Why Behave Differently Online Than Offline?
The most obvious example are so called ‘internet trolls’, who delight in making vicious comments about people they’ve often never met. The majority of people who indulge in such behaviour would probably never say such terrible things to someone’s face.
But while internet trolls are in the minority there are many people on social networks of all ages who are dreadfully indiscreet sharing marital spats, workplace indiscretions, late night antics, illegal behaviour... Now instead of sharing private business with a couple of close friends – people are sharing with thousands of strangers.
It seems many people forget that the information is there forever and could easily come back and haunt them.
Now perhaps you’re reading this and thinking “ I would never do anything like that”. Well good for you, but think again. Foolish online behaviour isn’t just limited to social networks.
Many rookie internet marketers have at one time or another got caught by ‘shiny object syndrome’ and bought some useless plugin at a so called bargain price and then gone on to invest further money as they’ve been offered various upsells. Yes – guilty as charged. I’ve been caught more than once and yet I would never fall for similar tactics offline. The cost to one’s purse is bad enough but a higher price can be paid in stress and loss of self belief.
But there’s another example of online behaviour that seems to be growing in popularity which I can’t imagine most people doing offline and that’s giving away other people’s personal information.
I’m talking about giving away other people’s email addresses and/or telephone numbers. There are an increasing number of online companies that when they sign you up for something, will also try and persuade you to part with the email addresses of friends and families. Now this might appear perfectly harmless (and mostly it is) but stop and think about it.
If a salesmen turned up at your door you wouldn’t hand over addresses or telephone numbers of your friends. If you were asked to attend a network event you wouldn’t walk into a room full of strangers and start handing round the contact details of your best mate. So why do it online?
It’s bad enough that too many of us have a cavalier attitude to our own personal information but other peoples? That’s not on.
So whatever you’re doing online – pause before you go full steam ahead. And if you wouldn’t do it offline – ask yourself whether it’s sensible and safe to do it online.
Recent Comments
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And then there is the other person that says, I won't go online because I will loose all of my privacy.
Some people overreact and some are overly careful. A happy medium is where we all should live.
Thanks for your post Beverley, this is a good point to keep in mind.
Thanks Craig. I think the 'happy medium' you mention would be difficult to quantify as it would mean very different things to different people.
I still have some of the past mistakes phone me on my personal phone....Learn to live with it because they won't stop...no matter what or how I tell them...
If you don't want people knowing your business, don't tell....simple but perhaps difficult to do as many things are done in a moment of "brain freeze" it happens....even when we know we should not....click once is all it takes to send all over the world.....
These are the times we live in and the internet is vast and has taken the world by storm....think of when you received your first computer and how the internet was perceived, and how it is now....so fast...
Criminals keep telling your friends how and when you did your crime make sure you film it and pass it around a bit.....I need a good laugh once in a while.....
Pass on others info. not if I want to keep them as friends.....I never fill out the e-mail 5 friends section.....not going to do it....unless they piss me off....great way to get back at folks you don't like much......reminds m,e of 20 pizzas at the door.....lol...
A new age....use it to your advantage or be taken advantage of......
Hi Tim
You're right the internet has grown so much for its inception and the majority of people never thought about what sort of beast it would become. As far as privacy is concerned it's like trying to shove the genie back in the bottle.
I agree with you totally. It seems everywhere you go though not only do they want you to fill out your information for email but then they want you to include your friends and family so that they can get it the offer too!
Some people may get so wound up in what someone else offers that they feel it would be good for you too and want you to have it. I do believe this can happen as it has to me. My friend gave my email address out for that reason and even told me about it. I know that she really thought she was doing something for me that she thought was okay. I just kindly, and I do mean kindly told her not to share my private email with anyone unless she has checked with me first.
Thanks for the post! :)
Thanks Mary.
I think what your friend did is quite common - an act done with no malicious intent but still a breach of privacy.
I ran into a problem once on here, I was just chatting away in live chat and things got out if control when I mentioned something I had done in my past....I immediately felt like a tool and "why did I even mention it".
I was able to escape the situation with my dignity in tact but only because Rich came to the rescue and stopped the madness (after I slinked out of chat for a few hours).
This was a big lesson to be more careful about what I say online. I had never mentioned this to anyone outside of my family and (closest of friends maybe 3 total) an yet here I was blabbing away in front of the many members in WA chat.
I learned to be smarter about my information that day and have taken many more measures to be more careful in the future.
Another great post with valuable advice.
Thanks Beverley.
Patty :)
Thanks Patty
I think that's one the of the dangers of the internet - one just forgets where one is! Always better to be cautious.
Couldn't agree more with this.
I have had the delightful experience of being trolled on a Forum to do with a make of Car. I joined because I needed some information about my then car. It cost £30 a year to join.
I asked my question and what I didn't know I was being trolled by some much more experienced member who got it in his head to be a complete idiot and to make my online life hell.
I'm a laid back kind of guy and before I could post a reply to this person Admin turned up and jumped all over this person and banned him for a month.
He apologised to me and said I was being trolled and this is not tolerated.
I must admit I didn't know what being trolled was and had to ask?
Now I'm much wiser.
Neil
You were lucky Neil that it was stopped so quickly but still an unpleasant experience. I never understand the way some people get their kicks!
Good advice and wise words, Beverly. How would we feel if someone did that to our personal information?
Thanks Meredith. I wouldn't. Personally I think there's too much information about me anyway - but that is my own idiocy - but I still object to other people making things worse!
There have been a few criminals that have posted their antics online or their friends have and that is what caught them. Interesting new attitude. There is NO privacy online.
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You've identified it 100%. I cannot believe the lack of manners on line. I sometimes want to close my Facebook account because some of my oldest friends, who in person are as nice as anyone you would want to know, turn into some kind of vicious Jekyll and Hyde character.
Thank goodness we've gotten ourselves in a community of courtesy and caring.
Thanks for commenting. I too get shocked at what people will say.
But I wouldn't get blinkered about WA. It's a great community where you can communicate with like minded people, but it's just like any other community online or offline and people aren't always either courteous or caring.