WebRev Blog

I have written several times about how using a pseudonym online is one way to maintain privacy and security.  Writers and artists have done this for centuries, either to protect their privacy, or to be able to focus on one genre at at time (someone who writes both horror fiction and documentaries, for example, might use different professional names for each pursuit), or because their real name is not very memorable or someone else has already become famous with that name.  People also sometimes do business under names other than their own, and these names sometimes registered as "DBAs" (doing business as), or "ficticious names."  The names, when used correctly, represent real-life people, who intend to be responsible for all of the activity they do under that name. 

What is not acceptable, is when someone creates one of these names to impersonate a real-life person, or to engage in unethical or illegal activity without getting caught.  This problem of "imposter profiles" that sometimes arrises on the popular social networking site, Facebook.

A friend of mine (not a famous person) recently had her profile duplicated after signing up for one of the games on Facebook.  The imposter copied her profile image, and her name (one character different from the name she was using).  She believes this was done for phishing purposes, either to try to get her passwords, and/or to spam her friends.  She followed the instructions, HERE for reporting this account, and was disabled pretty quickly.

This was a concern for the Facebook administrators which has disabled more than once the account of a person who, unfortunately, has the same name as Facebook's founder, Mark Zuckerberg.  This is actually the man's real name, and because he's older than the creator of Facebook, it was actually his name first.  While he is handling this with a lot more grace and humor than I probably would have, one can easily see the need for the Facebook admins to protect their well-known founder.  It would be too easy for someone to scam A LOT of people using Mark Zuckerberg's (the famous one's) name. 

Bottom line? Pseudonyms are generally acceptable, as long as they are used for legitimate purposes, and the person behind the pseudonym takes personal responsibility for the activity they do under that name.  Imposter accounts are NOT acceptable on Facebook or anywhere else, if they're being created to harrass, humiliate, or defame others, or if the person who created the pseudonym is hiding behind the account to do unethical, illegal, immoral or other dubious activity. 

Jennifer Pointer (e-mail) is in Tulsa, OK. She promotes a simple, a low-tech approach to effective online profile management, search engine optimization and social networking. 
 

I'm sure you've seen AMBER Alerts along the highways, and in the media.  These alerts let the public know when a child is missing, what to look for, and who to contact if the child is spotted.  In case you haven't, here's a brief explanation from Missing Kids:

The AMBER Alert Program, named for 9-year-old Amber Hagerman, is a voluntary partnership between law-enforcement agencies, broadcasters, and transportation agencies to activate an urgent bulletin in the most serious child-abduction cases. Broadcasters use the Emergency Alert System (EAS) to air a description of the abducted child and suspected abductor. The goal of an AMBER Alert is to instantly galvanize the entire community to assist in the search for and safe recovery of the child.

The folks at the DOJ have now taken the next logical step, and coordinated with Facebook to make AMBER Alerts available on Facebook, where nearly 600 Million people worldwide collectively spend a lot of time.

If you're on Facebook, click HERE to "like" the state or states in your immediate area to receive alerts near you. 

 Mashable has more information and a video of the press release.

Also see:  What does a child predator look like?

Jennifer Pointer (e-mail) is in Tulsa, OK. She promotes a simple, a low-tech approach to effective online profile management, search engine optimization and social networking. 
 

The internet community is all riled up this week because a dark-humored little internet meme known as "PedoBear" (Yes, that's what it sounds like.) was misunderstood by law enforcement, and some news reporting agencies.  Apparently, the police and reporters didn't get the joke.  Frankly with humor being a subjective thing, and me being a little older than the typical web-user who keeps up with "internet memes," I have to admit I'm not exactly ROFLMAO at this particular one, either.  And I would probably be less-amused if I had young children.  I do, however, recognize sarcasm and, realize that, as Adric pointed out, it's pretty unlikely that a real child predator would dress up like a creepy stuffed bear named "PedoBear."  The intent is clearly the opposite.

So, what does a child predator look like?

In many cases, they may look just like you - or, more specifically, your family, or neighbors.  There is also a pretty good chance they have a good reputation in your community, and just LOVE working with kids (imagine that).  Just like everyone else, they're also using the web, often using profiles that make them appear to be one of your child's friends.  Or, they may work for Google.

Bottom line? 

Keep an eye on your kids.  Don't expect the school, or the church, or the community center to do your job.  Talk with your kids about internet safety, personal safety, boundaries, and friends.  Do you best to make sure your kids feel comfortable talking to you about what's going on in their lives, and who they're talking to.  Monitor what is happening on your family's computers and phones (Yes, this will make your children angry from time to time. They will get over it).

What if it's too late?

If your child has already been victimized, there are places to get help.  For ideas, visit Facts for Families.  Again, if you choose to allow your child to enter counseling, go with him or her (see paragraph #3 above).  It's very important for your child to understand that what happened is not his or her fault.  While whatever occurred maybe shocking and revolting to you, it is also extremely important for your child not to be given the impression that you are angry with him or her.  For more ideas on how to start a conversation with your child about this, see Leah Davies' Kelly Bear.

Also see:  FBI Parent's Guide to Internet Safety and John Walsh: How Can You Tell If a Child Has Experienced Abuse?

Jennifer Pointer (e-mail) is in Tulsa, OK. She promotes a simple, a low-tech approach to effective online profile management, search engine optimization and social networking.