June 22, 2009
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Stalkers and the Internet
I have never really understood the term “Internet Stalker.” I think I have read about 5 posts about stalkers today and I have read at least 2 pulses on the same topic.
Now I am sure guys view stalkers in a different way than women do. If a guy gets a stalker and she is fat or ugly, he can just tell her she is fat and/or ugly. (Note: Saying she is fat or ugly will turn her into a very passionate troll). But if she is hot, then she isn’t a stalker because guys don’t mind attention from hot women.
But I understand that for women it is a different situation. Women are afraid that the guy may hurt them. They are afraid the man may show up to their house. I am not sure what the fear is if it is a woman on woman stalker.
I think that the footprint feature increases the fear of Internet stalking. I think if xanga finally adds the feature for blocking IP addresses, they will probably do away with the footprint feature around the same time.
Why? I believe half of what you hear around xanga about stalkers is nothing more than an awareness if people’s presence via the footprints. You don’t know people are checking your site out 1000 times a day on Facebook.
I have never been afraid of someone on the Internet. In fact, Internet threats are kind of funny.
Have you ever been afraid of someone you met on the Internet?
Comments (118)
Nope! Not yet, anyway.
Afraid…nope.
Amused…most definitely.
Nope. I’m flattered if I see someone’s footprints going through my blog. I’ve never had any strange happenings because of my online activities.
Middle-aged mothers.
yes! i hate internet creepers
No, not really.
Annoyed? Yes.
Amused? Yes.
Threatened? No.
actually, i take that back. i am an internet creeper, im just not deadly.
I don’t know. Somebody wouldhave to be very overbearing to make me consider them a stalker. I know there have been times where I’ve been bored and gone through a ton of a persons posts, especially if it’s somebody i have never read, or a site I haven’t been to in a while.
not yet..
Nope.
I’ve been afraid of myself on the internet, but that’s probably not the same thing you’re talking about.
I have only once. But the bitch lives on my street and she threatened to kill me. She made the account on here for the sole purpose of harassing me because I wouldn’t pay any attention to her in real life, so she invaded xanga. She’s gone now though, and I’m still alive. But as far as actually internet stalkers who I don’t know in real life, nope, never been scared.
I have not been afraid personally, but there have been too many people I’ve known, women especially, who ended up VERY hurt due to contact over the internet, call it stalking or following or what have you.
Actually, I’m scared of Paul_Partisan. That guy is one creepy fuck.
I creep unintentionally sometimes. Actually, I think folks who normally creep simply because they’re too lazy to comment on anything really can’t be dubbed as actual creepers / stalkers. But this is a hard thing to distinguish, especially because it comes down to intentions.
Half may be. However, I know that my particular situation is a lot more real than “footprint stalking” (which in my opinion is probably completely harmless) But then, my problem did not originate on xanga. However, since he IS an internet stalker, no matter where I go on the internet he finds me. And I LIKE the footprint feature for the very reason that I can watch and make sure he’s NOT coming here. It’s just a precaution I need to take and something that helps me feel a little more control of the situation.
Since in my situation, the problem crossed over from the internet to real life, it got scarier. In fact, it was only a nusance when it was only on the internet. It was annoying, but not something to make a big deal over. But once it became a real life problem, it became a big problem. Since there are still remnances of the problem- though mostly done now… finally… two years later… its still a precation that I would like to have open to me.
There is just not a better word available for an obsessed creep who sneaks around keeping an eye on everything you write. I usually call them obsessed, but the guy who showed up at Dan’s old job, looking for a girl I wrote about, mention my first name, knew Dan’s name but did not know her name at all or my last name. He only knew what I had written on my blog. That was a real stalker.
Sometimes you frighten me, Dan, but I love you anyway.
Nope
Not afraid of any, but ones I lost trust in.
HAHA NO
just this guy, dan, i met on a blog once.
Creeped out, yes, but not actually scared. If I gave personal information away to strangers on the internet, such as my last name or location, I would feel scared in those situations where I once felt creeped out. Luckily I haven’t, though, so I’m good.
SCARED would be when my psycho fifteen year old neighbor knocks on my door at 2:00 AM and when I’m home alone in a ski mask repeatedly for unknown reasons…
If Facebook had footprints, half my town would run away from me. I’m the world’s biggest Facebook creepr. I check this cute guys page every time I log on, which is at least ten times a day. Aha.
