| Computers and the internet have become extremely popular these days. They are now very easy to use, and they can make life much simpler with features like online shopping, and banking. With more and more people coming online, there is a growing need for people to become more informed about how to keep themselves and their families safe while surfing the web. This is why we have created Staying Safe Online. You don't need a degree in computer engineering to use a computer nowadays. You can buy it, take it home and start surfing the internet. But there are things that the salespeople don't tell you about. So we created this group to: -
inform people about various problems they can run into on the internet. -
inform people about how to stay safe as they are surfing the internet -
inform people how to deal with troublesome individuals they may meet online -
provide definitions of useful tools people can use to stay safe online -
provide links to helpful programs and safety sites -
inform people how to deal with problems they encounter online and whom to report those problems to -
provide people with a forum where they can ask questions about internet safety and receive answers in a timely manner.
Why this site? A while ago a friend came to us with a problem. She ran a popular chat room and she suspected that one member might be a child predator. She needed to know what to do. In researching MSN Groups, we couldn't find one that dealt with issues people were running into online. There were a few that dealt with specific topics, but none that covered as many bases as we hope to here. We are zanshina and Smokey. We both have extensive internet and computer backgrounds. We have had our share of positive and negative experiences online, and we would like to share what we have learned with other users. Input from our members is very welcome. 
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