Advice and Helpful Tips

3.1 Sharing online.

We realize that the internet can be a scary place. Sometimes it can be hard to know what you should and shouldn't share with the world. We hope to use this chapter to give our recommendations about what you should and shouldn't share. Please bear in mind that these are only recommendations, you don't have to follow them and it's okay if you disagree with us.

We suggest that you don't post your name, particularly if you are young or your name is unique, but it's completely understandable if you want to share it! If you share your name, people may use it to draw the wrong sort of attention towards you and your online account. This can clearly have an effect on your life outside of the internet and what people think of you.

Linking to this, we suggest that you don't share your age. This is because people can take advantage of you. These could be people like pedophiles that may harass you for illicit pictures of your body.

We strongly believe that you should never share your address online (unless you were expecting a delivery from a reputable company). By sharing your address, you leave your home very exposed to predators. People may try to burgle you: even because of a meaningless disagreement online. This wouldn't only affect you but anyone else living in your house.

While it may be okay to safely share your number to people you trust and/or have met online, but it can cause problems if you share it publicly. For example, somebody may try ringing you (a nuisance call) and if you ring back, there's a chance it will cost you large amounts of money. 

Sharing any way of contacting you, like your phone number, email address, any sort of messaging account, always risks people sending you nasty comments or gruesome and inappropriate images.

We strongly encourage you to think before you post. If you feel unsure or hesitant about posting something, don't do it: talk to someone reliable for advice or just think about it.