A Lesson in Web Safety From A Woman Who Knows Nothing About the Internet

Grandparents are most excellent. They feed you. They brag about you. They slip money into your purse when they know you really need it, and you're too ashamed to beg. They're the best friend you didn't have to ask for, and they ask for nothing in return.

And although they may be of the traditional variety, they might wear tracksuits and Reeboks six days a week, drink Metamucil, vote conservative, and think that wiping schmotz off my face with a wet thumb in public is a mitzvah - who says they're in any way behind the times?

Recently, my grandparents have added a new book to their list of favourites. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, anything in the "Chicken Soup for The Soul" series, and now, Facebook.

Yes, Facebook. And like the hamisha homshey torah, they use Facebook to teach me valuable life lessons. After losing my cellphone again I was forced to send out a message to many of my Facebook contacts, requesting that they send me their numbers for my new phone book. On the list of recipients was my grandmother, bless her soul. Still not up on the wild world of online etiquette, and not knowing that her reply would be sent to every contact in the thread, she comes back with this:

For what the message lacked in punctuation, it also lacked in tactfulness. She' short and sweet, and not just in the way she writes. Of course, my grandparents see it as their duty to offer a firm set of principles to which I happily adhere. I don't kill. I don't cheat. I don't covet my neighbour's wife (often). And now, thanks to the Good Book, Facebook, I will not give my number out online. Not only because she humiliated the heck out of me by sending that crass little lecture to everyone I know, but because she has a point.

We may think our elders are dated when it comes to the internet. They won't use their credit cards, they secure everything with passwords, including their desktops, and downloading ANYTHING is strictly prohibited. Perhaps our generation has become so familiar with the web rendering us utterly desensitized to its potential dangers, that we tend to forget the basic principals of safety.

You might think it odd that my Bubbie has a Facebook account. At first, I would have agreed. No grandmother should ever be privy to pictures of her living legacy lapping up liquor, with one nipple hanging out, a cigarette in the left while playfully giving the finger on the right. Luckily, I didn't go to University of Western Ontario so pictures of that nature won't ever exist.

And another thing you'll never see me do (again) is broadcast my number online for all to see. The internet is a wonderful place, but it can also be a scary one. That's why experts (and I'm not just referring to my Bubbie) suggest that it's never a good idea to release any private information about yourself online. Most credible sites and companies will never request this type of information in a web interaction. Also, it's wise to think carefully before you create an email address or screen name. Many web experts suggest using a combination of letters and numbers in both, and never using your real name in chat rooms. Finally, experts agree that web users should never, EVER give their phone numbers away online. Web savvy people are able to use phone numbers to track down other information, including credit card information, and even your precise location.

Consider this a lesson learned. Bubbie, 1. Me, 0.

Carli Mia
		About the author:
		Carli Mia, also known as Carli Rothman, also known as Carli Stephens, also known as Carli Mia Stephens Rothman, is a prairie-girl to the core, and a graduate of the Ryerson School of Journalism. She currently lives in downtown Toronto, and acts as the Director of Content for WOMAN.ca!
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