View Full Version : Internet Predators
This is something I really didn't wanna talk about but, after what happened around the end of September, I decided I should.
This is the best site I've ever joined. I never have to worry about being harassed or threatened here and I've made a lot of really great friends. But it doesn't always seem to be that way at other places on the internet.
Sometime around the end of September, I met a guy in a chat thing (not this site) who seemed to be real friendly at first. We were talking about plants and he wanted to meet me. I told him I didn't even know him and couldn't give him my address or phone number. He got real nasty after that and I stopped the chat. I won't repeat some of the things he said but they Definitely didn't have to do with plants, for sure!
It makes me really happy to be at this site cause I know my friends, here, would never give anyone my personal info. Dad says he might use other tricks to try and find out where I live but I'm not scared. Even if he does find out, he'd still have to deal with dad, me, and the police! That guy may be mean, but dad can be even meaner!
I'm glad things like that never happen here :) ! But I was wondering if anyone else has ever had this problem & how they dealt with it.
Thanx for taking the time to listen :).
djmb74
12-02-2009, 12:21 PM
I pray there is a special place in hell for people that prey on the young, weak, and helpless! That being said....
I monitor my kids activities on the internet as much as possible and educated them on what they do not do on the internet. There are some really messed up people out there and me being an over protective father(so I have been called) I worry about these things. Originally I banned the use of myspace and facebook but then my ex wife that lives in North Carolina let the kids have those accounts when they were up there using her e-mail address and tried to hide it from me... but of course I found out. My kids haven't had any problems but my sons friend that lives next to us did. He had some buy trying to get him to meet up with him as well.
Sorry to hear you had to deal with one of the uglies of the internet. Always be careful about what you put up on the internet!
I pray there is a special place in hell for people that prey on the young, weak, and helpless!
I totally agree! People here at Bananas.org are so friendly, it just shocked me to meet somebody that vicious. Even when he was acting friendly, he sounded kind of hostile. Couldn't even sleep the first night after it happened.
My parents are "overly protective" too. Now I'm kind of glad they are. Think I'm just gonna stay at the plant sites and only chat with people I know and already trust. Also, makes me real happy knowing that there's nobody here like that :) ! I'd know if there was cause they'd talk like that guy. He Sure doesn't seem to like kids much, the way he was talking.
Btw, Thanx for answering my post :) ! I was feeling kind of down but it sure cheers me up just to remember there's good people like you around!
Fortunately, I've never publicly posted my address or phone number. I only give that to people I really, really trust (so far, only to a few people here at Bananas.org).
Don't know what's up with the Facebook or Myspace thing. But my parents don't want me to join either one, so I haven't. Heard they had that in some of the schools but, since I'm home-schooled, I never had to worry about that.
Sure hope your son's friend doesn't have any more trouble with that, either.
Thanx for the support :) ! I sure needed it!
cherokee_greg
12-02-2009, 01:02 PM
To bad there is so many freakos out there. I donot have any kids but if I did I think id be right there with them every time they got on the net. I myself had run inns with freakos and stockers. It even freaked me out. You have to be careful in all ways.
But than on the other hand there are some great people you meet too.
I have to say there is a native american group I belong too I was real new in it at the time we had a gathering In Wasington State I did go to it it was way back in the mountains I was picked up by two woman at the airport than we waited for another guy coming in from Arizonia we got in the car and drove and drove and drove and finally arrived to the house. I was kinda nervous at first but it turned out to be one of the best times of my life :woohoonaner: People came in from all over the United States. We played drums danced around the fire had a sweat lodge cooked native american food.We gifted it was a great powwow.
Eric be careful little brother.
Jack Daw
12-02-2009, 01:05 PM
I pray there is a special place in hell for people that prey on the young, weak, and helpless! That being said....
Yes, it's an empty room with white walls, no door or windows and no internet connection.
Dalmatiansoap
12-02-2009, 01:06 PM
Hahaha, who knows maybe there will be great Bananas.org gathering once with members from all over globe ;):woohoonaner:
cherokee_greg
12-02-2009, 01:07 PM
Hahaha, who knows maybe there will be great Bananas.org gathering once with members from all over globe ;):woohoonaner:
that would be so cool :woohoonaner: cant waite !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
cherokee_greg
12-02-2009, 01:11 PM
[QUOTE=djmb74;112528]I pray there is a special place in hell for people that prey on the young, weak, and helpless! That being said....
Amen to that my brother
Hahaha, who knows maybe there will be great Bananas.org gathering once with members from all over globe ;):woohoonaner:
Super Idea :) !!!!!! Could have a big Luau with lots of munchies, especially nanners!! Sweet!!
