Internet Safety

Welcome to LDS.net and to its parent, the More Good Foundation. Please read About Us to understand our online mission. Please visit the Terms & Conditions so you know what is expected from you as a member of the site. As you can see from studying the information in those two links, we are here to provide a wholesome, gospel-oriented and family-appropriate online place. However, it is important that you take steps to protect yourself no matter where you are online.

In the Terms & Conditions there are several important points that will contribute to your safety if you follow them. In the LDS.net Terms of Use Agreement we remind you to choose carefully the information you post on LDS.net and that you provide to other Users. Your LDS.net profile may NOT include the following items: telephone numbers, street addresses, or last names. If you have mistakenly created an account with your full name, please contact Heather (administrator) and tell her what you would like your username to be changed to. You must be at least 14 years of age to be a member on this site. When you sign up to become a Member, you will also be asked to choose a password. You are entirely responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your password. You agree not to disclose your password to any third party. You agree to notify LDS.net immediately if you suspect any unauthorized use of your account or access to your password. You are solely responsible for any and all use of your account.

Remember that any views expressed on LDS.net are independent of and do not represent the views of LDS.net, More Good Foundation, or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Any user who feels that [any content] is objectionable [and/or violates the Terms and Conditions] is encouraged to contact the Administration immediately by using Contact-Us, send a Private Message to a moderator who is logged on (they will have a green lite icon next to their name). The Report a Post icon is on every post in the forums and looks like this: Use the Report a Post function in the Forums when needed; when you use that function, the reported post automatically is sent to where moderators are made aware of it and can review the post you reported and will then take action if they determine it is necessary. We will make every effort to removed objectionable messages and uploads within a reasonable time frame, if we determine that removal is necessary. There is also a report link on every profile and section of the site. So, again, familiarize yourself with what is and is not acceptable on the lds.net and help us (the staff) in keeping this place safe temporally and spiritually. Also, do not hesitate to send a message to the Administrator about any site content or safety concerns you have.

Heather is the LDS.net website administrator. You can send a message to her by visiting her profile. Then select the link that says “Send Message”. You can communicate with the moderators in the same manner, by visiting their profiles and sending a message. If the chat room is open, there will be at least one moderator in there also. They will have a "M" icon next to their name. You can view the list of moderators here.

Here are some further general tips for keeping yourself safe online:

1. Don’t give out your real name. Never give out your last name. However, consider having a fake name you use online even when people ask for your first name.

2. Don’t give out your phone number.

3. Be very general about where you live. If you live in a big city, you could name the city. If you live in a small town, probably just give the name of the state. Don’t identify street names or landmarks near where you live. Don’t identify schools or businesses or places you frequent. If you like, you don’t have to say anything at all about where you live.

4. Even though we provide a gallery for you to share photos, and many members have chosen to share photos of themselves, their children, their friends and families – you may wish to consider not sharing personal photos, especially of your children, as a safety measure. Alternatively, if you choose to share the photos, it may be best not to provide your children’s names.

5. Remember that, ultimately, nothing online is private. Don’t put any content in an email, PM, profile – or anywhere online – that you wouldn’t want anybody from off the street to know about you; or any information you wouldn’t mind having plastered on a billboard.

6. There is a lot of online safety information – online. Take it upon yourself to study it. Especially become familiar with safety practices before you ever make a decision to add someone to your msn (or other IM provider), talk to them over the phone, exchange snail mail, or, especially, when considering to meet an online friend in person. It is recommended that you make it a policy to never take these steps at all, but if you choose to do so, again, understand and follow safety practices before doing so. Search out information that will teach you how online predators behave and what they are after; use this knowledge to protect yourself even on a site such as LDS.net. Predators can be anywhere, and many of them seem to be nice people; that is deliberate on their part. Learn what local and national agencies (law enforcement and otherwise) exist that allow you to make internet safety complaints. (For example, the FBI has a Cyber Division and has published a Parent’s Guide to Internet Safety.)

7. If you are under the age of 18, communicate with your parents in detail about what you are doing online and where, and involve them in decisions you make about your online activity; and follow the rules your parents set about your online safety. If you are under 18, NEVER, EVER give out your name or where you live or your age or where you go to school or any personal information or plan to meet anyone without first speaking to your parents (who will hopefully advise you not to do so anyway).

8. Don’t feel pressured to share anything you don’t want to. Simply say, “I don’t give that out.” Or, “Thanks for asking, but I’d rather not say.” Practice in your mind and perhaps out loud how you are going to reply to requests or people who pressure you for information. If someone here on LDS.net is truly pressuring you for information, please let Heather or a moderator know immediately. If someone assaults you sexually online (for example, in a PM), there will be a moderator in the chat room that you should notify immediately.

9. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has information and resources to assist in being temporally and spiritually safe online. Please visit the Internet topic in the Gospel Library to find articles and links to several helpful websites.

10. Please note that all aspects of the site are monitored. You are expected to keep the rules of LDS.net when using any part of the site, including private messaging. There is no guarantee of privacy when posting any information to LDS.net.

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