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10/22/99: Jennifer meets the Clone-o-Bot of Love
We're always out there searching for
that Special Someone. Whether it be the ‘Puppy Love' of
a first date at 'dinner and a movie', combing the personal ads,
hanging out at singles bars, or finally allowing our friends to hook
us up on blind dates, the world of technology has evolved human
contact to a new standard.
Could love be a mouse click away?
More and more people nowadays are meeting
on-line via Instant Message services such as AIM, through AOL,
Yahoo!, ICQ, and chat rooms. We learn a lot about people. We learn
about their likes and dislikes, how they think, and
sometimes even more, such as levels of education, where they live,
work, and play, and what their hobbies are.
Everyone behind the keyboard is a person,
flesh and bone. People have feelings, thoughts, and emotions
and oftentimes use the Internet to touch the lives of other
people or to get actively involved in an Internet community. Sometimes
we meet just the right somebody and 'click', pardon the pun.
This can be a good and bad thing. Always
trust your gut instincts. If you do decide to meet your Internet sweetheart,
keep a few things in mind.
They don't always look like the picture
they send you.
They may not be as nice as they are
to you on-line.
They may even be predators.
Okay, so it's a lot of Gloom &
Doom, but in today's society, it's very important to be careful.
If you decide to hop on a car, bus, or plane to meet your sweetie,
make plans. If it's your first meeting, meet at a public place,
such as a restaurant. Never go to their home first. If it's in town,
try to go along with a friend. If you feel uncomfortable, don't be
afraid to politely excuse yourself. Don't carry lots of money
or expensive jewelry with you and remember, they learned about
you through the Internet, as you did about them. They may be a great
person, or they might be a total waste of time. Safety is the key.
Other important things to remember-
Never give out your real name when
you first meet someone, or any other personal information for that
matter such as addresses, phone numbers, places of work, etc. "Jane
from Alabama" works. "Jane Doe from 1234 Anystreet, Anytown Alabama,
(000) 000-0000" is a very bad idea. Privacy is key. (After all,
they could work in telemarketing If you're a parent and your child/teen
wants to meet someone, go with them. Don't be afraid to keep lines
of communication open between you and your children. Be mindful of
the sites they visit and the company they keep. There
are bad people out there who want kids. If you discover this or your
child comes to you with complaints of pornography, call the police
immediately. Do this if you're solicited as an adult as well. Try
to provide them with as much
information as you can, such as a name, city, e-mail address, etc..
Most ISP's (Internet Service Providers) work with law enforcement
agencies to crack down on this kind of activity. If you trade gifts
back and forth, be sensible. Try not to send food or edibles or things
you might never get back, like photos with negatives long since lost.
A lot of people now have personal testimonials
of people they met in real life after meeting on-line. Some are good
and some are bad, but it's the same odds as a personal ad in a sense.
As above, trust your instincts and play it safe.
Okay, so Jennifer Wylie didn't REALLY
meet the Clone-O-Bot of Love. So sue me.
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