Thanx guys :) !! Now I feel so happy I could Pop!!
cherokee_greg
12-02-2009, 01:27 PM
Super Idea :) !!!!!! Could have a big Luau with lots of munchies, especially nanners!! Sweet!!
Thanx guys :) !! Now I feel so happy I could Pop!!
yes we could roast a hog have some banana pudding and some pineapple upside down cake yes !!!!!!!!!!!!! :woohoonaner:
There is a website called 419baiters that turns the tables on some of the scam artist out there. They do all sorts of things to occupy their time and send them on wild goose chases. Some of the stories there are really funny.
I was scammed when I was trying to sell some puppies--it is called the third party scam--the guy sent me a check for more than the cost of the puppy and said I should sent the excess to his puppy courier (before the check had time to clear). I did not fall for the scam, but did find out that banks now charge you for deposits that bounce.
There is a website called 419baiters that turns the tables on some of the scam artist out there. They do all sorts of things to occupy their time and send them on wild goose chases. Some of the stories there are really funny.
I was scammed when I was trying to sell some puppies--it is called the third party scam--the guy sent me a check for more than the cost of the puppy and said I should sent the excess to his puppy courier (before the check had time to clear). I did not fall for the scam, but did find out that banks now charge you for deposits that bounce.
Banks charge you if the check bounces!? That's not fair! Glad to hear ya didn't fall for the scam, though. Was so worried about that weird guy that was after me, I didn't even stop to think about scammers!
Btw, Thanx for the great idea, 419baiters :) !! Think I'll send him on a wild goose chase if I ever run into him again!! LOL!!
Greg :) !! Pinapple upside down cake... Super!! Btw, Luv that photo of your mom!! We got lots of Teepees here in Oklahoma, too, they're Super!!
cherokee_greg
12-02-2009, 01:53 PM
There is a website called 419baiters that turns the tables on some of the scam artist out there. They do all sorts of things to occupy their time and send them on wild goose chases. Some of the stories there are really funny.
I was scammed when I was trying to sell some puppies--it is called the third party scam--the guy sent me a check for more than the cost of the puppy and said I should sent the excess to his puppy courier (before the check had time to clear). I did not fall for the scam, but did find out that banks now charge you for deposits that bounce.
that reminds me of this puppy story
Advance Fee Scammers Now Exploiting Cute Puppies - The Consumerist (http://consumerist.com/2007/10/advance-fee-scammers-now-exploiting-cute-puppies.html)
LilRaverBoi
12-02-2009, 01:58 PM
Yeah, ya really have to be careful on the internet for scams and 'not so reputable' individuals. Honestly, though...you can't let this get to you too much or you let them win! Don't hole yourself up and only go on sites where you feel 'safe' cause then you severely limit yourself. Ya have to step past your comfort zones sometimes. With that said, this doesn't mean you should be sharing your private info with everyone. Be safe about things and be ever vigilant for scams/traps.
Think about it...now that you've had this bad experience, don't you feel like you're more prepared to deal with it if it ever happens again?? I've been scammed out of large amounts of money, I've met people off the internet many times who were not quite how they said they were or how they acted online. If you're ever going to share private information about your location, phone number, etc, you should be pretty comfortable with that person and know them well prior to such exchanges of information. Even then, every time I meet someone off the internet, I'm always careful to do it in a neutral location with people around. And I always carry my menacing-looking pocket knife 'just in case.' Cause really...ya never know. I've only had a few kinda sketchy experiences, nothing too bad, but I always play it safe.
Basically, to sum this all up....always be careful to ensure you will be safe in any situation....but don't limit yourself unnecessarily just because a situation isn't 100% safe, either.
damaclese
12-02-2009, 02:34 PM
There is a website called 419baiters that turns the tables on some of the scam artist out there. They do all sorts of things to occupy their time and send them on wild goose chases. Some of the stories there are really funny.
I was scammed when I was trying to sell some puppies--it is called the third party scam--the guy sent me a check for more than the cost of the puppy and said I should sent the excess to his puppy courier (before the check had time to clear). I did not fall for the scam, but did find out that banks now charge you for deposits that bounce.
this practis of charging for some ones bounced check is against the law in all 50 stats a call to the interstate banking commission will get your fees back and a hefty fine for the bank
island cassie
12-02-2009, 02:48 PM
Eric - so glad that you have come out of that situation well - you are one smart guy!! When people go beyond friendly and try to get too close too soon, alarm bells ring and you listened to them. Good advice never to give out your address, phone no or email address too quickly - I also avoid the social networking sites too - for that reason but also because I simply don't have the time!
