Safety Online

In looking over my post topics of the last few weeks, I must say I feel this is the most important one and one that worries me far more than someone stealing my identity or pirating my material. I don't think anyone is trully safe online in any sense. If its not someone stealing your identity then it is a con artist trying to get your money or a predator after you or (much much worse) after your children. I think with the advent of the internet parenting appropriately and even teaching have been greatly complicated. Fewer children are inclined to talk to to a stranger face-to-face than online. Online you have such incredible anonymity and the power to be anyone you choose. This to me is very frightening. In addition, there is the near certainty that your children will be exposed to innappropriate material at a young age. I remember coming across very inappropriate sites with a friend in high school when working in the school library. I don't know if they had filters on the computers at that early stage, but I would guess not by what we accidentally found. I even remember the search we used because it was so ridiculous that it came up with porn images. Who would imagine you could search for 'sea monkeys' and instead get porn. Needless to say my friend and I were both shocked and embarrassed to have such images pop up on a library computer!!
I don't want my children or my students exposed to such material at the young ages they are now using computers at but I also can't prevent them from using computers as they will never learn responsible, safe usage if they never touch a computer. Certainly a dilemna I will continue to think about for many years. I don't believe the internet will ever be completely safe. We've had streets for thousands of years and their still not safe. So we will simply have to learn to do our best and teach our kids to at least be smart about it.