Post by Ashleigh on Aug 14, 2007 16:04:00 GMT -5
Why?
It is RPF's top priority to ensure the safety and comfort of all of our members on the internet. It is important to know how to protect yourself and your identity on the internet.
What is RPF Doing for Members' Safety?
RPF has taken some very important measures to ensure the safety of all of our members.
- Our Introductions, Sharing and General Chat boards are not viewable by guests. If a guest tries to get into any of these boards, they will be required to log in first. Any information about yourself posted in these threads will only be seen by registered members.
- Our Chat Room is not accessible to guests so only registered members will be able to take part in discussions in our chat room.
- Our forum rules clearly prohibit harassment or harm towards any of our members. For small offenses, we have the slash system. Earn enough slashes beside your name and you'll be banned. For more serious offenses, we WILL involve the police if necessary.
A Word About our Chat Room
Although RPF's chat room is a great way for members to hang out and relax while engaging in some live conversation with each other, there are safety risks involved with using chat rooms. There are several ways to keep yourself safe in our chat room:
- Do not give out ANY personal information such as your last name, your address, phone number, email address, IM address etc... in our chat room even if you trust the people you are talking to.
- Do not give out the colours of your team or school uniform as predators may be able to track this.
- Do not give out the name of your school, work, or sports/recreational team or club as this is also trackable.
- Do not give out links to websites with any of the above information on it.
Please use caution when using our chat room and make responsible decisions.
How Can I Protect Myself on RPF and the Rest of the Web?
There are many measures that you can take to ensure your safety while surfing the internet and spending time in forums and chat areas:
- Do not give out your last name, home/work/school address, phone number, email address, IM address, postal/zip code or a specific area in which you live.
- Do not post pictures of yourself or where you live in boards that are viewable by guests and even still, make sure you trust the registered members of the site or forum before posting these.
- Do not give out your school uniform/sports team/recreational club colours as these are trackable.
- Do not give out the name of your school/work/sports team/club as this is also trackable.
- In your profile, you are able to hide your age, gender, email address, IM address, and location from others. If you feel uncomfortable divulging any of this information publicly, please keep it private. Also, if you choose to show your location it is STRONGLY RECOMMENDED that you only put the country in which you live.
An RPF Member is Making Me Uncomfortable. What Should I Do?
If you feel that another member of RPF is threatening your safety on the internet in any way, please report it immediately to an aministrator and the issue will be addressed swiftly. If you are under 18, you should also notify your parents or guardians of the issue. If the issue becomes more serious, it's good to have your parents or guardians aware of it beforehand so they can take action to protect you.
RPF should be a fun, safe environment for everybody!
Member Harassment/Cyber Bullying
Member harrassment is a form of cyber-bullying. Cyber-bullying includes but is not limited to:
- Flaming, insulting or being rude towards another member.
- Threatening posts, emails, IMs or PMs.
- Unwanted attempts at contacting another member.
- Online "flirting" or otherwise romantic/sexual comments or remarks that make a member feel uncomfortable or frightened.
Cyber-bullying will not be tolerated on RPF and if you feel that you are being harrassed or bullied by another member of our forum, please report it to an administrator immediately. If you are under 18, please tell your parents or guardians as well. They need to be aware of the problem if you're scared or uncomfortable online.
If you have any more questions or concerns involving internet safety, please PM either crow or myself about it. Let's work together to keep RPF a safe and fun environment for everyone.
Thank you.