Pig roasts are a DR speciality - so I'll bring that (or 2 if needed for the crowds that will turn up)! Chocolate-dipped frozen bananas!
Bryan. Did some thinking. It probably wouldn't have even bothered me much if the guy hadn't been so vicious. And I don't like being restricted so I'm just gonna use the "wild goose chase" idea if I ever run into that guy again!
Guess I shouldn't have kept quiet about it so long. Sure makes it easier to figure out when ya talk to other people!
Paul, Thanx for that info :) ! Didn't think that could be all that legal for banks to do.
Island Cassie, Thanx :) ! Those alarm bells were real easy to hear! Sounded like he liked me but wanted to hurt me, too... it just didn't make any sense. Guess there's just some really weird people that get on the internet sometimes!
Not worried anymore! Guess I can change my location, under my avatar, back to Oklahoma now. Don't guess (if he was ever lurking) that he really believed I live on Mars, LOL!!
momoese
12-02-2009, 03:12 PM
I saw a show a while back where they showed how easy it is to figure out someone's true identity from just a few scraps of info that commonly get shared in chat rooms. The girl thought she was being careful but just a few things she told the person over the course of several conversations enabled him to track her down. Her parents also thought she was safe until this happened. Of course it was all set up and the stalker was working for the show so there was no real danger, but man was she and her parents surprised and frightened at how easy it was!
momoese
12-02-2009, 03:15 PM
Guess there's just some really weird people that get on the internet sometimes!
Not just the internet, everywhere, maybe even Mars!
Dalmatiansoap
12-02-2009, 03:43 PM
Pig roasts are a DR speciality - so I'll bring that (or 2 if needed for the crowds that will turn up)! Chocolate-dipped frozen bananas!
:woohoonaner:
:woohoonaner:
:woohoonaner:
this practis of charging for some ones bounced check is against the law in all 50 stats a call to the interstate banking commission will get your fees back and a hefty fine for the bank
Really! They charged me $8. When I reported the scam to the FBI office, they told me that the check would probably bounce and the bank would probably charge me--up to $35.
stumpy4700
12-02-2009, 03:51 PM
Eric, If his conversation was threatening or sexual you need to report it to the police. Without me knowing exactly what was said, it will depend on if they follow up on the orginal report or not. At least this way it is on file incase this Bas#@rd ever does make contact again. More that likely it will just be a matter of record report and just documented for future use if needed, but in todays times it needs to be known. If you still have any of the user names he used and any info he said during the chats write it down to put in the report. If I can find it I'll post a good e-mail where a girl was online and just by a few chats a police officer posing as a pedophile found out everything about this girl without even asking her. Luckly he just notified her parents and wasn't a stalker out to hurt her. Real scary stuff this internet is..Be safe
stumpy4700
12-02-2009, 04:01 PM
MYSPACE or Facebook: A Must Read for All
EVERYONE NEEDS TO READ ALL OF THIS
and
HAVE CHILDREN READ IT TOO!
After tossing her books on the sofa,
she decided to grab a snack and get on-line. She logged on under her screen name ByAngel213.
She checked her Buddy List
and saw GoTo123 was on.
She sent him an instant message:
ByAngel213:
Hi. I'm glad you are on!
I thought someone was following me home today. It was really weird!
GoTo123:
LOL You watch too much TV.
Why would someone be following you?
Don't you live in a safe neighborhood?
ByAngel213:
Of course I do. LOL
I guess it was my imagination
cuz' I didn't see anybody when I looked out.
GoTo123:
Unless you gave your name out on-line.
You haven't done that have you?
ByAngel213:
Of course not. I'm not stupid you know.
GoTo123:
Did you have a softball game
after school today?
ByAngel213:
Yes, and we won!!
GoTo123:
That's great! Who did you play?
ByAngel213:
We played the Hornets. LOL.
Their uniforms are so gross!
They look like bees. LOL
GoTo123:
What is your team called?
ByAngel213:
We are the Canton Cats.
We have tiger paws on our uniforms.
They are really cool.
GoTo1 23:
Did you pitch?
ByAngel213:
No, I play second base.. I got to go..
My homework has to be done
before my parents get home.
I don't want them mad at me. Bye!
GoTo123:
Catch you later. Bye
Meanwhile, GoTo123
went to the member menu
and began to search for her profile.
When it came up,
he highlighted it and printed it out.
He took out a pen
and began to write down
what he knew about Angel so far.
Her name: Shannon
Birthday: Jan. 3, 1985
Age: 13
State where she lived: North Carolina
Hobbies: softball, chorus, skating and going to the mall.
