The Internet is forever.
Upload a picture of yourself drunk and topless during your Spring Break 2008 trip to Cancun and you might one day be struck speechless when a potential employer slides the regrettable photo of youthful indiscretion across the desk. "So... tell us about this picture."
In recent years, buzz words like "sexting" and "phishing" have become part of the common vernacular.
The anonymity of the Internet allows all sorts of miscreants to trick, scam and blackmail sensitive information from the unwary cyberspace surfer.
These common crooks are not just after usernames, passwords and online identities.
Sometimes they're after your more, ahem, physical bits and bytes.
A group of no-doubt dubious men (or maybe women, who knows) has recently started using Facebook in an attempt to get new sorority members to take off their clothes as part of a "secret initiation process."
"I don't know of anyone at Auburn that has gone through with it, but I know people at Auburn that have been asked to take their clothes off, but have not," said Jill Moore, associate director of Greek life. "It was something that was happening at other places before it happened here, so we were able to be a little more insulated against and get the word out." (from "Phishing scandal," A1)
The lesson here is the same as the age-old adage of mothers worldwide: be wary of strangers.
If someone is overly friendly online or offers something that seems too good to be true, it is.
Guard yourself.
Have enough self-esteem and be enough of an individual to do your own thing.
In this case, just say no.
Ladies: you love your boyfriend now, but, chances are, you won't be together forever, and that "special" picture that "he would never show another person" will undoubtedly surface postbreakup.
One decision can effect your future.
Don't live like a recluse, carefully considering every action, making sure not to do anything at all which could be taken as offensive by the hypocritical masses.
Just be smart.
And careful.
Your future self will appreciate your discretion.
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