TMI

Stonewall has never been a fan of the whole Facebook/MySpace fad. I never really understood why. I have accounts with both sites. I like to update them with new and exciting life events. I also use the sites to keep in contact with friends. They were always harmless tools to tell the entire world all about me.

If you're smarter than me you probably understand the downfall of these sites right about now.
That's exactly what these sites are for: To tell the entire world all about you. When you make a profile for yourself on these sites, you are letting everyone know where you work, where you live, how old you are, how accessible you are, and what you look like. True, most people post these things to keep their friends and family in the know. Unfortunately, the information on these sites can be used against you by people you do not know.

This past Friday I realized just how bad these sites can be when I received a letter from an inmate. An inmate in jail for murder. An inmate in jail for murder who is up for parole in February. Oh yeah, and he obviously has my address.

First of all, I don't know that he got my address from one of these sites. To begin with, I don't post my address on these sites. However, I did post the name of my work and that is the address he sent the letter to. With today's world wide web of information, if you have a name, it is not that hard to find an address. The inmate is from Ohio, so it is not likely he found my name through any means except the Internet. While I can't be 100% sure, my instinct tells me he found me on Facebook or MySpace.

I was able to locate more information about my secret admirer on the Internet. Like I said, with today's technology, it isn't that hard to find the information you want. In 1984, he was incarcerated for the murder of an adult female and he is up for parole in February of 2008. Now my instincts also tells me this guy is not looking for his next victim. I do think he was just a lonely inmate looking for someone to talk to. However, I, in no way, asked to be contacted by inmates, so I feel this letter was completely inappropriate.

The Internet is not bad. In fact, it is quite helpful and just plain useful. However, as the need and dependency of the Internet grows, the easier it is to become a victim of someone who uses the Internet for illegal purposes. It is important to remember that what you put out there on the world wide web can be read by your neighbor, as well as by a complete stranger halfway around the world.