Spiked Security

This message is dedicated to my human family’s small ones who just got laptops, Facebook, and World of Warcraft Accounts.  For the Horde!!

Ok, so now you are online whenever you want and maybe even when your parent is NOT watching over your shoulder.  Hmmm.

Some basic safety rules:

1. Make sure your new computer has Anti-Virus running.  If not scold your parents and get them to fix it!
2. Load up Google Chrome.  Get it from Google.  Make it the browser you use for your social networking.
3. Now you are on Facebook!  Ugh!  First off remember half of the friend requests you get are FAKE.  Just ignore them, do not add them.
   1. Friend Rule Numero Uno:  Never add someone you do not know personally. Not even someone your friend says to add.  Seriously?  You know your friends, how good is their advice normally?  Yep, thought so!  They were the one that told you eating that cricket would get you in good with the girls?!?  How did that turn out?
   2. Friend Rule Numero Dos:  Don’t add someone you don’t know.  No I did not repeat myself. I am a guinea pig, and I have a very short attention span.  TOMATOES!!  I love tomatoes!  (Spikey snack break)
4. More on Facebook, go to your profile.  Is there anything there?  Your name, age, where you live, school you go to, phone number, cell number, anything I can use to find you?  If you answered yes do the following two things:
   1. Scold your parents for not checking your profile.
   2. Delete it ALL!  Leave only the barest minimum you can!
5. More on Facebook again.  Do not post stuff that someone could use to find you.  Do not post stuff that someone could use to find other people you know on Facebook…. LIKE YOUR AUNT!  Don’t tag people in pictures without their permission.
6. And now… Da Da Dun!!!   Drum roll please!  Now that you are on the Internet you can ignore your parents advice to you for your whole life up to now and STOP SHARING!!
7. Last, since Spike cares, be careful on the Internet.  There are many sites which are bad for you.  Just avoid them.  And read some of Spike’s older posts about setting up other security stuff on your computer!
8. Have fun.