Protect your identity online

It is a case of roses with thorns attached. While social networking sites help you add a star or two to your identity and social life, it could backfire big time. You sit there like an open book and you could be shredded to pieces. Privacy and identity protection should be the first thing on your mind, in BOLD LETTERS. Networking rules apart, you must learn to choose what to reveal and what not to reveal, to reveal or not reveal anything at all. We list out a couple of suggestions…

Facebook / Orkut
Currently the networking site in vogue, Facebook requires you to keep your eyes wide open and go into owl mode at all times! A beginner might find it complicated and especially if he/she is unaware of privacy settings, it takes no time for stalkers to make good of the situation. Do not be such an inviting user. Lock your wall and photo albums completely to people who are not on your friend list. Don't even bother being kind to 'friend's friends'. In case you plan to lock your image, make sure you use your complete name, so, it is easy for your friends to hunt you. About ancient Orkut, do not scream at the amount of random 'friendship' requests you receive. We suggest you simply check sensible messages, if any, and look away.

Twitter
While you are aiming at becoming Miss Popular with maximum number of followers in Twitter, there could just be a stalker lurking around who is aware of every little thing you do (since that is exactly what people tweet about on Twitter.) Lock your tweets. Why would you want some random guy in Hawaii to know about your weekend plans? Make sure your handle is something fun and fictional. Avoid using your name as your handle. Do not reveal more than what is necessary in your 'bio'. Tweet about things which you would talk about to an uncle you met on the road. Keep it that safe-sounding. Tweet about funny things and general issues.

"Once I clicked on this odd link on twitter and was caught in a 'fishing attack' on the site. I didn't even know what it meant and the next minute I came to know that my account was hacked and everybody on my follower list received a Direct Message about 'how Viagra makes me last long and doesn't exhaust me… with a video. That was my 'this is it' moment!" says 19-year-old student Shantanu M.

Waiting for a bus and frustrated? Tweet. Have a poor sex life and hence frustrated? Do not tweet.

Blogspot:
It's good to write about when you are feeling happy / ecstatic / mad / evil / sad / terrible / jobless, but think about it. It could be read by anyone in the whole wide world and you'll never even know! So, contain your intimate moments and emotions to your dear dairy alone. While posting on blogspot make sure the content does not reveal too many details about your personal life. Always use a pseudonym/alternate name and allot these names to characters who make an appearance in your blogposts regularly. Keep a check on the kind of people who follow your blog and moderate all comments. Avoid posting pictures from your real life photo sessions with friends and family. Going blog-hopping is a smart way of checking if someone else is plagiarising your content. Copyright your blog entirely.

"My dad was horrified after he came across my blog on Googling my name out! That's when I decided to use a pseudo name. Then, one day I bumped into a blog that had copy pasted pictures of people I know of from my fashion blog and I went mad. That's when I decided to copyright every single tiny thing on my blog." says Karishma Rajani, an active fashion blogger.
Guidelines for dummies

1. Make up the most-bizarre password ever - but something you will remember. Choose a TV personality you worship, or your neighbour's cat's name. Just in case, three of the most common internet passwords are password, monkey and 123456. Make a mental note of the password and avoid doing so on paper. Change it often.

2. While uploading pictures, avoid extreme close-ups. If you don't pay heed to this advice, don't be surprised if you spot yourself on the poster of some shady film outside a men's loo.

3. Discuss details of your love life and other such lives over the phone with friends. Exchange number's and addresses via email. Please do not use social networking sites for the above two purposes.

4. Do not be in a hurry to increase the number of friends / followers. You might end up inviting trouble, arms wide open.

5. Lastly, be kind to others and they will be kind to you. Do not turn stalker.