Chapter 9
Egregious Violations of Netiquette

Just like the real world, cyberspace contains people who commit flagrant acts of misbehavior. Fortunately, these people are in the minority. Unfortunately, we have to watch out for them anyway. Here are a few egregious violations of Netiquette to be on the alert for as you travel through cyberspace.

Cyberspace predators

Perhaps the worst Netiquette violators are people who use their cyberspace connections to gain the trust of others and then take advantage of them in real life. Some of the most unpleasant stories involve pedophiles who get to know kids online, engage in sexual discussions with them, and in some cases, arrange to meet them live.

Children aren't the only ones who are vulnerable to this kind of abuse. The story of the "Net Lothario" (page 117) is an example of how adults can also be fooled by someone who lacks morals and writes persuasively.

This doesn't mean that you can't trust anyone you meet online. It does mean that you need to exercise at least as much caution with your cyberspace acquaintances as you would with a friendly person you met