February 4, 2011

How To Block Skeezy Online Stalkers

Jami Howard/freakbacon.com

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Should you worry about your privacy when joining an online dating site? I answer this question in my latest online etiquette column, Dear @nna. Here’s an excerpt:

Generally, posting information on online dating sites isn’t any more worrisome than posting it on social media sites like Facebook or Twitter. Most of the same rules apply, except for a few no-brainers which I will post anyway, because I don’t have very much faith in humanity. Don’t be a dumbass and share your full name, your address, phone number, credit card, or anything else you wouldn’t give to a stranger unless they were really hot.

Plenty of people are vague on dating sites about what they do in order to protect their identity, while still getting the points of their personality across. For instance, if you’re an investment banker, you can just say “soulless.” Don’t list your company, obviously, and limit the number of photos you share. You have to post at least one photo though, or people will think you are Nick Nolte and then you’ll never find true love….

Read the rest of my online etiquette column at SF Weekly.

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AN IMPORTANT UPDATE

We’re falling behind our online fundraising goals and we can’t sustain coming up short on donations month after month. Perhaps you’ve heard? It is impossibly hard in the news business right now, with layoffs intensifying and fancy new startups and funding going kaput.

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If you can part with even just a few bucks, please help us pick up the pace of donations. We simply can’t afford to keep falling behind on our fundraising targets month after month.

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