I’m not afraid.

When people find out that I, a nineteen year old “child”, have a website, lecturing and warning doors open.

  • “Don’t use your real name!”
  • “Don’t give out personal information!”
  • “Oh, I wish you wouldn’t have a website…” *shaking head* “Teens these days getting themselves into so much trouble…”
  • *acts like I’m not there and speaks to someone else* “Ugh. Teens these days. All they do is SIT ON THAT COMPUTER! Why can’t they do something more productive? Something they can learn from??!!”

The feedback I receive is extremely irritating. People who don’t know anything about my websites or what I do on them act like I haven’t a right to even be online at all! I’m also told that I “should be afraid” and that I “don’t know how dangerous the Internet can be”.

But it isn’t the Internet.

It is the perverts and whatnots on the Internet. It isn’t me, it isn’t my friends – it’s the scams and such. If I am an adult like the law says I am, why can I not make my own decisions about what I put online? Why do I have to be criticized? Why can’t the people who know nothing about what I do online give me a chance? Why can’t they quit judging me as if I were a book cover?

I’m not afraid of someone finding me.

I use WHOIS Guard on my domain names to keep my personal information hidden from the public. Of course, I highly doubt anyone would actually look me up on WHOIS just to try to stalk me.

At first, my mom didn’t understand why I blog. For a while, she stayed up to date with my posts. Toward the end of 2010, her schedule filled up, and she began playing more of FarmVille and FrontierVille on her [fake] Facebook. If you play, feel free to click on “Facebook” and add her. She’s an active player and gifts frequently. Just saying. 😉

Anyway, my mom blogged for a while. She stopped because people she knew offline were starting to read her posts, and she didn’t like it. Before they began reading it, though, she wanted people to read her blog. It was kind of funny, actually. I got into “trouble” (mostly just jealousy statements were thrown at me) for having even one commenter other than her or myself on my blog posts. I love my mom; she’s hilarious. 😛

…And she calls me hilarious. LOL

I spent the night at my mom’s house last night, and I am spending the night here tonight as well. That’s how I am currently online. ^^

Plugs: Alice, Jemonn, Stephanie.

I am back to joining TCGs. :love: Would you like to see?

You should see people’s reactions when they find out I have penpals… 😉 😛 LOL

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Comments on this post

People only worried about that with me when I was super young. 12-14. Once the Internet became more mainstream everyone seemed to stop worrying about it. When I tell people I have a blog they’re totally bored to the idea, like why WOULDN’T I have a blog? DUH you have a blog Rose. Stop talking about it. 😛

My mom is now an avid reader of my blog 🙂 Maybe yours will be one day too!

I never really received any lectures on internet safety from my parents or anyone else, they knew I was sensible and wouldn’t meet up with someone that I had only known for two days.

I tend to avoid mentioning my place of work, mainly so that I can rant about it after a bad day and not worry about the company finding out rather than people stalking me outside of work.

I avoid putting my address, but I do not worry about putting the city that I live in on the internet. I have a pretty common name, so I doubt anyone would take the effort to hunt me down.

So this is a tricky case. The older people are right – there are privacy concerns to be worried about. But the privacy concerns to actually be worried about mostly involve the companies and not other people online. So if you’re hosted independently with WHOIS guard, you’re probably okay. Also, to my knowledge, very few people in the world actually know what WHOIS is.

It’s really all about being smart and having discretion about what you put on the Internet. Usually, having a full name AND a picture open to the whole Internet on a non-professional website is a bad idea, which is one reason that I don’t like Facebook. Again, this is because of the privacy violations of legitimate companies, not because of stalkers.

And by the way, I think that most people in a generation above you actually thinks that you’re grown up until you’re married and have a full-time job.

I agree with you. My friend was like that. He was all like “Why do you blog? Is that safe you met an online friend offline” However once I showed him my site, he realized it was not as scary as he thought it was. I think people are ignorant because people only hear the “bad” stuff about the internet. I agree there are a lot of spam and stuff but (me and you) and a lot of people have been blogging for a while. You can tell who is legit and stuff and what is spam. Also I have had “creepy” people who talked to me that didn’t add up, so I just do not talk to them anymore.

I never got role playing, I remember that from myspace. I always thought it was odd.

and oh yea idk what we need in NJ. Mhm I guess just the state test too probably.

Haha, I’ve heard those before. I mean, I see how the internet can be dangerous. Careless people could get themselves into a lot of trouble. But it’s exactly like what you’re saying: If you don’t make careless decisions, then you won’t get into trouble.

I also find it extremely amusing that it is ten times easier for someone to stalk you on Facebook than on a blog, but of course, adults have no problem with that.

Haha, your mom sounds funny. My mom is one of those people who wouldn’t be able to figure out how to update the blog. xD

Haha, I feel all of this. I remember when I still lived at home, my mom was always like “What are you doing online all the time???” And when I hinted at a website, she was shocked and appalled at the idea. In high school, I breached the idea of having one to one of my friends, and she looked at me like I was a crazy person. Now I know better and don’t ever bring it up IRL. (Although I used to have a livejournal that I let IRL friends read, and one of them flat out asked me “Where is your new blog?” and I had to let her see it. But I mean, she GETS it, so it’s okay.)

Yes you are just like me, the nineteen year old child using the internet. Really, it’s common sense to not post full names and addresses, but I don’t see what’s so wrong about a first name and writing what goes on. My mom would totally kill me if she knew I’m talking to so many people I met from online though.

I don’t think I like layouts with too many sparkles moving. It’s okay to add it for occasions (say Christmas?) but every day it gets annoying. It slows down my browser. Or maybe I just have a crap browser? Haha.

I hate it when adults are this sensitive about younger people being on the internet and so. Its not like were stupid or anything. We have senses of danger. We know whats up. Because we have a brain.

Adults or anyone else who doesnt blog or know what the experience is of course doesnt understands us people :P!

But your mom did blog, so its a whole different story :P! I love the love-hate relationship ;P!

That sounds like something amazing to be remembered for, I would like people to think that when they think of me. 😀
Tiny doesn’t sound like good people at all, he needs to realize that this is the 21st century and people don’t give a crack about other people’s races anymore. I hate it when people get too into the past, we should all just move on and love each other.

Wow I get that lecture all the freaking time! It really is annoying, especially when facebook first came out. My parents made it seem like it was a place to go ask for people to come find where you live and stalk you.
I know the web can be dangerous but we have brains lol.
I love your relationship with your mom. 🙂 I never liked farmville for some odd reason, it just seemed boring to me.

I totalllly know what you’re talking about. My uncle has given me dirty looks because he knew I had a Myspace or Facebook. jeez, it’s seriously not that big of a deal. I’m an incredibly accessible person & it’s not difficult to stalk me either. & I’m not even afraid because like you said..it’s the perverts out there. But I’m pretty safe anyway. I have pepper spray with me (as required by my father).

Your relationship with your mom is hilarious. i love that she had a blog hahahaah. My mom doesn’t even really know how to use the internet other than to check her email & do online shopping. -_- For a while, she used to use the google search engine to go to a website. She didn’t understand the concept of a browser & the URL bar. haha. Too hilarious. Oh man you know, your picture reminds me of my roommate. But since I can’t see most of your face anyway, I think it’s just the outline of your face. haha.