Be Wary, Be Wise: Things To Think About

I'm posting this as a permanent reminder on this site. It's more a way for my students to learn the importance of being aware and safe. One of my goals as the DigiCom teacher is to make my students aware of the ethical and moral issues inherent in all technology. I want them to be responsible Netizens.

I found this on this website:

How can your kids reduce the risk of being victimized?

There are a number of precautions to take, including:

* never downloading images from an unknown source - they could be sexually explicit
* telling an adult immediately if anything happens online that makes them feel uncomfortable or frightened
* choosing a gender-neutral screen name that doesn't contain sexually suggestive words or reveal personal information
* never revealing personal information (including age and gender) to anyone online and not filling out online personal profiles

I have (and will continue) to post many links on the left-hand column of this blog. I have visited all of the sites, and can say that each contains many useful and amazing tools, some of which I hope will be around for a long time. Powerful tools come with a price and CAN be abused. I teach my students to use the utmost precaution when online. They should never be on a site that they wouldn't want ME seeing. I also tell them they shouldn't be on any site that they wouldn't want their parents, religious leaders, or other important adults seeing. I prefer to err on the side of caution, but I also realize that we are in a technological age where the internet is playing a huge role.

The nature of the internet, though, is change. As things change (as many things seem to do) so do the sites posted. Be forewarned that websites and the information contained on them can change often. Be a careful web traveler and always be aware of your surroundings. Take it all with "a grain of salt" and be wary and wise.

Sincerely,

Mr. Guiles