Jack And The Stalk

Jack (pseudo name for a friend who happens to have this problem) is being stalked (as in followed anonymously by other people) for he feels he became a "celebrity" because of his blog. I had this short talk with him some time ago and gave him some friendly advices.

Stalking is stalking as long as a person gets unwanted attention from strangers (classic example is following you in places you normally go or taking candid pictures of you from afar). Blog stalking is the same, but this time these weird people start looking for possible victims online via web logs.

To those who also feel being "stalked" or "followed" for any unknown reasons, here are my advices:

• Always remember that whatever you post online can be used by any malicious person to trace you and possibly know your whereabouts. Even if you deleted your post later on, it is still possible that some Internet spy or search bots could have already remember your posts and eventually still be displayed in search engines such as Google and Yahoo.


• Try not to use your real name. Use instead a pseudo name, like unstalk_me or please_do_not_stalk_me. You get the drill.


• Why show your face online when you can always display a different picture to represent yourself? Have it tweaked by using Photoshop, make it abstract or too colorful beyond recognition. Show a face of a celebrity even if you do not look like one. Display a picture of a human being even if you are a dog. Just kidding. Here are stock images of faces you can use - fotosearch.


• Always be aware of your surroundings wherever you go. Go out with friends or always have a companion with you. Go out with a dog in tow, a fish in a bowl, or a gorilla as a bodyguard. Simply don't be alone.

Any other tips out there?