) and signs, to help you stay safe and be aware online. As writers, and as members of Storywrite, it's day-to-day life for us hiding behind our pseudonyms "Electric Sunrise" "Barbara" etc....
Q: How much do you know from that?
A: Nothing.
Allow me to tell you a bit about myself for the sake of example; My name's James, I’m 30 years old, I have two kids, a beautiful wife, and we live just outside Palm Springs in Florida.
No, I’m not, my names actually Phil, and I’m from Ireland. The rest of the information is also false. What needs to be considered though, is how many of you, were willing to accept that as fact?
It is quite easy, and not unusual, for people to tell lies about themselves, to build themselves up to be something they are not, however, on the internet, one must be extra vigilant regarding it, as one can never be sure the intent of another.
This is not to say that you should all start eyeing your friends suspiciously, and to ensure your friendships stay intact, here are a few signs to watch out for.
The following signs may indicate a level of cautiousness required with another person*
1: An overly personal first, or initial first few, interactions with a new persona.
2: A secretive nature about themselves, but heavily dependant on finding out about you.
3: An exaggerated eagerness to see/show pictures of you/them at the initial period**
4: Consistent and persistent sexual advancements
5: Inappropriate behavior given your age and other factors***
6: Angered, irrational or persistent when they "suggest" something you're not comfortable with.
7: If they suggest meeting in person, secretly.
As stated earlier, these factors are not to be taken as a sole indicator of a person and their intent. For example, sign 2, can indicate shyness, sign 2 + 3 however, suggests a need for concern.
*= One of these alone should not be taken as a sole indicator, but rather various.
** = Initial periods can be/recommended to be a period of significant merit.
*** = Ranging from sexuality, gender, age, law etc.
There are varying and ranging DO's and DONT's one can apply to their day to day internet lives to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience, below are but a few (kudos to AnnD for highlighting some of them)
1) DO NOT give out your real name, address, phone number or any personal details about yourself, date of birth, your school or town.
2) DO be careful what you tell anyone about your family, or where you live and when showing pictures do not include a picture of your own house, even if it’s in the background.
3) DO NOT give out your email address to people you don’t know or in public.
4) DO NOT give out your Screen names of instant messengers in public.
5) DO NOT agree to meet up with someone online unless A: A parent/guardian has been informed, and B: Never attend a meeting alone.
6) DO bring attention to both site staff (where applicable) and your parents if someone has concerned you regarding their interactions with you.
7) DO always save a copy of something to your computer that has concerned you, this being for later retrieval.
Adding your comment:
Maybe you're really someone else.... Bob from China? 
