I don't want any of my fellow Whyvillians to go through what I did, so here are things that you must follow to avoid getting a cyber stalker. And if you choose to go to Yahoo Chat, never talk to ANYONE named The_TRUE_sign_of_darkness, or insane_clown_of_death.

Tip #1 - NEVER EVER give out any info about yourself. The first and most obvious point -- even if they're your 'friends', you don't know who is hiding behind that screen -- the 16 year old captain of his high school basketball team may just be a 41 year old man with no job for all you know. My screen name gave away a lot about myself, it was the initial of my first name, then my last name! With this valuable info he could've tracked me down!!

Tip#2 - Know how stalkers act! They always pry you for information. Usually, though not always, they'll ask you sexual questions, like the size of your bra, what 'base' you've been to and so on. When I was asked these questions, I was really uncomfortable and went offline.

Tip#3 - DON'T act scared. They're like bullies -- they ENJOY seeing people be scared of them. Why? It's the reason why they stalk and harass innocent people -- so they can see the massive impact. When I received offline messages from this stalker -- he commented on my haircut I got after school, even though NOBODY online knew about it. He typed out my address, phone number and real name (correct spelling too), when I never shared this info with ANYONE online, so you know what I did? I got all freaked out and cried for like hours. He was leaving messages with my friend too, and he "loved how scared she got," meaning me. So if you ever get a stalker -- DO NOT show any fear. But do tell your parents, or somebody who can help you get rid of them! If they actually find you in person, call the police!!

Tip#4 - Look for inconsistencies in conversations. I was told by somebody that he was an only child, yet one time he said he had to leave because he was going to a bar with his brother-in-law. I wish I had said something, but I didn't.

Tip#5 - TRUST YOUR GUT. If it's telling you someone's bad news, DO NOT talk to them. I had weird feelings about the stalker when I first met him, but I brushed them of, a major mistake that could've cost me a lot more than it did. I was lucky.

Tip#6 - NEVER meet an online friend in person. If you do decide to meet somebody after knowing them a long, long time, bring other friends you know, meet in a VERY crowded place, and never at night. And if you're not 18, I know it may sound dorky, but HAVE A PARENT WITH YOU. It won't be dorky if your "friend's" intentions aren't pure.

Now, don't go and diss Yahoo (or any other chats for that matter), because it wasn't necessarily their fault, and Yahoo chat is pretty cool, although I only go on Yahoo clubs now. If you decide you don't want to chat with random people -- I think Yahoo Messenger, MSN, and ICQ are all good because you usually need to know the person to chat with them.

I hope everyone takes caution on the internet, and remember -- better safe than sorry!

Signing off,
Bunny17