Besides this information, he knew she lived in Canton because she had just told him.
He knew she stayed by herself
until 6:30 p.m. every afternoon
until her parents came home from work.
He knew she played softball on Thursday afternoons on the school team,
and the team was named the Canton Cats. Her favorite number 7
was printed on her jersey.
He knew she was in the eighth grade
at the Canton Junior High School .
She had told him all this
in the conversations they had on- line.
He had enough information to find her now.
Shannon didn't tell her parents
about the incident on the way home
from the ballpark that day.
She didn't want them to make a scene
and stop her from walking home
from the softball games.
Parents were always overreacting
and hers were the worst.
It made her wish she was not an only child. Maybe if she had brothers and sisters,
her parents wouldn't be so overprotective.
By Thursday, Shannon had forgotten
about the footsteps following her.
Her game was in full swing
when suddenly she felt someone
staring at her.
It was then that the memory came back.
She glanced up from her second base position to see a man watching her closely.
He was leaning against the fence
behind first base
and he smiled when she looked at him.
He didn't look scary
and she quickly dismissed the sudden fear she had felt.
After the game,
he sat on a bleacher
while she talked to the coach.
She noticed his smile once again
as she walked past him.
He nodded and she smiled back.
He noticed her name on the back of her shirt. He knew he had found her.
Quietly, he walked a safe distance
behind her.
It was only a few blocks
to Shannon's home,
and once he saw where she lived
he quickly returned to the park to get his car.
Now he had to wait.
He decided to get a bite to eat
until the time came
to go to Shannon's house.
He drove to a fast food restaurant
and sat there until time to make his move.
Shannon was in her room
later that evening
when she heard voices in the living room.
"Shannon, come here," her father called.
He sounded upset
and she couldn't imagine why.
She went into the room
to see the man from the ballpark
sitting on the sofa.
"Sit down," her father began,
"this man has just told us
a most interesting story about you."
Shannon sat back.
How could he tell her parents anything?
She had never seen him before today!
"Do you know who I am, Shannon ?"
the man asked.
"No," Shannon answered.
"I am a police officer
and your online friend,
GoTo123."
Shannon was stunned.
"That's impossible!
GoTo is a kid my age!
He's 14. And he lives in Michigan !"
The man smiled.
"I know I told you all that,
but it wasn't true.
You see, Shannon,
there are people on-line
who pretend to be kids;
I was one of them.
But while others do it to injure kids
and hurt them,
I belong to a group of parents
who do it to protect kids from predators.
I came here to find you
to teach you how dangerous it is
to talk to people on-line.
You told me enough about yourself
to make it easy for me to find you.
You named the school you went to,
the name of your ball team
and the position you played.
The number and name on your jersey
just made finding you a breeze."
Shannon was stunned.
"You mean you don't live in Michigan ?"
He laughed. "No, I live in Raleigh.
It made you feel safe
to think I was so far away, didn't it?"
She nodded.
"I had a friend whose daughter was like you. Only she wasn't as lucky.
The guy found her and murdered her
while she was home alone.
Kids are taught not to tell anyone
when they are alone,
yet they do it all the time on-line.
The wrong people trick you
into giving out information a little here
and there on-line.
Before you know it,
you have told them enough
for them to find you
without even realizing you have done it.
I hope you've learned a lesson
from this and won't do it again.
Tell others about this
so they will be safe too?"
"It's a promise!"
That night Shannon
and her Dad and Mom thanked God
for protecting Shannon
from what could have been a tragic situation.
If anyone wants the orginal e-mail to send to others just pm me and I can e-mail it to you.
Eric, If his conversation was threatening or sexual you need to report it to the police. Without me knowing exactly what was said, it will depend on if they follow up on the orginal report or not.
Couldn't be sure but I think both. And it is on file with the police. I told them everything I remembered but couldn't remember the username except that there were a lot of numbers in it. Thanx for the advice, though :) ! It's been 2 months now & nothing's happened so, hopefully, the whole thing's over with. Btw, it was only one chat and all he could've found out is that I like plants, especially bananas. He did most of the talking. Also, I was told that if he ever tried to contact me again, to keep him talking & get dad to come in and watch. He knows how to make a copy of the chat.
Stumpy!
Just read your last post! That's scary as hell!
She told him everything! I never let people know Anything about me! I might say I went out to eat but Never tell them where. My parents said people can use clues to figure out where ya are. I don't tell people my last name, phone number, address, and you can look through all my photo galleries, here, and won't find one photo that has our house in it. All parents & kids should Definitely have that story to read. In fact, I think it should be posted as a Sticky at this site, since there are young members here.
