Web-Friends. Can they be trusted?

I like many people started using the web and was sceptical about the use of forums and the dangers of talking and making friends over the net! True I have heard about a lot of bad experiences in the media where people have imitated children to gain there trust or where people have pretended to be someone else to friend helpless victims. I mean, how much information can we believe from these people? As I have slowly been drawn into the world of computers and the web that unites us all I have come to believe certain things. There are people out there that will deceive you and harm people if given the chance, there are also still other people that will use this new medium to prey on children. But don’t forget to look at the good things as well. People all round the world share information and are making friends all round the world. We might be all far away from each other but the web has in ways brought people together.

My first use of the web was to research a series of books that I had read from a child. There were written by a very talented author called ‘Diane Duane’ and the series was called ‘So you want to be a wizard’. I found a forum that the author herself pays and runs. Of course I joined up but I was careful about what I said and the information I gave. Every day I would come onto the web to read what others have written and post my own comments. I have now been on that forum for well over a year and I feel more at home there sometimes than I would down the local pub!

Later I started reading another newer book called ‘Eragon’ and found the official website to that! Although the website was short run [think it only ran for 6-9 months] I made two good friends off that site that I email and talk to over msn weekly. At first I was careful about what I told them but as our friendship grew I came to realize that most of the people out there were like me! Honest about who they are and what they want. These people I have no doubts are real and I have no problems at all talking on the phone to them. Also in a way I feel closer to the world in general, one of these friends is an Australian and the other is from the USA. I don’t think I will ever regret the day I trusted these people and let them into my life. We are friends to each other and I suspect we always will be.

If you would like the link to the Young wizard site click the hyperlink below;

http://www.youngwizards.net/

And Diane Duane web blog [same site as this one!!] is;

http://outofambit.blogspot.com/