Online discussions can be fun and informative but they can also be places of intense partisanship, criminal activity and off-color content. For your own protection, it's best to refrain from posting personal information on online message boards. You never know who will come across it and use it for their own purposes. Take what you read in message boards with a grain of salt, it might or might not be accurate.

Make sure that your children also understand that there are clear rules regarding the posting of private information on message boards. Certain message boards can contain profane language, pornographic materials and hate oriented content.

If possible, it's best to be an active participant and monitor your children's message board activities at all times. Young children should never be allowed to browse Web forums or Usenet newsgroups without proper supervision.