Thanx :) !
Btw, this is what dad had me read & agree to before I ever went on-line on the internet:
Safety Pledges (http://www.netsmartz.org/resources/pledge.htm)
And I guess it's safe enough to say - no offense to anyone here - mailed packages never come to my address. Dad has to go pick them up for me. It's always safer to give an address of a trusted friend of the family.
island cassie
12-02-2009, 04:18 PM
Bless you Eric - stay safe and don't be scared!
CValentine
12-02-2009, 05:13 PM
Eric,
I have kids that use the internet & I monitor them & have software that 'helps' protect them, and me, just in case.
My kids do not use the computer when I am not there to supervise.
Most of the time it is for online Dictionary or research & references, or to e-mail their friends I know from our Home-School Co-operative group.
People I know & they know.
I have allowed them to sit in on some chats with me to see how people are supposed to conduct themselves.
My 14yo is an enthusiastic, inquisitive & friendly girl...she enjoys making new friends & meeting new people, AND she understands that there are people who look to exploit her...Both within her her peer group & out.
She had read the story about the girl that was reprinted above & (7 years ago)we had a friend who went through trying to protect their daughter from herself. She kept frequenting chatrooms & misrepresenting her age & they didn't find out until,(my then 14yo, now 21 yo daughter), told them what(their daughter, her friend)was doing & that she was disgusted...AND that the girl was having grown men calling the house.
Some people say kids will be kids, but my daughter was repulsed by the behavior of this former friend.
The internet is a real part of todays world...We as parents have to educate our young people in how to conduct themselves.
Your parents have done a good job Eric!!! You have the self-regulatory controls some kids don't have.
Kudos to you too!!
We are all here on this Forum medium to learn & share about our plants...share our experience & have some good clean FUN!!!
I enjoy having you & everyone else as a Forum Friend & thank each of of you for making it a Fabulous Family friendly place to visit!
Have a great week Eric & Everyone!! :) ~Cheryl
BananaLee
12-02-2009, 05:38 PM
When I'm uneasy, I pray to my Guardian Angel, he saved me a couple time and my dad. Here's a really cool true story: A girl was coming home from school and she went through a dark ally where she saw a big malicious-looking man. She said here Guardian Angel prayer and walked right passed the man. After wards the man mugged someone but was captured by the police, the girl went to the police station and found out the man was a murderer. She asked the man why he didn't attack her. He said he didn't want to take any chances with that really big, burly guy walking beside her. She said that there was no one with her. This same thing happened with my dad and a couple other people. I slipped in quicksand and I felt a hand grab my arm and hoist me up. I knew right away what it was.
Thanx :) Cheryl!! The "Thanx" button just wasn't enough! Yeah, I was taught real good how to behave & be safe on the internet & tell my friends about that stuff too so they'll be safe. And with this site, I just don't see any reason to go anywhere else!
But there are non-forum sites that are okay like "Nasa Human Spaceflight", "Lockheed", and "Math" & other school type sites!
And I wanna say Thanx to everybody here, too :) ! It's a Super place to be! Hope you & everybody else has a Super week, too!!
Levi :), Very Glad you have a Guardian Angel watching after you! But Do play safe. It might give the angels a little more time to help someone else sometimes, too :) !!
stumpy4700
12-02-2009, 05:53 PM
Good for you Eric, Although I haven't chatted with you much I have read your posts and you seem like a very smart young man. Your Dad should be real proud
damaclese
12-02-2009, 08:04 PM
Thanx :) Cheryl!! The "Thanx" button just wasn't enough! Yeah, I was taught real good how to behave & be safe on the internet & tell my friends about that stuff too so they'll be safe. And with this site, I just don't see any reason to go anywhere else!
But there are non-forum sites that are okay like "Nasa Human Spaceflight", "Lockheed", and "Math" & other school type sites!
And I wanna say Thanx to everybody here, too :) ! It's a Super place to be! Hope you & everybody else has a Super week, too!!
Levi :), Very Glad you have a Guardian Angel watching after you! But Do play safe. It might give the angels a little more time to help someone else sometimes, too :) !!
Eric I'm sorry that happened to you!! but it sounds like you handled it in the best way possible
i can say this being gay i belong to a number of social sites and we have to constantly watch for pedophiles i know every one thinks gay men are a higher % of this miscreant population but that just not true. i my self have reported just in the last 30 days alt least 3 people that have posted things about children i think the reason I'm telling you all this is so that you understand that Gay people are just as if not even more concerned with this bad ethical behaver and actively police the sites we belong to in a spiritual corrupt society thees kinds of things happen we just remain vigilant at all times to in sure the safety of not only children but men and woman too
LilRaverBoi
12-02-2009, 09:35 PM
"Do you know who I am, Shannon ?"
the man asked.
