Please do not dismiss this as Urban Legend; it has happened to a family in 
Chattanooga that I count as my best friends.

The computer in their home is in the family room. No child is ever on the 
computer without a parent present. The family has a common “family use 
instant messenger account” which should, with parents in the room, allow 
sufficient observation and control. Still, eighth grade daughter received a 
random message and begins to “chat” with a stranger.

Stranger is "in a garage band," and the band is mailing out free CD’s to 
“friends.”

Address is out to a stranger in seconds flat.

Now we can all say stupid till we are at room temperature and taken by 
worms. None of that changes the fact that we must continue to warn and 
continue to observe and continue to instruct the children that personal 
info is never but never but never given out to anyone for any reason.

“Let me ask dad” must always be a child’s first thought; – with nothing 
happening till a parent approves. But we have to continue to remind them.

Hope this serves as food for thought in talking with your underage loved ones.

Jim Bowman; Manager, Student Technology
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
Mail Code: 1611
My Office: 423-425-4517         Fax: 423-425-1754
Email: [log in to unmask]
http://www.utc.edu/StudentMicroLabs
We are in Siskin room 106. See map from the link above

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