Is it Safe to Meet with People You've Met Online?

Is it safe to meet online people in person?

For the most part, meeting a cyber-buddy for the first time can be a relatively safe experience, providing that you use the proper precautions.

Having said that, there are a few guidelines that I'd recommend when meeting an online friend for the first time:

• Get a phone number and call to verify it's legitimate.
   
• Always meet in a well lit, public place in a safe neighborhood.
   
• Make sure others know who you are meeting and where the meeting is.
   
• Don't meet people alone; if possible take another friend along.

Here are some additional guidelines from a dating service:

http://www.lovemarisa.com/safety.html

My Recent Vacation in Florida

Admittedly, my wife and I have met a few folks from the Internet. Most of the people we tend to meet are through IRC (Internet Relay Chat). In fact, we recently met up with Bill Webb for the first time while we were on vacation in Florida.

I can tell you that my wife and I had an absolutely fantastic time meeting Bill. He took us on a tour of the Wakodahatchee Wetlands, and showed us some birds and wildlife that we may have never seen in our own country.

Here's what Bill had to say about our rendezvous:

" Many of us spend so much time on the Web interacting with other Webizens that we have cyber-friendships with folks we've never met. I've been here at Backwash for over four years, and written hundreds of columns under this and other personae. I've interacted with many of the folks on this site so often, for so long, that I feel as though I know them -- and yet I've never laid eyes on a single one ... That's why it was so delightful to actually meet, this weekend, one of my online friends face to face ... "

Read the rest of Bill's article and take a look at his beautiful pictures of our tour!

Till the next time!

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