"No," Shannon answered.
"I am a police officer
and your online friend,
GoTo123."
Shannon was stunned.
"That's impossible!
GoTo is a kid my age!
He's 14. And he lives in Michigan !"
The man smiled.
"I know I told you all that,
but it wasn't true.
See, even COPS are online predators now a days! Who can you trust!? LOL :ha:
PS...she was born in 1985 and is 13?? What an old story! I was born in 1985 and I'm 24.
And BananaLee...no offense to your beliefs, bro, but I wouldn't rely on your 'guardian angel' to protect you from everything. If that girl was smart, she would have just WALKED AWAY rather than walking past some scary-looking guy alone in a dark alley just because she prayed to her guardian angel. I'm sorry, but that's VERY stupid IMO. Again, no offense whatsoever meant to your beliefs....but don't use faith to blind you into making poor decisions.
Scuba_Dave
12-02-2009, 09:48 PM
Another urban legend
But a good way to illustrate the dangers out there
Even an IP address can be backtracked to the location given the right equipment/person
"GoTo123", a person she believes is a teenager from another state. "GoTo123" is able to collect enough information to locate Shannon and follow her home. Luckily, "GoTo123" turns out to be a police officer who uses this frightening turn of events as a means of teaching young Shannon a valuable lesson.
The scenario outlined in this email certainly illustrates how vulnerable youngsters can be to online predators. However, it should be noted that the story does not describe a real event and was never intended to do so.
In fact, the article was written some years ago by two concerned Christians as a way of illustrating the potential dangers of online communication for young people.
Good for you Eric, Although I haven't chatted with you much I have read your posts and you seem like a very smart young man. Your Dad should be real proud
Thanx Stumpy :o !! And Thanx for all the great advice :) !! Think I need to be a lot nicer to dad. He may seem like a real pain in the tail, sometimes, but he really does care. Think I'll start tonight and keep my stereo turned down. I can always use my headphones, anyway :) !!
Btw, if anyone else wants to call me a "very smart young man", I won't object :) !
i can say this being gay i belong to a number of social sites and we have to constantly watch for pedophiles i know every one thinks gay men are a higher % of this miscreant population but that just not true.
Some people are gay & that's okay. I even read a news story about some kids who tried to kill a kid, in a Texas school, just cause he was gay. That was Horrible! Doesn't really matter if someone's gay or not, some people are just vicious and those vicious people are who I Definitely Don't wanna run into on the internet... or anywhere else! Btw, I have met gay people who have never tried to do anything wrong. But that guy in Stumpy's story wasn't gay & he killed that girl so it's not about being gay. Just that some people are good and some aren't.
Another urban legend
But a good way to illustrate the dangers out there
Even an IP address can be backtracked to the location given the right equipment/person.
Well, real or not, it's Definitely scary enough to make someone stop & think, for sure!
justjoan
12-03-2009, 08:39 AM
Glad to hear you got this squared away.:goteam: I am pretty careful with what I share and as far as Facebook goes I can't believe all the stuff folks put out on the air, OMG!! I did sign up there and after I, along with others, experienced some sort of virus from one of their applications, I really haven't gone back. :santananer: Take care of you!
BananaLee
12-03-2009, 05:12 PM
Oh ya guys I do play VERY safe. Never do much online stuff. The Org is basically it. And with the story, just wanted to share, I'm not trying to push anything like that, just a little story I found interesting. LilRavorboi, I don't find it stupid for her to walk passed a man, she was little. That's calling me really stupid too, I think it's more bravery than stupidity. You don't have to believe anything but it's good to be strong on what you believe and trust in, it seemed to work for me and has never failed me. Faith with cautiousness is not a bad thing.
Oh ya guys I do play VERY safe. Never do much online stuff. The Org is basically it. And with the story, just wanted to share, I'm not trying to push anything like that, just a little story I found interesting. LilRavorboi, I don't find it stupid for her to walk passed a man, she was little. That's calling me really stupid too, I think it's more bravery than stupidity. You don't have to believe anything but it's good to be strong on what you believe and trust in, it seemed to work for me and has never failed me. Faith with cautiousness is not a bad thing.
You're right :). Faith with cautiousness is not a bad thing, it's a good thing!
I like to be very cautious, so nothing bad can happen, but I do like the feeling that something is watching out for me! I know Bryan. He's not really tryin to down anyone. He just worries about other people and wants them to be safe.
Thanx for sharing the story! It's a good one :) !
