Cyberstalker Mike Lalonde also known as Michael John Lalonde or even
Michael
Lalonde of Greater Sudbury, Ontario Canada
How to avoid being cyberstalker
by Michael Lalonde
Always select a gender-neutral username for your e-mail address or for
chat,
etc. DON'T pick something cute, such as misskitty@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
or use your
first
name if it is obviously female. Since the majority of online victims are
female, this is what harassers look for. Also, be cautious of using your
first and last name as your user name. If you are listed in the phone
book,
having a user name such as firstname.lastname@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
you an easy
target.
Keep your primary e-mail address private.Use your primary e-mail address
ONLY for people you know and trust. Get a free email account through some
place like Hotmail, Juno or Yahoo! and use that for all your other on-line
activity. Make sure you select a gender-neutral username that is nothing
like anything you've had before.
DON'T fill out profiles! When you sign up for your e-mail account, whether
it's through your ISP (Internet safety providersuch as AOL or Compuserve)
or
a free one (such as Yahoo!), fill out as little information about yourself
as possible. You do NOT need to fill out everything they ask for. When you
hit the submit button, you will be told what informationis absolutely
necessary to get your account opened. The same goes for profiles in IM
(Instant Messenger) programs such as ICQ or AOLs IM and chat rooms. Never,
ever fill out your profiles, unless you want the whole world to know
everything about you.
DO block or ignore unwanted users. Whether you are in a chat room or using
IM, you should always check out what options/preferences are available to
you and take advantage of the "Blockall users except those on my buddy
list"
or add unwanted usernames to an Ignore list in chat. If anyone bothers you
and won't go away, put them on block or ignore!
DON'T defend yourself.Yes, this is the most common reaction when someone
begins to bother you online.Most people naturally want to defend
themselves,
but a reaction from you is just what the harasser wants. He or she is
"fi****ng" for someone to latch onto and harass. When you reply to them,
whether in a chat room, via IM, e-mail, in newsgroups, message boards or
anywhere else online, you're letting them know you're upset. That's
exactly
what they want - bait and you've become it. No matter how hard it is to
do,
ignore these people. When they realize they can't bother you, they'll go
on
to the next chat room, newsgroup, etc and try to find another "fish."
(The last point in particular pertains 100% to Jazzkook)
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