How Much Information Is Too Much?

On social networking sites like MySpace or Facebook, I don't give away any real information (address, phone number, real name even) to people unless they already know me. All of my friends on my MySpace page, for example, are people I have had personal contact with, either through school, work, or other mediums where we've personally interacted and are friends. This way, I know all of these people. I don't think any personal information should be shown right away, if ever at all. I guess you can call me overly cautious, but sites like MySpace, even if yuo are looking to meet people, should be left as internet commodities. You never know. It does hamper the effect of meeting people online and getting to know them personally, but it's tough to know who is really who and what is real. Always better to err on the side of caution, right?

I only share personal information to those that I feel I know well enough. If I was a young woman I would be leary about given any information right away.

I think its hard to judge how much is too much. I got this email talking about that very thing. This girl was talking to this kid online who was really a cop. She thought he lived far away so she didn't feel threatened by him. She didn't tell him direct information, but just by what she did tell him, like the name of her schools baseball team and stuff like that was enough for the cop to find her and follow her home. He warned her and her parents about what could have happened. I try to share the bare minimum when I use the internet.

I guess I am different than most people who replied. I give out information on those sites.. I guess not my address. I have my phone number on my facebook page and I guess that is the most I give out, but it has my city and that where I go to school. It wouldn't be that hard to find me :P I don't give out my address or phone number to strangers or anything like that. I don't meet people from the internet.