BananaLee
12-03-2009, 06:00 PM
Eric, that was a very smart thing to do, your parents should be proud of you! :) When something like that happens, I get uneasy to and I look paranoid and I shake a lot. You are very mature Eric! Once your out of the house, I think you'll do very well out in this creepy, unsuspecting world that we live in.
LilRaverBoi
12-03-2009, 06:27 PM
Faith with cautiousness is not a bad thing.
YES...that's exactly my point. I never said faith was bad or stupid. My main point was this....NEVER rely ONLY on faith and put yourself in a dangerous situation because you 'trust faith to protect you.' The little girl story you mentioned is a perfect example. Here are her options....1) walk down a lit street where there are people or 2) walk down a dark alley where the only other person was a menacing-looking man. I think it's pretty safe to say which option is the smarter decision to make. Yet what did she do?? She prayed to her guardian angel and then made an incredibly stupid decision by walking down the dark alley. Sorry, but it's true. I'm not gonna try to make an argument about the power of faith, the presence of divine intervention, guardian angels, etc as this is NOT the point of this discussion. The fact of the matter is this.....DON'T MAKE POOR DECISIONS AND TRY TO JUSTIFY IT BY PRAYING TO A HIGHER BEING.
I'm sure this comment sounds a bit harsh, and I do not mean this in ANY way to be a personal attack on anyone here. Like Eric said, I'm not out to be mean to anyone. I'm a nice guy and am only trying to make a point here to encourage people to use common sense and make good decisions so they don't end up in a dangerous situation.
My main point here is to use common sense and good decision-making to AVOID dangerous situations, rather than to make poor decisions, put yourself in a bad position and then rely on faith to keep you safe. If I went down to the ghetto and started giving daring looks to dangerous looking people while praying to my guardian angel, $10 says I'd end up in the hospital or dead. Or I could drive around drunk/reckless without wearing a seatbelt because I trust a higher power to protect me. Sure, these are drastic examples, but you see my point.
And that's all I am getting at here...again, no disrespect meant to anyone or their faith.
BananaLee
12-03-2009, 06:48 PM
No harm done and I see your point! Don't worry I'm not gonna go in to an ally, but it's always a little tense going out to Detroit! ;) I loath drunk driving too so I won't drive drunk. The only thing people have to worry about is that I don't go on a crazy adventure and get myself killed!! Lol! Would love to sail the Great Lakes and fight modern day pirates! But while I'm dreaming I'd like to own a tropical Island...sigh... :(
damaclese
12-03-2009, 06:57 PM
aaaa the blissful days of youth :-)
No harm done and I see your point! Don't worry I'm not gonna go in to an ally, but it's always a little tense going out to Detroit! ;) I loath drunk driving too so I won't drive drunk. The only thing people have to worry about is that I don't go on a crazy adventure and get myself killed!! Lol! Would love to sail the Great Lakes and fight modern day pirates! But while I'm dreaming I'd like to own a tropical Island...sigh... :(
I won't drive drunk, either, cause I'd get grounded for 50,000 years and never get a chance to get a license :ha: !! Btw, when ya get old enough to drink, DON'T ever drink tequila. That just gets ya grounded With a sour gut to go with it :(.
Oh, and mainly, if you're gonna dream, dream all the way :) ! Tropical island, Spanish galleon, & pirates :D !! I'll be the one with the parrot :D !!
Patty in Wisc
12-03-2009, 08:43 PM
Speaking of Internet predators, can anyone tell me how to keep porn emails out? Mikes 26 yr old son used his puter to sign up for 2 porn dating places and he used Mikes email addy. We didn't use that puter for about 2 months & there were 1400 emails - most porno. I sent all to spam folder but more comes every day. That brat was told to stay off puter but he doesn't listen. I could not repeat here what the emails say on the subject lines - gross. And, they are from some of the same ppl - just changing their name. His son's been told to go back to the sites (on a different puter!) & remove the email addy but I don't think it'll stop them from coming.
Since I cleaned up his inbox yesterday, there are 26 more. Thanks
Definitely sounds like a predator thing to me! Dad says ya can go into your email, click the messages ya don't want, and click the spam button. He does that to get rid of a lot of ads. My internet's filtered but I still end up with ads, sometimes.
Anybody else know of a way to solve Patty's problem?
LilRaverBoi
12-03-2009, 11:34 PM
Yeah, mark them as 'spam' when they come in your inbox...then you can just 'empty spam' without even having to look at them. Also, if you open up individual messages, they usually have a link you can click to 'unsubscribe' or take yourself off the list. I do this on messages from time to time and it really cuts down on the overall amount of spam I get.
