at the most.....

But, I guess I shouldn't be surprised by any of this.  The innocent such as the 15 year old girl, the web master for the church and this Issaquah wife, all do not even think within the realm which would even make situations like this possible.  And although praise worthy, still someone needs to keep youth and the innocent aware of the dangers of how the availability of information can be misused.

Please look at your children's social networking sites, google their names and assure yourself that they are so far safe.  Then (POLITICALLY INCORRECT) inspect their phones and I-Pods for photos they have taken of themselves and have received from others.  Especially for those of you with teenager girls and boys!