Now don't get me wrong -I'm not saying there aren't any dangers with leading a life online. There are plenty of dangers and reasons to be cautious, but sex doesn't factor into that. Anyone can have their identity nicked online if they're not careful, anyone can have their accounts hacked into or something equally unpleasant.
The Internet is the great equalizer. The usual methods for distinguishing people from each other, like their sex, race, religion, socio-economic status etc that you have used before are pretty useless online. Obsolete if you so will. Because online we can be pretty much anyone we want to be.
So why should women be more fearful of putting themselves out there? I mean -yes giving out your real name might be risky for those with less than usual ones, but at the end of the day it's no more risky than being listed in the phone book.
I have this friend who's a semi-hacker-ish type. He warned me about how easy it was to find information about me online. He got my home phone number and address in about 30 seconds. At first that kind of freaked me out, but then I got to thinking and I came to this conclusion -so what?
So what if anyone can trace my name to my address and phone number? They can trace billions of other people in the same way. People do that all the time; the most popular methods used to be the public phone book and calling an information service. What makes me being listed online more dangerous than anything else?
It's true that more people can get a hold of you if you spend a lot of time being un-anonymous online, but at the end of the day it doesn't really matter. So you get an online stalker? You might have gotten one while being out in a club just as easily. So some creep got your phone number; creeps will always get someone's phone number and harass, it's what they do.
At the end of the day it all just comes down to common sense and taking your licks when and if they come. Though it's never advisable to simply give out your personal details to all and sundry unless you want irritating phone calls in the middle of the night and so on, that does not mean you have to be more paranoid than Machiavelli.
People who want to get a hold of you badly enough will find a way. Why live your life in dread of that moment? I mean, I'm as paranoid as the next girl, but I do have limits and going through life being scared of online predators just isn't in my repertoire of things to do. If someone actually comes haunting your homestead? Then you can start worrying.
