Privacy On The Internet

Always remember that the Internet is a public space. And anything published here can easily be discussed, linked to, downloaded, archived, saved, and republished over and over by anyone. Your innocent-seeming personal Web site, or your sincere requests for advice on a "support" newsgroup, or your casual signing of someone else's guestbook or blog feedback, or a minor mention of you by someone else, or an obscure note in a news article, could all come back to haunt you.

Some obsessive types of people might decide that you are "ugly," and deliberately republish your photograph for ridicule.

Or they might decide that you are "attractive," and use your photo in their own personal ads.

They might Photoshop your head onto to a model's body in a pornographic picture.

Some Usenet flame-warrior might collect your personal information, and publish a Web site devoted to their hatred of you.

You might casually give your name to a journalist at a real-life city council hearing, and then be mentioned in a print article, which is transferred to a Web site, which gives anyone searchable access to a connection between you and some controversial political issue.

You might be the target of a civil lawsuit, and find court documents (which may be official public records) published to the Web, with accusations against you.

You might naively post to a Usenet newsgroup or a Web-based forum, under your real, full name, discussing your bad credit, your health problems, or your sexual issues.

"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." So, go ahead and communicate, but THINK about the possible future consequences, and be discreet now.

Read the alt.privacy newsgroup FAQs

Read the alt.privacy.

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