This is something which caught my attention way back in 2005-6, when I started doing independent researches on cyber crime targeting individuals. Let me begin as how cyber stalking starts. A very easy way to attract stalker is to *publicize* yourself in the internet. This can happen through numerous ways, such as:
1. through your blogs,
2. your social networking profiles
3. your websites
4. your albums in the internet
5. your views for other’s blogs
6. and last but not the least, when you are being CCed by your friend in a bulk message.
I have watched that when you start a blog, you are given option to invite “outsiders” to visit your blog and comment on your blog. You can strictly moderate the comments. But many don’t do so and thereby giving an open invitation to many troubles, one of which is obviously stalking. Social networking also encourages stalking. It is rather an open gateway for stalkers to come in and start stalking especially when you have not used “lock buttons”. The same goes to your website, your albums and your views for other’s blogs. Infact it is true that people express their views, albums, about themselves etc in the internet to get noticed by the millions of net users worldwide. But then do remember that you are being followed by thousand pairs of eyes. Now, we must remember that all stalkers are followers, but all followers are not stalker. Who are the “followers”? Several cyber psychological, cyber criminological, cyber legal articles in peer reviewed journals as well as popular magazines talk about the nature of cyber stalker. One can understand that when a “follower” harmlessly follows any cyber “netizen”, say for example, his blogs, his website his social networking profiles and finally tries to reach him / her through his contact informations, preferably emails etc , he may come with a genuine interest to know the person he is following. He is not a typical “stalker” because he does not intend to harm the followed person. Well, I do follow numerous people in the net. For instance, I am a die hard fan of actor Ashis Vidyarthi, the noted “criminal” of many block buster Indian movies. I started following him in the internet. I read numerous articles about him and finally one day I got him in the Facebook. I first checked whether this was the real profile of the actor or not by checking with my cousins who are in his friends’ list and then approached him to be my friend in the Facebook. Did I stalk him? No, I just followed him. Next in my list was Jayne Hitchcock, President, WHOA . This wonderful lady, who was my main inspiration for opening up the CCVC, had been a “mysterious” figure for me until the day I found her out in the internet. I became a proud member of WHOA and I started following her write ups to know her personally. I never missed any links she gave in the internet and finally I could “see” her in the Facebook too. I came to know about her family, saw her wonderful mother, her lovely dogs, and even her favorite dishes too. I still “follow” her (readers please excuse me for my habit of “following” only *celebs*. But I can’t help it). Well, I do *follow* but don’t *stalk* and I don’t do any crime. But then if anyone follows any individual with a vengeance, it certainly doesn’t remain a pleasant experience for the “followed” individual and then the act turns into “stalking”.
More to come in the second part
1. through your blogs,
2. your social networking profiles
3. your websites
4. your albums in the internet
5. your views for other’s blogs
6. and last but not the least, when you are being CCed by your friend in a bulk message.
I have watched that when you start a blog, you are given option to invite “outsiders” to visit your blog and comment on your blog. You can strictly moderate the comments. But many don’t do so and thereby giving an open invitation to many troubles, one of which is obviously stalking. Social networking also encourages stalking. It is rather an open gateway for stalkers to come in and start stalking especially when you have not used “lock buttons”. The same goes to your website, your albums and your views for other’s blogs. Infact it is true that people express their views, albums, about themselves etc in the internet to get noticed by the millions of net users worldwide. But then do remember that you are being followed by thousand pairs of eyes. Now, we must remember that all stalkers are followers, but all followers are not stalker. Who are the “followers”? Several cyber psychological, cyber criminological, cyber legal articles in peer reviewed journals as well as popular magazines talk about the nature of cyber stalker. One can understand that when a “follower” harmlessly follows any cyber “netizen”, say for example, his blogs, his website his social networking profiles and finally tries to reach him / her through his contact informations, preferably emails etc , he may come with a genuine interest to know the person he is following. He is not a typical “stalker” because he does not intend to harm the followed person. Well, I do follow numerous people in the net. For instance, I am a die hard fan of actor Ashis Vidyarthi, the noted “criminal” of many block buster Indian movies. I started following him in the internet. I read numerous articles about him and finally one day I got him in the Facebook. I first checked whether this was the real profile of the actor or not by checking with my cousins who are in his friends’ list and then approached him to be my friend in the Facebook. Did I stalk him? No, I just followed him. Next in my list was Jayne Hitchcock, President, WHOA . This wonderful lady, who was my main inspiration for opening up the CCVC, had been a “mysterious” figure for me until the day I found her out in the internet. I became a proud member of WHOA and I started following her write ups to know her personally. I never missed any links she gave in the internet and finally I could “see” her in the Facebook too. I came to know about her family, saw her wonderful mother, her lovely dogs, and even her favorite dishes too. I still “follow” her (readers please excuse me for my habit of “following” only *celebs*. But I can’t help it). Well, I do *follow* but don’t *stalk* and I don’t do any crime. But then if anyone follows any individual with a vengeance, it certainly doesn’t remain a pleasant experience for the “followed” individual and then the act turns into “stalking”.
