Internet Cautions

The instant nature of internet communications brings to mind a few internet cautions to keep in mind. A new concept, viral communication, is useful for some types of advertising, and communication of information. Unfortunately, viral communication is also attractive to those who wish to fool others, or create havoc. This can be seen recently, when upon the announcement of the death of pop singing star Michael Jackson, there arose a stream of emails about other stars dying, all of which were untrue. This occurred also during recent elections, as emails filled with untruths spread in a viral fashion, from friend to friend, and email list to email list. Uploaded content is subject to theft, and persons uploading video content should be aware that embarrassing or otherwise potentially damaging or even funny video could become quickly an internet sensation and seen by millions of viewers.

The use of secure website technology is a necessary development to protect sensitive information collected on the internet by business and government. Hackers continue to try to steal important information for their own benefit and profit from innocent users. Look for the gold lock icon to determine if a website has secure technology before providing information over the internet. Caution should also be used when purchasing items from websites and auction websites as some people post fake items just to steal money from buyers.

Image editing can also lead to problems for images can be recreated and then sent out through the internet without regard to copyright infringement, and they can represent persons or things that are not accurate or true, and cause damage to reputations. Social connections are another area in which to use caution, and do background checks. Children should also be closely supervised as they may fall prey to predators or view websites that are for adults.