| One area that parents and children overlook when | | | | information for litigation Employers seeking to fire |
| on the Internet is the fact that nothing put on the | | | | an employee will search the net and the |
| Internet ever leaves. That means that anything | | | | employee computer for incriminating evidence. |
| incriminating posted online can be later dug up and | | | | Disgruntled employees will use past Internet use |
| used against your child at work, in a divorce or by | | | | to incriminate other employees or employers. |
| the government. In this article I will look at three | | | | Electronic conversations are used in court cases |
| fallacies that impact your child's safety and | | | | and government investigations. Spouses use this |
| future.Fallacy 1 If I delete something, it is | | | | information in divorce cases Think about this: |
| gone.The delete key removes it from your eyes, | | | | remembering your high school years, how would |
| however, it still resides on your computer's hard | | | | you feel if the things you did then were on the |
| drive. The only way to remove it forever is to | | | | Internet in living color for anyone to find? Today, |
| reformat the drive or wait until some other | | | | MySpace users post their real and fantasy lives |
| program writes over it on the hard drive. This is | | | | online! Scary, very scary...As you can see, the |
| true for everyone's computer, including the | | | | "here and now" is not the only issue parents need |
| MySpace hard drives and backup tapes.Fallacy 2 If | | | | to worry about. It is the tomorrows we need to |
| I remove my content from the web, no one can | | | | protect as well. Protect your children by becoming |
| access it anymore.Once information is placed on | | | | computer literate and getting educated about |
| the Internet, anyone can copy it to their | | | | online dangers.Rhonda Goetz |
| computer. In addition, the place that stored the | | | | Parent Smartz |
| information still retains copies on their hard drive. | | | | Empowering Parents... |
| MySpace says they delete it off the hard drive | | | | 866.241.9927Rhonda Goetz is a high school |
| when requested. My question: do they delete it | | | | technology teacher and instructional designer. She |
| off their backup copies and everyone's hard drive | | | | deals daily with the Internet and student's Internet |
| that copied or downloaded something? I didn't | | | | use. She designed an easy-to-use online course to |
| think so...Fallacy 3 Nobody will want the stuff I put | | | | help parents understand Internet perils and how |
| online.Pedophiles/sex offenders collect images and | | | | to monitor their child's activity.Get Empowered! |
| stories. Pornography sites seek out images and | | | | Sign up for the Parent Series:Protecting Your Child |
| stories to put on their sites. Attorneys use this | | | | Online online class today! |