Online safety in fiction

Keeping Kids Safe - online and offline

2011-07-03T17:10:00.000-07:00

An excellent guide for teaching your children the basics of keeping safe from predators: http://www.pollyklaas.org/safe/pdf/PKF_SK_2005_all24pages.pdf.

Your Own Personal Slice of The Web

2011-05-18T18:13:00.000-07:00

Says Eli Pariser: "Invisibly but quickly, the Internet is changing. Sites like Google and Facebook show you what they think you want to see, based on data they've collected about you. So, for example, if you google Obama and I do the same thing at the same time, we may get very different results. The filter bubble is the invisible, personal universe of information that results--a bubble you live in, and you don't even know it. And it means that the world you see online and the world I see may be very different." more

To spy or not to spy?

2011-04-18T21:10:00.000-07:00

Here's a vote for Not To Spy.
And here's a fictional account on why To Spy:

Sexting

2011-02-01T17:40:00.000-08:00

"Certainly news stories have spelled out the lure and dangers of "sexting". Many kids don't fully understand the implications of sending out revealing pictures and can live to regret such errors in judgement. ..." read more here

To spy or not to spy?

2010-12-14T04:34:00.001-08:00

Using parental control software is the topic of Harlan Coben's novel, "Hold Tight". For a real-life version, have a look at this excellent article (the link is to the last page, but feel free to read the whole thing).

Harlan Coben on Teen Safety

2010-08-11T17:54:00.000-07:00

It's not often that a popular fiction book, a thriller, deals with the thorny issue of parental responsibilities during their charges' teenage years. Harlan Coben, a New York Times bestselling author, has recently produced two such novels: Hold Tight and Caught.

Hold Tight delves into the delicate dilemma of "should you spy on your teen's Internet activities". Caught asks whether it's OK for teens to consume alcohol at home when it's against the law: if your child will go out and drink anyway, is it better for a parent to provide a safe haven of a beer keg at home.

Creative Learning doesn't have the answers to those questions, that's something every parent has to decide for themselves, having the full knowledge of their child.

What Creative Learning can do, however, is supplement your knowledge. Is your child likely to sneak out at night and go to a party, then accept a drive home from somebody who'd been drinking?

If their Learning Style has preferences in these areas:

learning with peers
noise
kinesthetic input
intake
external motivation
evening

as well as a non-preference in the following areas:

responsibility
conformity
routine

chances are, they may be a little more unruly than is safe for them.

What is your teen's Learning Style. Find out today.

Software to detect chat impostors

2010-06-02T19:13:00.001-07:00

Read about it here: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10649263

Red Riding Hook and Phishing

2010-05-30T16:49:00.000-07:00

Avoid the big bad wolf and identity theft.

How much information is too much?

2010-05-19T18:58:00.001-07:00

How much personal online information is too much? While we all know not to post our phone number, how about our political sympathies and views on religion? Have a read here.

Stranger Danger Online

2010-02-08T00:41:00.000-08:00

I blogged about Stranger Danger Online at Echelon Shorts. Check it out!

About "Witch Hunts on the Internet"

2009-09-08T03:26:00.000-07:00

Looking for a few non-trivia fun facts about "Witch Hunts on the Internet"? Click here.

"Witch Hunts" now on Kindle

2009-07-15T01:38:00.000-07:00

This is to let you know that "Witch Hunts on the Internet" is now available on Kindle. If you think your teen is safe online, you ought to read that book!

Recycling passwords: tip

2009-06-15T19:01:00.000-07:00

Don't use the same password for your Facebook and online banking. If a hacker gets your details from an easy-to-hack personal site, they'll be laughing all the way to the bank. Yours.

Interview with Yvonne Walus

2009-05-22T19:08:00.001-07:00

Hot off the press: an interview with Yvonne Walus about her thought-provoking book "Witch Hunts on the Internet".

Find out what your teenager gets up to when online....

Teens post sensitive info online

2009-05-07T05:21:00.000-07:00

A recent survey revealed that 50% of New Zealand teenagers think nothing of posting personal information (such as pictures, stories, or comments that they wouldn't want someone who didn't like them to find) on Bebo or Facebook.

Sensitive data posted included:

- First and last name, or their first name and a recognisable picture of themselves (30%)
- E-mail address (30%)

- Mobile phone number (14%)

- Home address (3%)

Does your teenager know the consequences of being too open online?

Read the thriller "Witch Hunts on the Internet", then let your teen read it too!

Too many friends?

2009-04-15T16:24:00.000-07:00

When you're a teenager, your online status is driven - to a large extent - by the number of friends you have on Bebo, MySpace and Facebook. It's yet another measure of popularity. At first glance, it seems harmless enough. But is it?

Recent research suggests that our brains evolve to know no more than 150 people, including those in your household, family and neighbouring caves or huts. 150! Most schools alone are twice the size, and we're not counting family friends, the kids in the street who go to a different school, the mates from swimming lessons, and so on.

Add to that people you befriend online, and you can almost see your brain short-circuiting as they try to sort out the Jenny from ballet and the Jenny from school and Aunt Jenny and Jenny online who goes by the handle born2bwild....

