Fandom Discussion -- Online Safety

[themostepotente]

This is going to be radically different, I think, from anything I post here.

Some of you may have noticed I have a stalker. This clown I don't perceive as a threat, but there are a lot of scary people out there that would take sending an IM a step further.

Nobody should have to live in fear. Nobody should have to feel like they need to keep their identity hidden to feel safe. It should be a choice 'not' a requirement.

This isn't just about fandom, folks -- this is about keeping safe, so I'm opening up a discussion and encouraging those in fandom to speak up or out, whichever :-)

How much information about yourself is too much to share? When is it okay to trust?

If you have any advice about keeping safe, please come and share it.

If you have a story to tell about being stalked, please, come and share that too.

The holidays are upon us, and some people are especially vulnerable this time of year. And yeah, I know this kinda sounds like a public service announcement, but somebody's advice might save another's life.

Thank you,

--Penny

Comments

[kateorman.livejournal.com]

My phone number and home address are secret except to family and close friends IRL. Everybody else can use email and the PO Box. :-) People can be wildly different online and face to face. Usually they are horrible online and lovely IRL, but sometimes it's the other way around!

I've experienced some minor cyberstalking. A warning (like "Do not contact me again. I'll report your next email to your ISP") has sometimes been all that was needed. When ignoring them, or warning them, hasn't done the trick, making a hell of a fuss has helped: publicly posting one harasser's emails in Usenet stopped her, complaints have stopped others. Realising that their actions are not a game and have real consequences seems to make them stop and think.