The 10 most unexpected consequences of being online

The web has provided an alternate universe for all of us where we have complete power and control over what we publish or what we access. However, there are some unexpected consequences of being online:

1. Spam: When you enter competitions or provide details online, your details are entered into databases, which can often be shared with other companies or sold off. That’s when you get emails from unknown sources.
2. Copycats: People can use any information posted by you online for fraud or to imitate you. Privacy settings are key.
3. Losing ownership: Many sites can take and use images posted by you online and because we do not always read the terms and conditions of a web page, where it may state that any published content will belong to the site, we often lose ownership of our personal published work and photographs without realising it.
4. No privacy: Posting our lives across social networking sites diminishes our power of privacy. At any stage, anyone may access your profile and find out what you were doing last summer! Even employers like to use this information to their advantage so be careful what you publish online.
5. Bad repute: What you put online is promoting who you are and your personal image. Always make sure that you do not incriminate or make a bad reputation for yourself through what you publish online.
6. Stalkers and sex offenders: Social Network sites are playgrounds for stalkers and sex offenders who often lure the young or naive into unexpected danger. Some cases of rape and murder have been linked to social network conversations with strangers. Once again, privacy settings are key and do not chat or trust people online that you do not know.
7. Fakers: The web gives us the power to be who we want to be. Someone may claim that they are from ABSA, doing a check on your bank account and use the details for theft. Also, that cute guy that you met online could be a 50 year old man who is desperate. Be aware at all times of who you speak to and never trust anyone online.
8. Socially inept: Chatting to people via social networks and email is so convenient and comfortable that people often lose sight of reality and the importance of face to face communication. The power of true friendships diminish and often people become socially inept when put into the context of having a real conversation.
9. Information overload: We live in the era of the information overload. Any information we need is at our finger tips. This brings into question why we don’t try and learn more online. It also raises the question of what is legit and what isn’t. Get to know search engines and trusted sites, which have been previously cited.
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    Taken from co.durham.nc.us

    Publishing power: The web allows us all to become writers and publishers. It is your responsibility to post legitimate information and to not offend others. Being online means you are at the mercy of the world, which is full of critics and sensitive, closed-minded individuals.

The world wide web requires street smarts in this day and age. Always be careful and aware!