[thelist] Re: Security on the web - NEVER post pictures of children (with names)

[Techwatcher]

Hi, Tom & all moms, dads, older sibs --

> I am concerned about putting up pix of my 2 daughters on my site.
> There are a lot of predators out there and so on, but I'm wondering
> if I am a bit too paranoid.

My policy is NEVER to publish a child's photo online. I told those I
know who create other sites for Friends (Quakers) they shouldn't,
either. These predators are very strange; almost anything can cause them
to fixate on a particular child, and then they will go to almost any
lengths to get to the child of their fantasies. This is almost never a
spur of the moment crime; a high degree of planning (and stalking) is
apparently normal.

> I don't publish my address on my site, but I imagine
> someone could find it if they wanted to..

Obviously.

Furthermore, they don't really need such specific information (though
you can bet they'll get it). It was reported recently that it's way more
than twice as easy to snatch a child (from schoolyard, playground, the
street, etc.) if one knows the child by name, know the name of the
child's father or mother, etc. The key is to get the child's trust just
for that minute it takes to get them into the vehicle. If there's no
struggle, no one pays any attention.

Cheers --
Carol
techwatcher at accesswriters.com