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Online Dating Safety
Think it's time to meet that special someone that you have been chatting online with, in person? Sure, you will take the basic precautions like telling a friend where you will be and meeting in a public place, but is that really enough?
Here are six of the most common pitfalls associated with Internet dating.
1. Scams
Many people have lost thousands of dollars or valuable property to people that they have met on the internet. Be very wary of anyone that asks for money or "falls in love" too soon.
2. Stalking
Think that the anonymity afforded by the internet can protect you? It can't. If you hand over personal information such as telephone number, address or e-mail you are a prime candidate for being stalked. Don't ever give out your personal information to anyone online until you can verify their background and intentions.
3. Violence
Far too many people have been physically assaulted by people they have met online. Many dangerous people with criminal records are using the Internet to prey on innocent victims.
4. Mental and Emotional Abuse
Abuse is not confined to physical injury. A great majority of people have been harassed, humiliated, terrorized and threatened via online communications.
Read Full Article... | Comments (0) | Posted on Dec 01, 2008
Finding Mr. Wrong: Using Background Checks to Say What Your Gut Feels
It happens to all of us, one of our best girlfriends hooks with a total loser and falls for him, hard. No matter how hard you try to convince your friend to ditch her poorly chosen boyfriend, it is often hard to tell her exactly why you don't trust or like the new guy without causing an argument-think K-Fed and Britney.
So what can you do about this guy whom you know is just plain trouble? In the past, you have handled this situation by trying to beg your friend to dump him or just letting your friend find out on her own that her boyfriend is a loser. Often, your friend may perceive that you are attacking her new boyfriend without cause and your relationship may suffer. Ultimately, this may lead to your friend cutting off all contact with you and her peer group. All of these points must be taken into account before talking to your friend about her bad boyfriend.
Unfortunately, without any more evidence than your gut feeling, it may be unreasonable to expect your friend to break up with her boyfriend merely on your urging. However, with the emergence of online investigative web sites, you now have a solid weapon to use against bad boyfriends everywhere: the background check.
Read Full Article... | Comments (0) | Posted on Nov 19, 2008
Is there Etiquette for Contacting People Found on People Search Sites?
I would love to open this article with a quote from the 1999 hit movie "The Matrix," but that would make this article a lot more awkward than it needs to be.
First, I would like to be very specific about the type of search I am about to discuss. It does not matter what circumstances or conditions led up to the event (none of my business), but it happened-you looked up an old flame on a people search site and now you want to contact them. However, how can you contact them without seeming desperate, awkward or completely mental?
The general consensus around the PSN office is that looking up an old flame on the internet ranks right up there with drunk dialing. The Urban dictionary defines "drunk dial" thusly:
Therefore, before looking up an ex-girlfriend or love interest from your past there are some key points to consider:
- Time is not the great equalizer. Since you used a people search service to locate your old flame, chances are you have not spoken to them in quite a while. During this time, they could have married, got engaged, had a family or built a life they have come to thoroughly enjoy,-all without you.
- Memories tend to fade over time. Sure, you may have vivid memories of you and your Juliet running arms open towards each other in a pristine alpine meadow, but don't assume she has the same memories. She may have even forgotten about you entirely.
- It is all a matter of perspective. The value of your relationship may be viewed differently by others. Perhaps you look back on the relationship you had with the subject of your search as particularly formative or life altering. For all you know, he could be 6 years sober and look back on your relationship as one of the triggers for his long bout with alcoholism.
- The timing could be wrong, very wrong. Perhaps the interest of inquiry just had a baby and it is her first day home from the hospital. Her, her husband and various family members are sitting around the living room admiring the baby, having a real family moment. Just then, the phone rings and it's you. AWKWARD!
Read Full Article... | Comments (0) | Posted on Oct 19, 2008