Originally posted here by Wizard314
if he is not for real like you all say then i dont have to tell my parents. if i do tell my parents then they wont let my use the computer anymore.
I totally understand, hard to peel away once you've gotten glued to it. If you're that intent on not telling your parents, then at least tell somebody -- preferably someone with some authority. Report them to authorities wether you tell your parents or not.

how do i know who to rust and stuff. and if someone asks me things should i lie to them?
You don't. You'll notice one thing in common about those of us here on AntiOnline: we're very "paranoid" people. But seriously, how can you trust anyone when all you see from them is text? You can't be too cautious when it comes to the 'Net. Cyberpredators abound in many forms. As far as what to tell people, don't tell anything identifying. For instance, only give out your first name and never give out your full address (the city where you live at most, if you must). This doesn't mean you have to lie. Just be honest and tell them you don't give that information out, and if you don't want to sound like a wus, add the line "for security purposes" so you sound cool saying it.

and what does "You'd be amazed at how many years an online "buddy" can maintain a dangerous ruse" mean? ok thank you.
I'm talking about friends you make over the Internet that you don't know in person. There are many predators out there who pretend to be other people to catch people just like you -- friendly people who don't have the experience to know the deceptions common to the online world. You won't run into them often, if ever, but if you do, they're very dangerous. A 40-year-old man can easily pretend to be a 17-year-old girl, and what I meant was you'd be amazed how long they'd be willing to keep up such a ruse just to get to someone. Like I said, good to be what many others consider "paranoid" when it comes to the online world.

And that's why I say don't be so paranoid you freak out at everything, but be cautious enough that you won't be the next sucker, or worse, victim.

Hope that helps clarify.