Just like any thing in computer land you have to be smart. Use the same rules you would in your daily life. Don't open the door to strangers--don't air your dirty laundry in public--If you would not give your personal info over the phone don't do it on the computer. Parents please be diligent about checking what your kids are doing on the internet. This does not fall under the same category as their diary. No one see's or reads that-but our world is now open to every kind of nut beyond what our imaginations can fathom. For every horror story you've heard concerning kids and the internet their are thousands more that were not made public. The same rules of not getting into a car with a stranger or taking candy from a stranger apply more than ever on here.