Top 9 Do’s & Don’ts Online

A recent survey conducted among young people has highlighted the fact that 18-30 year olds are taking their online reputation far more seriously than ever before.

The cause for this is fairly simple as online privacy is such a ‘hot potato’ today – Take for instance, Sandy a sixth-former in London – She and her friends regularly use Facebook to communicate, but she’s extremely careful about the information, pictures, and comments she sends and posts even though her profile is set to private.

Sandy is one of a growing number of young people who are aware that nothing is ever really private online.

“I know friends who have been kicked off their school sports team because of pictures and other inappropriate material they have on their profiles,” she says quite matter of factly.

Her advice is uncompromisingly straightforward: “Be careful about what you put up on the Internet, because you never know who is looking at what you have on there.”

Remember that the first time you log on to a social networking site like Facebook or MySpace & pick a screen name for instant messaging (IM), you’re creating an online identity.

So, here’s a quick check list of important do’s & don’ts on how best to protect your online identity:

1. Do check the copyright: It’s a good idea to check the copyright of images, songs, or files that you might be keen to distribute and share with friends as you don’t want to accidentally do anything illegal that can come back to haunt you later.
2. Do check your profile: Make sure that you check your ‘digital footprint’. Try typing your name into a search engine such as www.kgbpeople.com and see what’s stored online about you. It’s one way to get a sense of what others will see as your online identity.

3. Do take it offline: In general, if you have questions about the online trail you’re leaving, don’t be afraid to ask someone you trust implicitly such as your parents. As a young person today, you might know more about the online world than a lot of adults do, but they will have real life experience that may prove to be invaluable.

4. Do think before you post: When you’re online you don’t always get a chance to explain your tone or what you mean and this can shape your online identity. Thinking before you post and following the same rules for responsible behaviour online as you do offline can help you avoid leaving an online identity trail you regret.

5. Mark your profiles as private. Whether you’re on Facebook or MySpace, anyone can access your profile and can copy or even screen-capture information and photos that you’d rather keep private.

6. Read each site’s guidelines: Read each site’s instructions or guidelines to make sure you’re doing everything you can to keep your material private and don’t rely on the site’s default settings.

7. Do safeguard your passwords: If someone logs on to a site and pretends to be you, they can ruin your reputation. It is advisable to pick random passwords that are hard to guess (try not to use your favourite celebrity or your birthday) and don’t forget to change them often. As a rule of thumb never share them with anyone other than your parents or a trusted adult. Do not share your private passwords even with your best friend, boyfriend, or girlfriend!

8. Don’t post inappropriate comments or sexually provocative photos: Things that seem funny or cool to you right now might not seem so cool years from now. This is especially important as universities and potential employers now look through social network sites. It’s simple if you’re likely to be embarrassed if your parents or grandparents see what you’re posting then it’s probably not a good thing to be posting it anyway.

9. Don’t respond to inappropriate requests: Research shows that a high percentage of teens receive inappropriate messages and solicitations when they’re online. These can often be scary and even embarrassing. If you do feel harassed online, tell an adult you trust immediately. It is never a good idea to respond. Responding is only likely to make things worse, and might result in you saying something you wish you hadn’t. You can report inappropriate behaviour or concerns at www.cybertipline.org.

Finally, the way that your friends, parents, and teachers think of you and your online identity may be different from your real-world identity.

Part of having fun online is to create different characters and personas for yourself, but it’s important to remember that issues such as cyber-stalking and cyber-bullying unfortunately do exist.

So, thinking before you post and following the same rules for responsible behaviour online as you do offline can help you avoid leaving an online identity trail you may regret later.

And above all don’t forget to monitor your online profile by using a free people search site such as kgbpeople.com, who will if you register for free with them send you an email alert to inform you of any changes to your online identity.

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