Rules In Cyberspace

DON'T:      

DON'T give your password to anyone. Passwords are intended to protect your computer and your files. It's like giving the key to your house away!
           
DON'T answer messages that make you feel uncomfortable because they seem improper, indecent, or threatening. Tell a grown-up right away.   

DON'T give any personal information, such as your family's address, phone number, credit card or calling card numbers, your school's name, or your picture to anyone on a computer network that you don't  personally know.     

DON'T arrange to meet anyone you've met on the Internet without telling your parents. Some people on the Internet lie about who they are, how old they are, and why they want to meet you.

DON'T try to break into computers. It's not a game. It's a crime and it's an invasion of privacy. Computers often contain sensitive information. How would you feel if someone   broke into a computer and changed your grades? Deleted your term paper? Cut off your telephone?

DON'T steal copyrighted computer programs ("software") by copying it from the Internet. This is the same as stealing it from a store. People work hard to develop new programs and deserve to be paid for them. If software  designers don't get paid for their work, they can't continue creating new software, such as new educational games or tools that help with schoolwork.     

DON'T make copies of any copyrighted material, like books, magazines, or music without the permission of the author, publisher or artist. Copyrighted works are available (usually illegally) on the Internet. You are committing a crime if you copy and distribute them.

DON'T copy material that you find on the Internet and pretend that it's your own work. It's the same as copying a book or magazine article and pretending that you wrote it. It's easy to get caught. Remember, your teacher and thousands of other students have access to the same material.