Wednesday 15 March 2017

Stay Safe On The Internet

HI it’s Dave here, 

I do hope that you have had a great week so far.  I also hope that you enjoy reading these posts as much as I enjoy writing them.  This week’s post is quite a biggie so here goes:-



Social Media is one of the biggest revolutions in communication of the late 20th early 21st Centuries.  There are very few people without a mobile phone and therefore, by definition, they have access to the Internet and thus Social Media. 

I am often surprised to discover that there is yet another new platform to enable me to communicate with my fellow inhabitants of the tiny speck of space matter we call Earth.

When I was a child at school I was amazed that we had a telephone installed in the house and that I could talk at length to my girlfriend 20 miles away just by dialling a few numbers.  Several years later we had a push button phone and to be honest I thought that was the extent of the technical advances in communication………….oh how wrong was I?

However, alongside these huge steps forward we initially did not realise that we were, in fact, becoming more vulnerable.   Our personal security was becoming threatened, as was our safety and ultimately this reduced security was to impact on our families and friends with amazing rapidity.

As a result (of this) people have had to learn very quickly (and sadly, often to their cost) that the internet is also a place of hiding for people whose behaviour is less than desirable.   I have therefore created this post to help illuminate this problem and to offer some tips and advice on ways that you can

Stay Safe On The Internet

When “Online” becomes “Offline”

Right at the beginning let me please say the internet (or as some people still call it the World Wide Web), is an extremely exciting place.  It is like having a whole truck load of encyclopaedia at your finger tips. All that information is wonderful, but on the other hand it can also tell people where you are.   For example, how many times have you made arrangements to meet somebody (via your timeline) at a certain place at a certain time?  I know that I have done so inadvertently in the past…. Now what you are saying in reality is

a)     that you are going to be in a certain place
b)     that you are going to there at a certain time
c)     that you are going to be away from your home
d)     you may also be indicating that you are going to be alone.

So what can you do about it?  Well for starters

a)     don’t publicly broadcast what your are doing
b)     if you must make arrangements via your timeline, then always choose somewhere that you visit regularly and where you are known (make it a habit to go to that same place, become a regular and get to know the staff)
c)     if possible make someone you know and trust aware of your plans and timings, advise that you will be clear by a certain time and will contact them to assure them of your safety.

Now let us consider

Family and / or Friends

This is something that we often don’t think about when we begin to use Social Media websites! 

Let me ask you a question – Do you post pictures of yourself with your brother or sister, mum or dad, your best friends?    

This leads on to my next question which is “Have you ever thought that as a result of doing this people your friends and family do not know might recognise them?  And can you imagine where that might lead?

The simple thing here is – not everyone wants to be recognised by complete strangers so make sure that you ask them if it is ok to post their image on Social Media before you do so!

If you don’t want it in the papers don’t do it!

How would you feel if your behaviour from that Saturday night where you behaved in a less than ladylike (or gentlemanly) fashion ended up on the front page of the local  paper for the whole community to see?

Now a local newspaper would be bad enough but imagine if it was posted on Social Media and the post went viral.  Could you honestly say that you would be happy for your naked chest or that up-skirt shot, that you found so funny, was being seen globally complete with your name and possibly even those of your friends?

So quite simply

   If you would not be happy about it – don’t do it!

Give Away Your Location – and possibly much more.

Pretty cool to take a photo on your phone as you are leaving home isn’t it?  

Let’s say you are going to a wedding, or to a party – all dressed up in your finery.  You have left the radio and a light on but you come back and you have been burgled. 

How did they know there was nobody home?  I can almost hear the moans as I write this – You gave them all the clues that the house was most likely unattended!   

How?    
Because you posted that photo with a comment like “here we are off to so and so’s evening wedding reception” on Facebook etc. not thinking that it shows the time and date of the post - silly!!!!

Your have now successfully completed Lesson #1 in how to make it easy for a thief.

Privacy / Anonymity does not compute with Social Media

Do not assume that what you post is private because it rarely is! – “if you don’t want it read, don’t let it be said” is a favourite maxim of mine.

Somewhere, somehow whatever you post is recorded and it is often available to people that you don’t want to see it - via a friend of a friend etc etc,

So whilst the internet is a fantastic tool please remember this

if you have a gun that can kill someone then at some point in the future someone might be able to get hold of that gun and kill you”.

Harsh words but true!

Enjoy your time with Social Media by all means but if you want to protect yourself and those you love - Be careful what you do and say on ALL the Social Media pages.

Acknowledgements


If this post has made you think about how you act, or if it has prompted any questions, then please feel free to add them as a comment in the box below or to email me:- thedavebaxter@mail.com

About Dave I am a coach; speaker; radio presenter and founder of The Blue Sky Company.  I am also a therapist and co-own a virtual light centre called The Crystal Spring.  My therapy work includes music therapy; reiki; crystal therapy

LINKS


I have recently discovered that a book written by a friend of mine is available via Amazon so I would like to share a link to that book with you.  This lady is an amazing person and I am sure that if you have enjoyed reading my blog you will also find her work of interest.




Have a fantastic day and live a life of Passion and Power.

And above all

Don't Predict The Future - CREATE IT!


DAve x

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