SAFE SURFING GUIDE

The internet is a great place to have fun, but some people may try to use this for their own dangerous purposes. Remember, people in chatrooms and on message boards may not be who they say they are. You cannot hear them or see them, so you don't really know if they are telling the truth. Unfortunately you cannot automatically trust anyone you meet online. Have a look below for advice on how best to protect yourself and make sure your on-line experience if fun and exciting as it should be! This guide is really aimed at younger users of the website but the advice may just be applicable to adult users...

IF YOU ARE UNDER 16 ALWAYS TELL A TRUSTED ADULT

If you are under 13 we always ask you to get the permission of your parents or legal guardian before joining, and this will need to be sent to the website owner before you will be allowed to join this site.If you are under 16 you should always let your parents or legal guardian know that you are using a message board or chatroom. If you are over 13 but under 16 you can register in your own right but with adults using the website you should still be careful.

DO NOT GIVE OUT PERSONAL INFORMATION

You should never give out the following information about yourself:

- Full Name,
- Address,
- Telephone Number,
- Mobile Number,
- E-mail address,
- School Name,
- Log-In Password.

If you are under 13 do not disclose your age on the forum or in any private messages. Also think about your friends and family. You should make sure you don't give out any of this information about them. You should use a nickname - not your real nickname or your pet's name. Take the chance to come up with a new and exciting name to use on message boards and chatrooms.

NEVER ARRANGE TO MEET A WEB PAL

You should never arrange to meet a web pal. However long you've been chatting or however well you think you know them, it is risky. The more insistent somebody is about meeting you the more careful you should be. If you really are determined to meet, you must tell your parents or any other trusted adult and ask them to come along with you.

YOU MUST NEVER GO ALONE. LET SOMEONE KNOW IF YOU ARE UNCOMFORTABLE

Remember, you are in control. If somebody is starting to bother you and is sending you nasty messages, you should never respond. Print the messages out and tell your parents, legal guardian teacher or any other adult you trust. You can also log out if you feel uncomfortable. There is absolutely no reason for anybody to put up with other people being nasty at school, home or anywhere, and the internet is no different. We never want these kind of people using our website, so please e-mail us at support @ talk-thailand.com and tell us about the nasty messages and who they came from, if possible copy the messages into the e-mail.

Have fun!

Article kindly provided by KoratCat

rofl, I thought that this was going to be about real surfing, Some good advice there anyway.

Some excellent tips for newbies.

All very common sense stuff, but so easily forgotten, especially by youngsters. Good article. :wink: