Isn't is just totally awesome to communicate with kids from all over the world through the internet? You get to meet all kinds of very interesting people. It's a great opportunity to establish good relationships with the kids around the world. Your future will be enhanced and the world around you will appreciate it when you start now to learn the art of communication through the internet. That's great, but the Internet also makes it possible for other people to find things out about you.

Every time you log on to the Internet you not only expose yourself to those you consider friends, but also to would-be snoops. Before you decide to go off and email someone, post a message in a forum, or get in a chat room, there are a few things that need to be brought to your attention. One is the "Core Rules of Netiquette." These rules are excerpted from the book "Netiquette," by Virginia Shea.

Those are real people out there. Ask yourself, "Would I say this to the person's face?" If the answer is no, rewrite and reread.

Be ethical. Don't believe anyone who says, "The only ethics out there are what you can get away with." But if you encounted an ethical dilemma in cyberspace, consult the code you follow in real life. Chances are good you'll find the answer.

Netiquette varies from domain to domain. when you enter a domain of cyberspace that's new to you, take a look around. Spend a while listening to the chat or reading the archives. Get a sense of how the people who are already there act. Then go ahead and participate.

You are not the center of cyberspace. Don't expect instant responses to all your questions, and don't assume that all readers will agree with you -- or car about -- your passionate arguments. Before you copy people on you messages, ask yourself whether they really need to know.

If you're spending a lot of time on the net and you're shaky in spelling and grammar, it's worth brushing up on them. Know what you're talking about and make sense. Finally, be pleasant and polite.

Sharing your knowledge is fun. It's a long-time net tradition. It makes the world a better place.

"Flaming" is what people do when they express a strongly held opinion without holding back any emotion. Netiquette does forbid the perpetuation of flame wars -- series of angry letters, most of them from two or three people directed toward each other, that can dominate the tone and destroy the camaraderie of a discussion group.

Of course, you'd never dream of going through your colleagues' desk drawers, so naturally you wouldn't read their email either.

Knowing more than others, or having more power than they do, does not give you the right to take advantage of them.

When someone makes a mistake, whether it's a spelling error or a spelling flame, a stupid question or an unnecessarily long answer, be kind about it. If it's a minor error, you may not need to say anything. If you do decide to inform someone of a mistake, point it ouut politely, and preferably by private email rather than in public. Give people the benefit of the doubt; assume they just don't know any better.

Secondly, learn how to email your pals the right way. Here we must remember Rule 1, "Remember the Human." These people are real, with real emotions and egos. Be sensitive to their feelings. Don't be offensive or rude when emailing anyone. Remember that your email can be easily forwarded and your words can come back to haunt you later.

When using sarcasm and humor in an email, you don't have the face-to-face communication where they can see your eyes and hear the tone in your voice. This could prove to be a big problem. Use the emoticons to express your humor or sarcasm. To see different emoticons, click here.

Answer you email letters as quickly as possible and be polite. People don't like to be kept waiting for an answer and they certainly don't want you to be rude to them either. A good rule to remember here: If you wouldn't like to read it or your might be hurt by what is being written, then don't say it in your emails or on-line. Bad language is also something to watch. Ask yourself this question, "Would I say this to my mother or father or even my grand mother? How about my teacher?" If the answer is no, then don't say it in your email.

Chain letters, whether for good or bad luck, are a real pain. As for myself, I hate chain letters. Most people, like me, delete it right away when they see it is a chain letter. I don't even read them. I am not superstitious and I don't believe they can make you or break you. So don't send them.

Always use the person's correct name when writing and make sure you include a subject line that will let the reader know your topic. Include key parts of a message when responding to another's email rather than send back the whole message. Don't shout by using all capital letters in your message. It is considered rude on the internet. You can capitalize certain words to make a point or show a title or heading.

I hope this helps in your journey through the internet and email. Before you hit that send button, always keep in mind how you would feel if someone sent you something rude and hurt your feelings.

I am very glad you stopped by. Go grab yourself a cup of coffee or whatever refreshing beverage you would like to drink, pull up a chair, and read some ways that you can help to keep your children safe on the Internet. As a mother of two grown children who have small children of their own, I want to make sure my grand children are protected from the preditors of the internet. I also want them to learn the proper way to conduct themselves when in chat rooms, forums, or when they email friends and pen pals.

My own knowledge comes from working as a Community Leader in GeoCities's Enchanted Forest, a neighborhood made for and by children. By talking with other parents and grand parents, and by researching the information on the web, I have come up with some guidelines that all parents, and any adults that supervise children, should use when they allow children access to the World Wide Web.

This is a great playground for child predators. Kids just love to talk on the Internet and everyone can remain anonymous. Therein lies the danger. This is made clear by all the reports you have seen or heard on the news today, where a child has been lured through the use of this information highway. Being armed with the proper knowledge will help to safeguard your children. Please remember that it only takes a minute or two for a pedophile to connect with a child on the net.

If you have any other suggestions on keeping the children safe on the Internet, please email me and I will add them to this page. Some information was taken from Protect Your Children from Internet Pedophiles.

1.   Have your child log on to the Internet with your approval only. You monitor your child in other activities, so take the time to sit with him or her and show them where they can go and what they must avoid while surfing the Internet. Getting involved insures the safety of your child.

2.  Locate the computer in a room where an adult can easily supervise the child's progress on the Internet. You never know when you might here an "Uh Oh" and need to see what they have come across. If an adult is right there, it will be much easier to see what they are seeing. If it isn't good, you can move with greater speed than a child to click to another screen, while explaining to the child why the site was not a good one.

3.  Advise your child not to arrange any meetings in person with anyone they meet on the Internet until they have talked to you. If you decide to let them meet, monitor the meeting. Always have them meet an Internet buddy in a public place. It is much safer.

4.  When your child gives out an email address, make sure it is the family's email. Even if the child has his or her own email address, you can safely monitor the mail until you know the person writing your child can be trusted. There have been cases where email has come to a child that has been very distressing. In a case like this, report the email to the webmaster. Never ignore it. You only add to the number of trouble makers that can get to a child in this manner. Stop it before it comes again.

5.  Advise your child not to give out any personal information about themselves or the family. No phone numbers or street address', no school names or team names, and especially the times they may be home alone until an adult gets there. Many parents work and do not get home for a couple of hours after the child has arrived home from school. This is a critical period for the child. Anyone can find out where they are. It isn't that hard. Make sure they never, never give out any personal information!

6.  Instruct the child to tell you when they have come across any information that makes them uncomfortable. If they are in a chat room and someone is saying bad things, tell them to log off without responding.

7.  Work with your child to help them understand why your are monitoring there web access. Explain the dangers of child preditors. Make sure they know that anyone can say they are 13 years old and that they have the same interests as your child does.

8.  Have your child participate in making the rules for them to be on the Internet. Both of you should be in on the decision about the time of day they will be allowed on-line, the length of that time, and the areas they will be allowed to access.

Keeping involved with your children can only insure their safety. If you are going on-line with your child, they will learn must quicker how to deal with certain on-line situations. When the time comes for them to be on-line by themselves, you can be comfortable with the knowledge that you have given them in order to act quickly and positively. The key word here is "Education." Armed with the proper knowledge, you and your child will be much better off.

INTERNET SAFETY LINKS

NOTES, ADVICE, AND WARNINGS
PBS KIDS
SAFESURF INTERNET LIFEGUARD
CYBER ANGELS
TIPS FOR SAFE SURFING
TEN COMMANDMENTS FOR COMPUTER ETHICS

I hope you were able to learn a lot from this page. My next subject is a bit more serious. I have done a page on Child Abuse and Missing Children. Please read my message and visit the links I have put there. You will learn how you can help to put a stop to child abuse. Even children can do their part to help.

Please make sure you sign the guest book before you leave. I really want to know what you think about this site and how much you enjoyed the visit. If you have any suggestions, or there is anything that you would like to see on this site, please let me know. I am always open to suggestions from anyone. Have a wonderful day !!