The mandate of GettinCool.com is to be an Online Community for young people and "young adults". To ensure the well being of the youngest, we have the following advice:
GettinCool.com's Advice for users of Online Communities:
Anyone can be anything on the Internet; someone claiming to be a 15 year old girl may in fact be a 45 year old man.
Don't ever give out personal information on your Profile or to Strangers. Profiles are partially visible to anyone and completely visible to all registered members, so don't include your last name, phone numbers, home address, school names, or anything else that can lead someone to you.
Only use sites/services like GettinCool.com that allow you to block Messages from people you're not comfortable with - if you're uncomfortable with the way a conversation is going, just get out, do not worry about offending the other person
If you're going to send personal information, send it as a private message, not a comment, as comments are visible to the public.
Take precautions when meeting people - If you're going to meet someone, always take a friend, go to an open and public place and make sure someone you trust knows where you're going and when you'll be back. Taking a cell phone helps provide extra security.
GettinCool.com's Advice to parents of teens:
Be aware of what your child is doing online
Place the computer in a common family area. This way you can easily keep an eye on what they're doing
Have a talk with your child about the dangers associated with any communication medium
Educate yourself. If you understand how the internet works, you can better understand the dangers and risks
What GettinCool.com does to protect it's users:
Every picture put on the site is checked for content before going on your profile - If you can't wear it in the street/beach, it's not allowed
Users can block anyone from sending them Messages and can choose to only receive messages from Friends
Admin and some moderators check content on the site and remove anything inappropriate
We do not knowingly allow anyone under the age of 14 to join.
We get ready to liaise with the Police on issues of legality and safety and do everything we can to co-operate with any investigation involving the site
There is a "Report Abuse" Thread in main Forum. This means that if there is any perceived offense by anyone, that comment or picture can, and if needed, will be removed promptly.
Any suggestions are welcome.
Your online experience with sites like Gettincool.com can be safe, as long as you follow common sense rules like those listed above.