Here's the article if you'd like to see the implications of Internet socialising on this generation's puberty and adolescence years: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/health/news/article.cfm?c_id=204&objectid=10562544&pnum=0.

And here's my book about online friendships going bad:

"Witch Hunts on the Internet" (http://www.fictionwise.com/eBooks/eBook77234.htm).

Judge the book by its cover

2009-04-01T17:27:00.000-07:00

"Witch Hunts on the Internet" has ended up on Book Cover Lovers. Check it out.

Coming up: vote for your favourite book cover....

Will Big Brother Be Watching?

2009-03-27T17:40:00.000-07:00

Here is an article about bits of electronic data stored forever, providing a "God's eye view" of where your mobile phone has been and which sites you've surfed. Are we worried about nothing? Judge for yourself:

http://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/-/technology/5456907/control-needed-digital-view-lives-expert/

A fabulous review of "Witch Hunts on the Internet"

2009-03-14T04:04:00.001-07:00

Check out this review of Yvonne Walus' novella, "Witch Hunts on the Internet": http://lkhunsaker.blogspot.com/2009/03/book-review-witch-hunts-on-internet.html.

"... Witch Hunts is an eerily realistic novella that made me think I was reading an actual journal entry of a scary moment in a mother's life. When she discovers her 13 year old daughter engaged in online chats with a man claiming to be 16, she does research. With her police background, she does very thorough research, to find her suspicions were right and the 16 year old is actually 40. ..."

Buy now link: http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/eBook77234.htm

Another video about Internet safety for kids

2009-03-06T13:48:00.000-08:00

Parents, please watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJqCgr1pQ-8

Netbook users beware!

2009-03-04T04:02:00.000-08:00

Netbook security is practically non-exixtent: http://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/-/technology/5364202/netbooks-offer-hackers-private-data-gateway/

Rethink your Internet security...

2009-03-04T03:49:00.000-08:00

Our "anything-goes" attitude toward sharing data and accepting applications on social networking sites like Facebook or MySpace can be exploited by cyber-criminals.

More here: http://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/-/technology/5365658/germany-warns-catastrophic-state-web-security/

Stranger than fiction

2009-02-03T04:52:00.001-08:00

Do you think the Internet is a safe tool in the hands of the police? Read on: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=10554794&pnum=0 ....

Online safety for writers

2009-01-26T21:10:00.000-08:00

When does a fan change into a stalker?
How much information should you reveal online?
Would you be pleased if one of your readers used Google to discover where your children went to school?

Read my blog entry here...

Fans and stalkers

2009-01-20T04:06:00.000-08:00

When will a fan turn a stalker? What do writers do to protect their privacy? Read more

Technology alone can't keep kids safe online

2009-01-15T02:11:00.000-08:00

"No single approach is foolproof and parental oversight is vital" to keep children safe online, concluded a task force assessing technologies for protecting children from stranger-danger on the net. Read more....

A murder is announced - a safe e-puzzle

2009-01-14T18:42:00.000-08:00

ANNOUNCING!
Murder at the Art Council Fundraiser

You have been invited to attend the dinner and silent auction of the South Lake Art Council. There are over forty guests at this event including these people : Dwayne Brown and Shannon Wallace (lovers of all things South Lake), Salvador Ramirez (police detective and supporter of the arts), the auctioneer David Getwell, a lady in a Dolce & Gabbana gown, the waiter Stan Blythe, the chef Melissa Peabody, the Arts Council president Mr. Austin Moon, and the Arts Council treasurer, Jane Getwell (she's the auctioneer's wife) YOU and over a lot of friends of ours (mostly writers, but everyone loves the arts!).

Go over to the long table at the back of the room and check out the art from Tom Johnson's private collection. This is what will be auctioned off for the fundraiser: vases, sculptures and paintings. Don't be long away from your seat though, they will be serving the first course soon!

Please email Kim Smith on pubd2b@yahoo.com for your next clue....

(This even has been verified as safe, free and R13.)

Teenage chats: the ackronyms (part 1)

2009-01-11T05:33:00.000-08:00

Even if you monitor your teen's chats and emails, you might miss an important clue becaus eyou don't understand the language they're written in.

Here is a sample:

PAW - Parents are watching
PLZ - Please
PM - Private message
POAHF - Put on a happy face
POOF - I have left the chat
pornado - large amount of Pornographic content
POTB - Pats on the back
POS - Parents over shoulder
POTS - Parents over the shoulder
PPL - People
PSA - Public show of affection
P911 - Parent emergency
Q4U - Question for you
QT - Cutie

Kids volunteer too much information online

2009-01-09T05:23:00.000-08:00

Unlike my book, Witch Hunt son the Internet, this article is not fiction!

"... kids volunteer far too much information. Two-thirds provide their age and at least their first name; 60 percent offer their location and contact information. One in five offer up their full name. .... Parents have no clue this is going on.... You think your kid is safe because they are in your house in their own bedroom. Who can hurt them when you are guarding the front door? But (the Internet) is a bigger opening than the front door...."

For more, have a look at "Kids, blogs and too much information" on http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7668788/ ... scary stuff!

