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Take A Couple Of Precautions And E-Mail Me In The Morning!
Author:
Posted: January 26th. 2002
Times Viewed: 9,208
The Internet. The World Wide Web. What a magical place! We can visit places and people around the world without ever leaving the safety of our own homes. But, really, how safe is it?
I make no claim to being an expert. I'm one who is challenged technologically replacing the ribbon on my old manual typewriter.
Rather than bore you with do's and don'ts, I'll review some of my mistakes, and relate a few of my perceptions. Many of you should already know these, but they bear repeating.
While taking my first hesitant steps into this new world, just a few short months ago, I made a few errors in judgement. My name and email address is plastered from Moscow Russia to Moscow Idaho, from Tokyo Japan to Kiev in the Ukraine, and everywhere in between. The Ku Klux Klan has my email address and possibly my home address as well, I don't remember. I've signed the guestbooks of left wing groups, right wing groups, and middle of the road groups.
One organization with whom I know I left my home address is MOM - The Militia of Montana. I've received letters and packets from them. As yet, I've gotten nothing from the Klan. Now I wonder who else monitors their site, and collects names and addresses for future use.
Stupidity on my part? Yes, certainly, though I would prefer to call it lack of knowledge. I was new, with no one to hold my hand and warn me of the dangers. Had someone done so, I doubt it would have made much difference.
Looking back at my early frenzy, I began to consider a few points, and what exactly I had done by scattering my name and address across the world. As a retired cop, presumably intelligent, I began to take a look at this Internet thing.
How secure is email? How safe are the forums? That depends. Many people, myself included, incorporate their last name into their email address. I conducted an interesting and educational experiment using names from the several Wiccan forums I frequent. As a result, with the help of easily accessible programs, I was able to obtain the addresses and phone numbers of quite a few individuals.
Where the addresses were unavailable, often I could locate the server, which narrowed my search geographically. Then it was a small matter to use information gleaned from posts on the forum to further pinpoint the individual.
How? A while back I returned from a brief trip to find people on the forum exchanging descriptions of themselves and where they lived. Very general descriptions, to be sure, but information nontheless. I took that information, along with the address or that of the server, plus other data. Were I still in law enforcement, or had the inclination to find someone, well . . . Cops often have far less to go on, but seem to get the job done.
Okay, you say, I use a different name, or my magical name. Fine, and that helps. In fact, I'd recommend it. Now, though, let's take it a step farther. Do you know with whom you're corresponding? Are you sure they're who they say they are? How open are you with them? How safe are you just because they may be several states away? Are they, in fact, that far distant?
I live in New Mexico. My server is fifteen miles up the road. I have strongly considered one based in California, which would put my email address in that state. If someone from New Mexico were to begin a correspondence with me, as far as they could tell I would be living in California, all the while coaxing information from them regarding themselves and their locale.
Far fetched? It's happening even as you read this. Email provides a false sense of security. A person's guard is relaxed and they tend to be more open than is normally the case. In reality it is not as safe as snail mail, where you can at least not include a return address. The forums are no different. A Pagan forum is no guarantee that everyone there is of a like mind. How many read, but never post? I call them lurkers, and we can only guess who they are, or what information they may be after. Most are only curious, many are shy or embarrassed. The one tenth of a percent who are none of the above are the ones with whom we should be concerned. In most cases even they are relatively harmless, though occasionally annoying.
There are some, however, called stalkers. They are no different from any other stalker, except possibly more dangerous. You can't see them. How do you know the friendly, kind, caring individual who answered one of your posts is who she says she is? What have you told her about yourself, where you live, where you work? Are you sure she IS a she?
Great! We can't even visit or write letters safely anymore. What do we do? Do we go back into hiding? Do we make our posts, or send our mail after carefully sanitizing every sentence to be sure nothing of who we are remains? Of course not! Life is full of dangers; without them we could never grow. We simply adapt. The same precautions exercised on the streets of our towns and cities are modified to assure our safety in cyberspace.
We try to be polite and friendly with strangers when meeting them on the streets. We smile, nod, say hello, but are cautious at the same time. As Pagans, we may tend to be even more cautious than others.
But on the forums, in a seemingly friendly environment, surrounded by others of like belief, our guard comes down. We often mention, when cautioning others regarding language or other matters, that the forums are open for anyone with a computer and an account to read. Why do we forget that what we say can be used against us when the talk evolves into descriptions of ourselves, our homes, and our families?
The same mindset occurs regarding email. We read the mail and decide whether or not to answer - unless it begins, "I saw your post on the forum." Then we feel obligated, even if the name of the sender is unfamiliar. I plead guilty to this, as well. I answer all mail that refers to either the forums or the Craft.
My references are primarily aimed at the forums. Perhaps a more dangerous environment are the various Chat Rooms. These feature real time talk. Although there are certain presumed safeguards, all that is needed is a password. Again, who are you talking with? It's a Pagan Chat Room, but is the person you're conversing with Pagan, Wiccan, or a member of the Manson Family?
I've visited Chat Rooms only several times. I assume I was speaking with a female during the several occasions, but I don't know. What I do know is that during two of the chats, I was able to get a presumed description of the woman, the city in which she lived, and one gave me her email address. I'm far from being suave or glib, and I didn't write down the email address, nor did I mention anything pertaining to myself. They never seemed to notice.
What if you're being harassed, or stalked. Print the letters and contact your Internet provider. The email address of the person will be on every piece of mail. Your server should take the appropriate action. A good start would be to change your mailing name. At the least the server with whom the person has an account should be contacted by your provider.
If the case is more severe, contact your provider AND your local law enforcement agency, again with copies of the letters. Then, in both cases, follow up to make sure something is done.
The net is educational, enjoyable, and fun. Where a large group of people congregate, whether in person or electronically, a tenth of a percent of them can ruin it for the rest. Basic precautions, that everyone is aware of but tend to forget, can make the adventure safe and enjoyable.
Charles J. Barone
(c) 3/30/97
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