SafetyNet Step 7:
Never respond to flames
Do not respond to flames (a strongly worded, sometimes obscene,
message) sent to a public forum, such as a newsgroup, or those sent to a personal e-mail
address. Doing so often encourages the other party to become even more aggressive or
crude. If you receive a scary flame one that is either threatening or sexual
forward a copy to your ISP and ask for help.
If the sender has an account with the same ISP, it can terminate the offenders
account. Otherwise, it can send a copy to the offenders ISP and ask for corrective
action. You may save another child from receiving a similar message from this person.
To avoid flames in the first place, follow the basic rules of
netiquette. Be polite when communicating with others and read the FAQ (a set of frequently asked questions and
answers for the newsgroup) before posting to them. Flaming newcomers to the Net is
considered sport by some, and anyone who posts an obviously out-of-place message to a
newsgroup often is assumed to be a newbie
(newcomer to the Net). |