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Protect yourself and those you love.  Like the drones that anonymously target, then wipe out populations, the Internet can harm innocents.  Knowledge can fortify your personal Internet bunker and prevent preemptive personal attacks used to defame, seduce, entrap, degrade, and undermine so it’s good to get some.  It’s also important to be cautious because scams and schemes lurk everywhere.  Because cyber terror and harassment can hurt individuals and groups on email systems, blogs, forums, bulletin boards and websites, the following counsel on the rules of engagement is offered because in many ways these places have become like war zones.  Furthermore the analogies are appropriate since words can kill, and have. 

Some months ago national news reported the case of a 13-year-old girl in Dardenne Prairie, Missouri who committed suicide after being victimized over the Internet by an adult neighbor.  This neighbor pretended to be a teenage boy with romantic interest that terminated it hurtfully, promoting ridicule from others on the website, My Space.  The neighbor has suffered community reprobation along with intervention by authorities to face criminal charges.  This was a clear example of the great risks to young people who take very personally Internet postings.

In some ways the Internet is the wild west of the modern world where caution is critical because there are outlaws around and few sheriffs to intervene, because of the ambiguities of the law.  So it’s important for Internet surfers and blog posters to think first, be cautious about identities, not get involved with people whose real identity is unknown and whose address and phone number are disguised.  Get out of situations where there are too many unknowns or don’t start relationships like that in the first place.  

Because there is a curtain of anonymity on the Internet it’s possible to get into heated arguments that can escalate to violent verbal confrontations with the potential of personal trouble.  When someone is provocative, and the signals have been given that disagreement should be managed tactfully, bow out of discussions and don’t allow emotions to provoke offense or promote defense in the new frontier

When words whiz by at rocket speeds, as occurs with email, some folks think they won’t linger.  However, they do, just like words in any other written form.  That’s another reason to walk away when angry and come back to that epistle you want to mail.

Another important detail is this:  you will sometimes get mail that has gone out to a group.  Perhaps you want to reply to just the individual who sent it on a private matter.  Push the wrong button, and you might be embarrassed later.  So always check the  “to” section along with the “subject” box before mailing any message.

Spam attacks collectively.  To avoid being hit by unknown missives, watch out for email from those you don’t know.  Use email systems that will only let mail through from people who sign up and disclose who they are.  Some software can also intercept.  The best defense combines several.

The Internet can be treacherous or not, depending on the user.  It allows us to increase our information and communication so we can live well and wisely with each other in this new frontier.  But no one needs to be its victim.