[Style Mantra]

Mods have received complaints about individuals who seek out personal details of members like phone numbers, places of work and residence etc. Then seek to use that information to embarrass or otherwise harass people.

This is a VERY SERIOUS issue and could lead to disruptions in daily routines or even to PHYSICAL HARM. This is not an issue solely at Forumpk but applies to ALL online activities. FEMALE MEMBERS are specifically at risk from these individuals.

We urge members not to disclose their personal information in public. There are a few general guidelines you can follow:

DO NOT USE YOUR REAL NAME
DO NOT USE YOUR PRIMARY EMAIL ADDRESS
DO NOT DISCLOSE ANY CONTACT TELEPHONE NUMBERS
DO NOT DISCLOSE THE LOCATION OF YOUR SCHOOL OR WORK OR RESIDENCE

There is no reason at all why anyone online would need such information. Create a pseudo name and imaginary address for yourself and use that if you must. Get an email address specifically for online use and remember that your online identity details are different from real life whenever you use it.

Choose your online friends wisely. Many times stalkers will talk to people you know to gather bit and pieces of information that you have never disclosed to them directly. Anyone can save a chat log, even a friend who means no harm can unknowingly disclose such information to individuals, who would abuse such information. Unless you know the person in real life and meet them in person, there is NO GOOD reason to disclose such details to them.

Conversely if people trust you with their private details then have the decency to keep it private.

If someone does start harassing you remember that CYBERSTALKING is a CRIMINAL offense in many areas. NEVER delete any communication from a stalker. Save all emails/chat logs/PMs or telephone messages you might receive, the Forumpk administration may need them for immediate action.

There are organizations which can provide you more details on how to deal with such circumstances. EDUCATE yourself on the need for online privacy and the disruptive effects it can have on your life if you choose to trust the wrong people. LEARN how apparently benign pieces of information could disclose everything about you.

And last of all I'd like to add that if someone is harassing you on Forumpk. Contact the Mod team and disclose as much detail of what has happened as you can. Remember if such a person is abusing your information, he/she will not hesitate to abuse others. You could be helping to prevent such an incident.