online-safety-tips yourspace guidesandrules Virgin Media

Making friends online can be fun and rewarding. But whether it's on message boards, profiles, chat rooms, instant messenger or blogs, it's very important that, while enjoying yourself, you also keep your own personal safety in mind at all times.

By remembering these simple pointers, you can talk away to your heart's content without losing your peace of mind.

1. Don't give away personal information
While it's great to let people know a bit about yourself; what makes you tick, what sort of music you're into, or whether you like Corrie or Eastenders, you should also bear in mind that it's not a good idea to publish stuff like your phone number or home address on the internet.

You really never know who could be reading it, and it's just common sense to keep that sort of thing to yourself. Think carefully about who you give your email address to.

If you post personal details to the Soundbites comment boards, our forums or on your profile, we will remove them for your safety. You should always let us know when you see other people giving out personal information by reporting it.

2. Are they who they say they are?
However well you feel that you know internet friends, anyone who you've met online is essentially still a stranger.

Think about it logically: if somebody came up to you in the street and smiled at you, would you give them your house keys? Well you can be even less sure about people who you meet online.

As in real life, there are a few nasty characters out there who may lie about themselves online. Don't ever let yourself feel pressured into making online friendships. If something feels wrong, don't get drawn in.

3. Be very careful when meeting up with people offline
So you're getting on like a house on fire? That's great! It's only natural that eventually you'll want to meet up.

But before you rush in, make sure that you've thought things through carefully. Are you meeting in a public place? Have you told anyone else that you're doing this, told them where you're meeting, and when you expect to be back?

It may all sound a bit 'Charlie says' but it's important to take precautions just to be on the safe side. It's often a good idea to take a friend along anyway - it can help you feel more at ease.

Children should never meet up with online friends unless accompanied by an adult.

If you have concerns about anything you've seen on Virgin Media, you should contact the community team immediately.