I'm sorry, that's private.

In an age where we Tweet, update Facebook statuses more often than some people brush their teeth, blog, spend time on message boards, post pictures on Fotki, Flickr, Photobucket---I always wonder where people draw the line at what they choose to keep as private.

There are very few online communities where I've shared my last name & other info about my family. It's pretty much one message board where I've been a member for almost 10 years & Facebook, where I know/trust my friends list. I've denied friend requests on FB from people I didn't know. I've got enough Farmville friends, thanks & if we don't know one another in some way, shape or form, I'm not adding you.

I've read blogs where the author has basically given out everything other than their social security number. Maybe if your blog is private/invitation only that's fine, but for me, it makes me twitchy. Because, let's face it, there are some downright scary people out there. And you don't know if those scary people are reading your blog. Learning your name, your child's name, where you live, where your child goes to school, where you work, etc.

The Disney Channel (shush, you have kids that watch it too!) has a PSA done by Phineas & Ferb (you know you like them!) that talks about the internet & how important it is to be careful what info you put out there. We live in such different times than when I was growing up. As parents our job is to teach our children what is right and wrong. It's also to protect them---from the scary people out there, but also from themselves. You hear stories about teenagers who were pressured into "sexting" or sending provocative pictures of themselves to a boyfriend/girlfriend. Like Phineas & Ferb say---be careful what you put on line. It never goes away, ever.