General Tips

HelpLostPet.com makes it easy to express yourself, connect with friends and make new ones, but who you let into your space, how you interact with them, and how you present yourself online are important things to think about when using social networking sites. Here are some common sense guidelines that you should follow when using HelpLostPet.com:

* Don't forget that your profile and HelpLostPet.com forums are public spaces. Don't post anything you wouldn't want the world to know (e.g., your phone number, address, IM screen names, or specific whereabouts). Avoid posting anything that would make it easy for a stranger to find you, such as where you hang out every day or a picture of you in front of your office or school.

* People aren't always who they say they are. Be careful about adding strangers to your friends list. It's fun to connect with new HelpLostPet.com friends from all over the world, but avoid meeting people in person whom you do not fully know. If you must meet someone, do it in a public place and bring a friend or trusted adult.

* Harassment, hate speech and inappropriate content should be reported. If you feel someone's behavior is inappropriate, react. Report it to HelpLostPet.com or the authorities.

* Don't post anything that would embarrass you later. It's easy to think that only our friends are looking at our HelpLostPet.com page, but the truth is that everyone can see it. Think twice before posting a photo or information you wouldn't want your parents, potential employers, colleges or boss to see!

* Don't say you're over 18 if you're not. Don't say you're younger than 18 if you're not. If HelpLostPet.com customer service determines you are under 14 and pretend to be older, we will delete your profile. If customer service determines you are over 18 and pretend to be a teenager to contact underage users, we will delete your profile.

Tips for Teens

* Don't say you're older than you are. HelpLostPet.com members must be 14 years of age or older. We take extra precautions to protect our younger members and we are not able to do so if you do not identify yourself as such. If HelpLostPet.com customer service determines you are under 14 and pretend to be older, we will delete your profile.

* HelpLostPet.com is a public space. Members shouldn't post anything they wouldn't want the world to know (e.g., phone number, address, IM screen name, or specific whereabouts). Don't post anything that would make it easy for a stranger to find you, such as your local hang out. It's always fun to post pictures but remember that what you might consider a harmless picture of you and your friends in your uniforms at a school football game, is actually a map telling a stranger exactly where you go to school.

* Don't post anything that could embarrass you later or expose you to danger. Please remember that HelpLostPet.com is public and many people have access to what you post, including potential employers, colleges, your teachers and peers at school that you might not even know. You shouldn't post photos or info you wouldn't want adults to see or people to know about you.

* Protect your privacy. Set your profile to private which lets only your friends view your profile. Users under the age of 16 are automatically assigned a private profile. Only accept friend invitations from people you know and trust.

* People aren't always who they say they are. Be careful about adding strangers to your friends list. It's fun to connect with new HelpLostPet.com friends from all over the world, but avoid meeting people in person whom you do not fully know. Remember that you don't really know who is on the other end of an Internet connection.

* Harassment, hate speech and inappropriate content should be reported. If you encounter inappropriate behavior, inform your parents or a trusted adult and report it to HelpLostPet.com or the authorities.

* Don't get hooked by a phishing scam. Phishing is a method used by fraudsters to try to get your personal information, such as your username and password, by pretending to be a site you trust. If you suddenly start receiving abnormal bulletins or messages from a friend, they might have been phished. Check with them before opening any files or clicking on any links. If you think you, or a friend, are a victim of phishing, change your password immediately.

* Avoid in-person meetings. Don't get together in person with someone you "meet" online unless you are certain of their actual identity. Talk it over with an adult first. Although it's still not risk-free, arrange any meetings in a public place and bring along friends, your parents, or a trusted adult.

* Think before you post. What's uploaded to the net can be downloaded by anyone and passed around or posted online pretty much forever. You shouldn't post photos or info you wouldn't want adults to see or people to know about you.

Tips for Parents

HelpLostPet.com offers following tips to begin a dialogue about safe Web practices:

1. Start a Conversation

* Talk to your kids about why they use HelpLostPet.com, how they communicate with others, and how they represent themselves online. Recognize the importance of social networking in their daily lives, similar to that of cell phones, email, or instant messenger, and express an interest in understanding the role it plays.

* Ask them why they like being online and who they hang out with online. Ask them to show you their friends, what they are listening to, and what interests them within the community.

2. Report Inappropriate Behavior

* Harassment, hate speech, and inappropriate content all violate the HelpLostPet.com Terms of Use and should be reported. If your kids encounter inappropriate behavior, they should report it to you, the authorities and/or HelpLostPet.com, as the situation merits. To report a problem, go to Contact HelpLostPet.com and select "Reporting Abuse."

 3. Talk About HelpLostPet.com and the Internet

* HelpLostPet.com, like the rest of the online world, is a public space. Members shouldn't post anything they wouldn't want the world to know (e.g., phone number, address, IM screen name, or specific whereabouts). Tell your teens they should avoid posting anything that would make it easy for a stranger to find them, such as their local hangouts.

* Remind them not to post anything that could embarrass them in the future or expose them to danger. Although HelpLostPet.com is public, teens sometimes forget that the information and photos they post are accessible to others.

4. Remind Teens to Be Cautious

* Just as in the offline world, people aren't always who they say they are. Remind your teens to be careful about adding strangers to their friends list. It's fun to connect with new HelpLostPet.com friends from all over the world, but members should be cautious when communicating with people they don't know.

* Encourage teens to be themselves, but to exercise the same basic safety principles they do in the physical world. They wouldn't chat with a stranger at the mall or give someone they don't know their cell phone number. Remind them that reckless online behavior can be just as dangerous.

* They should talk to you if they want to meet an online friend in person, and if you think it's safe, any meeting should take place in public, with friends or a trusted adult present.

* Stop and think before uploading images. Some mobile devices let you upload photos straight from the camera on your phone to the Internet. Although this may be a quick and easy way to share new photos, stop and think about what you're putting up before posting. Be sure that the photos uploaded are appropriate without sexually explicit material or showing identifying characteristics that would allow someone to find you in the real world. If an image violates HelpLostPet.com's terms of use, the image and the profile will be deleted.

* Don't access the internet while driving. Mobile devices are great for being in contact while you're on the go, but should not be used when your full attention is required for other activities such as driving.

* Don't save login and passwords on mobile devices. Given their portability, mobile phones and devices can be easily lost or stolen. If your login and password are saved on your mobile device anyone who may have possession of that device can access your HelpLostPet.com profile, friends, photos, etc. If your device is lost or stolen, immediately change your HelpLostPet.com password and call your carrier to deactivate the device.

* Be aware of your environment. No matter where you are accessing the Internet on your mobile device, look around to see who may be watching you or trying to see what you're doing. Put your mobile device away if someone you don't know is trying to see your profile or personal information without your consent.