Internet Safety tips

[Spud]

Hello everybody,

I thought it would probably be worth making a post about some basic internet safety tips for forum users. Please feel free to reply with any suggestions and I'll add them to this post.

Usernames:

• Don't put your actual name as your username (and definitely not your surname/ last name)

• Think twice before using your hamster's name as your username. Will you still be happy with this after they have died? Also, is your hamster's name particularly identifiable- can it be found on your social media channels or other places with your personal information?

• Don't use the same username for Hamster Clubhouse as you do for other sites- some people are weird and do creepy things online and in real life, so the less identifiable you are the better.

Profile information:

• Think carefully about whether you want people to know how old you are (and when your birthday is), or what your sex/gender is.

• Location- putting a rough location on your profile (e.g. your country or continent) is really useful when it comes to recommending you things if you ask a question. Never put your precise location.

• In the 'about me' section, be careful not to reveal too many personal details. It is a sad fact of the world, but in many places it is dangerous to identify as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community or a certain religion or political group. Please be mindful of your own personal safety if you have come out online but not in your family or community. I wish it wasn't the case, but unfortunately it is.

• Don't put your personal contact details on your profile

Photo safety:

• Don't post a photo of your face.

• Carefully check any photos for identifying information before posting them- have you got any important documents in them, a certificate with your name on? Is your reflection visible in the glass of the hamster cage? Is any dirty laundry visible? Is there anything which may reveal your age or career? What can you see out of the window/door or in the mirror? Do the books on your bookshelf reveal any personal information such as your age? Can you see any branded items such as school jumpers or merchandise from local sports clubs?

• If you post a photo through a third party platform, make sure it doesn't have any location data.

Other tips:

• If you are posting something in the reselling section, be very very careful if you have already posted a similar advert on another online platform such as Gumtree or Craigslist or Facebook MarketPlace. If you have posted a similar advert on a reselling site, it is possible to find out (pretty precisely, if not exactly) where you live, and other information such as your telephone number and real name if these are available on the other site.
  Think twice before posting about your local vets or rescue (or even naming the hamsters in your local rescue), as this can be used to find out more about your location.

I don't write any of this to scare anyone, just to help people keep themselves safe. If you think you may have revealed to much personal information about yourself, please go back and edit your posts or profile, and if your username needs changing because it is too identifiable I'm sure Kikya will be able to help you. If you are worried about what somebody has written in their post or profile, please report it through the report button- don't draw attention to it by replying with a comment.

There is more information available on the Childline website: https://www.childline.org.uk/info-advic ... fe-online/

Here's some exciting news to cheer you all up (espescially if you're a Plueschraupe fan)- https://www.instagram.com/p/CwIwoDEMqN9/?hl=en

[Lillias]

Good reminders! I'd also like to add that we should keep in mind that Hamster Clubhouse is a public forum, which means non-members can read the posts. We're not just sharing info amongst ourselves but with anyone who has internet access.