To be honest, though...EVERYONE gets porn spam....doesn't matter if you've signed up or even GONE to any sites like that...they send it to everyone without discriminating.
Mikes 26 yr old son used his puter to sign up for 2 porn dating places and he used Mikes email addy. We didn't use that puter for about 2 months & there were 1400 emails - most porno. I sent all to spam folder but more comes every day. That brat was told to stay off puter but he doesn't listen. I could not repeat here what the emails say on the subject lines - gross.
Just something dad said: 26 year old = brat = no. 26 year old = man = yes. Men have dated for thousands of years without computers. If the man, in question, refuses to grow up, you should consider a parental filter.
What I say: I can't even imagine dating somebody at a porn site. I don't think they'd be very interested in a relationship or marriage.
To be honest, though...EVERYONE gets porn spam....doesn't matter if you've signed up or even GONE to any sites like that...they send it to everyone without discriminating.
Where's mine :confused: !? All I ever get is emails from relatives, friends, and the 7 sites I belong to. A gun site, 4 plant sites, and 2 music sites. Also from school type sites but if there's porn on the internet, somebody's doing a great job of hiding it.
LilRaverBoi
12-04-2009, 10:33 AM
LMFAO...I don't think there is much 'dating' going on at those sites. And you seriously don't get any porn spam mail? I get stuff advertising pills to 'increase the size of my member' all the time and never clicked on anything of the sort. It just goes in the spam folder and gets deleted, but occasionally they make it past the filter.
LMFAO...I don't think there is much 'dating' going on at those sites. And you seriously don't get any porn spam mail? I get stuff advertising pills to 'increase the size of my member' all the time and never clicked on anything of the sort. It just goes in the spam folder and gets deleted, but occasionally they make it past the filter.
Haven't got any, yet, and it's real frustrating! Pills that increase the size of your member? :eek: No thanx! Got enough trouble already!
BananaLee
12-04-2009, 01:40 PM
Got enough trouble already!
I do too! I don't get any porn e-mails either.
I do too! I don't get any porn e-mails either.
That's Real good to hear :) (e-mail thing) ! Gonna be tuff enough just gettin through school & tryin to find some time to play video-games and stuff. Def dont need weird stuff like that taking up time & causin probs!
Jack Daw
12-04-2009, 06:18 PM
aaaa the blissful days of youth :-)
Heh, my sentiments exactly.
It's pretty much described by these few lines I can still remember by heart:
<dl><dd>Gaudeamus igitur</dd><dd>Juvenes dum sumus.</dd><dd>Post jucundam juventutem</dd><dd>Post molestam senectutem</dd><dd>Nos habebit humus.</dd></dl>
Patty in Wisc
12-04-2009, 09:04 PM
Hey Eric, tell your Dad I said thanks for the encouraging pm! Mike should have some of your Dad's parenting skills! :)
I opened a email from the porn dating site & at the bottom it said "click here if you wish to NOT get our email notifications" so I did. Now still getting individual porno emails -some go to spam & others I just have to send 'em there. I don't know who these ppl are..the emails are not being sent thru the dating sites. I wonder if Mike's email addy shows on there - or how did they get his email addy? He got over 50 in spam now less than 2 days.
Hey Eric, thanks for reminding of the parental controls! I never had to use that before.
Patty, I'll tell him when I go down to breakfast in the morning :) ! Yeah, guess dad does pretty good cept about my stereo and stuff, but he's okay. Dunno on the addy thing. But I heard on the news that people sell info, about other people, to companies. Or maybe it's just all one big company with a lot of names.
Well, the parental controls thing was dad's idea... on my computer, too. Guess I'm kind of glad they're there now, though, after what happened.
Hope everything works out okay :) ! That must be a real mess to have to deal with. Since the threads all about that kind of stuff, let me know how it all works out :) !
Patty in Wisc
12-05-2009, 05:49 PM
That's it Eric...those dating sites sold Mike's addy!! I guess there's nothing we can do but send them to spam folder.
LilRaverBoi
12-05-2009, 06:10 PM
Well, you could always delete that email address and get another one....this is always an option. Then you start off with a clean slate again.
island cassie
12-05-2009, 07:08 PM
Hey Jack - the international student anthem as far as I remember it - you must be older than I thought!!! lol! (sorry)
Hey Jack - the international student anthem as far as I remember it - you must be older than I thought!!! lol! (sorry)
Awesome job, Jack, ROFLMAO :ha: :ha: !! He just knows a lot :D !! Check him in the "Post A Pic Of Yourself" thread. He's got great taste, too, has a jacket that looks a lot like mine :D !!
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