Review of "Witch Hunts on the Internet"

2009-01-03T04:55:00.000-08:00

Review: "Your story had an impact on me. Wow. It really really hit me hard." --N, a mom

"Witch Hunts on the Internet" - now available from http://www.fictionwise.com/eBooks/eBook77234.htm.

Witch Hunts on the Internet

2009-01-03T04:53:00.000-08:00

Danger!!! Internet chat are immediate and intimate, but sometimes they only create the impression of a relationship. Sometimes they break hearts. Sometimes they claim lives.

Danger!!! The Internet makes many things look ok even though they are not: porn, sex parties, talking to strangers. It changes the rules and the way the world works.

Danger!!! Internet People are not always what they seem. When your 13-year old daughter pretends to be 15 and in a dating chat room with a 40-year old guy... how far would you go to protect her?

How far would you go to protect your teen?
Read the thriller "Witch Hunts on the Internet" - now available from http://www.fictionwise.com/eBooks/eBook77234.htm.

How safe is Kindle?

2008-12-20T06:12:00.000-08:00

How safe is Kindle? Any opinions? Please post a comment here.

Meanwhile, "Witch Hunts on the Internet" is now on Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Witch-Hunts-on-the-Internet/dp/B001L5U260/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=digital-text&qid=1229782123&sr=1-5

"Witch Hunts" - ereader

2008-12-20T06:05:00.000-08:00

"Witch Hunts on the Internet" is now on ereader: http://www.ereader.com/ereader/eBooks/eBook77234.htm?cache!

... take over victims' machines ...

2008-12-20T05:24:00.001-08:00

"The "zero-day" vulnerability of Internet Explorer 7 allows criminals to take over victims' machines simply by steering them to infected Web sites; users don't have to download anything for their computers to get infected, which makes the flaw in Internet Explorer's programming code so dangerous. Internet Explorer is the world's most widely used Web browser." ~ http://origin-www.sun-sentinel.com/technology/sns-ap-tec-internet-explorer-security,0,2968135.story

What are some other issues regarding internet security?
Read "Witch Hunts on the Internet" (Echelon Press) - http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/eBook77234.htm to find out.

Come chat about Internet Safety

2008-12-14T04:07:00.001-08:00

EXCERPT: "Witch Hunts on the Internet"

2008-12-10T03:01:00.000-08:00

Week 1
This is a transcript of a chat I found on my daughter's computer. Well, not the whole transcript, which was full of stuff like 'random' and 'weird' and 'whatever'. What follows is only the salient bit.
-
Tom16: Need to tell u something important. A secret.
Alicia15: Ok ... :-)
Tom16: Not sure if I can trust u.
Alicia15: Why not?
Tom16: Lots of people online aren't who they say they r. If I hear ur voice, I'll know u r not a middle-aged perv posing as one of us.
Alicia15: Makes sense.
Tom16: So. Do u have a mobile?
Alicia15: Yeah. But no.
Tom16: A webcam?
Alicia15: Forget it!
Tom16: Just kidding. How about photos then?
Alicia15: Plural? That's greedy!!! LOL
Tom16: Anybody can have 1 pic of a 15yo girl. If u have 5, u may be for real.
Alicia15: Dunno. I'm not cool with sending my photos.
Tom16: Come on. It's not like giving ur home address or the gold, u know?

BUY: http://www.fictionwise.com/eBooks/eBook77234.htm

How far would you go to protect your teen?

2008-12-10T02:44:00.000-08:00

A teenage chat room
Your daughter
A 40-year old man posing as a 16-year old
A porn ring

How far would you go to protect your teen?

Read "Witch Hunts on the Internet" - now available from http://www.fictionwise.com/eBooks/eBook77234.htm.

Google makes the Internet unsafe

2008-12-04T17:33:00.000-08:00

Google is why too much Internet information may be a bad thing.

How many 13-year olds wouldn't think twice to give a "friend" in a chat room the following information over a period of time:
- their first name
- the city they lived in
- the sport they played for their school
- the position they played
- that they'd had a home game last Sunday
- that they'd won?

Go on, try it. Google your daughter using the information above. You may be unsettled by what you find.

Witch Hunts on the Internet

2008-12-04T17:22:00.000-08:00

Is your child safe in that chat room?

"Witch Hunts on the Internet" by Yvonne Eve Walus has just been released by Echelon Press.

Danger!!! Internet chat are immediate and intimate, but sometimes they only create the impression of a relationship. Sometimes they break hearts. Sometimes they claim lives.

Danger!!! The Internet makes many things look ok even though they are not ok: porn, sex parties, talking to strangers. It changes the rules and the way the world works.

Danger!!! Internet People are not always what they seem. When your 13-year old daughter pretends to be 15 and in a dating chat room with a 40-year old guy... how far would you go to protect her?

Review:
"I read it and everyone with internet-age kids can do themselves a HUGE favor by reading this one! This day and age can be a very scary one if you don't pay very close attention to your children and what they might be up to online. No one is safe without a little precaution!" ~ Nathalie Kychler Moore

Read Witch Hunts on the Internet" by Yvonne Eve Walus