Nah I’ve never been afraid of anyone from the Internet. Xanga would be a boring medium to stalk me by.
exes can use to to be a real pain…but I guess that’s troll behavior not stalker behavior. I had a stalker for several years who literally followed me from state to state. seem like an Internet stalker would be nothing compared to that creep laying sticks on my doorbuzzer so it would never stop and calling me on the job refusing to leave the line free and etc.
yes
ehh… all of these posts are getting me to rethink my openness on the internet. bad things CAN happen to good people.
Not so much afraid as annoyed. Yay friendslock.
No, it doesn’t bother me at all.
No. Well, I’ll admit it’d be awkward if someone kept checking out my stuff everyday constantly and I got like 50 footprints per day from one person. But not actually afraid.
Nah, I welcome stalkers. I stalk them back! Muahahhahaha!! I think I’ve been online way too long to be worried about “Internet threats”.
i am not really afraid just cautious…
in facebook i get to restrict people they have alot of privacy settings which i totally make use of
@trunthepaige - Now that is stalking. Thats taking it off of the internet and into real life. I personally like reading people’s blogs… its like a story being told. But to take it offline, and into the real…. then those people need help.
lol NO its the INTERNET for crying out loud
they dont know where you live – unless they’re STUPID enough to POST UP their address / give out their phone number etcs
THEY CANT FIND YOU !!!
its called the WORLD* WIDE*** WEB for a reason — they’re people from ALLL** over the world*
Even if you piss them off online – there would be NO WAY they cant hunt you down to beat you up
For those that check out your site 1000x a day – be happy they’re making you popular with number of views LOL
People are taking the internet too seriously where it becomes a paranoia
if they’re so scared of the internet – they should seriously TURN THE DAM THING OFF – and GO OUTSIDE
@twosidedme - It was my fault to much info on the place. And it had bar in it were a stranger could sit and not look or feel out of place. I had a picture of the girl up and she is very pretty. The guy never came back
So far, so good. Hope it stays that way.
i would not like someone to constantly make accounts to talk and be blocked by me-that to me is my stalkish threshold.
Yeh, but for an unrelated reason. Thought I was gunna get rolled
Nope, I did at one point have someone from Turkey coming back over and over, I called them out and they stopped.
If by afraid you mean “have sex with” then YES OH GOD YES.
@AS90 - Except you. You killed Nathan you evil monster, and sucked the very will to be on xanga right out of me.
@MadisonLinh - But I LOVE YOU. I was going to move to Texas, next month so we could be together! <3 SO MUCH!!!
@eyesochinky - How tall are you? You were totally too tall.
If someone went through all my blog, I be kind of worried for them, why would there went to see all my blog.
I do check my footprints because I am interested where there are coming from.
I’m far too common to stalk.
@wherethefishlives - YOU’RE AN UGLY FUCKING DUMB ASS WRITER
@Peridot21 - @JJ_Ames - @my_final_username - @BenjiRucas - @Ro_ad808 - @SJay1 - @SJay1 - @SJay1 - @homemadehappiness - @phuck_diz_shiz - @redx190 - YOU’RE ALL A BUNCH OF CUNTS. DON’T FUCKING COME TO MY SITE.
Back when I was on AOL, I got a couple emails from a guy who was clearly unstable. But I had no reason to think he knew where I lived or worked. I ’m not in the habit of giving that info to strangers on the internet
Now if someone were taking over my computer or calling me up to say s/he could see me sitting at my computer, that would freak me out. But I don’t care if someone wants to read my Xanga, etc. They’re reading every entry I ever posted? — awesome! I know there are risks inherent with having an internet presence, and so far I am comfortable with that level of risk. If I ever change my mind, I’ll shut down my Xanga and walk away.
@BenjiRucas - c’mon dood, im totally asian. sometimes i wonder if im supposed to be a dwarf.
No.
@paul_parmesan - Come on now, mass flame baits shouldn’t get you more traffic. If you can’t at least personalize the trolling beyond petty references to the female anatomy I really pity you. No worries though, I won’t indulge you in more than this response. As far as keeping off your page- no problem. I went there once because it was recced, bored to tears.
Thankfully of you live in South Africa someone would have to really desperate to want to stalk you. We are too far from everyone. There are not many South Africans on Xanga
all of the time.
I’ve never been stalked, and I hope I won’t ever be stalked.
Nope.
Yes.
Mortified.
Ok, maybe not.
Haven’t had a stalker yet. I dId get a comment from anonomous person that was quite mean, but I deleted the comment and changed my settings. I won’t receive comments from someone who does not show who they are. I think this was a troll. “chop-chop, troll gone”.
Only after he showed up on my doorstep…
No, not really. But I’m a guy.
lol..never
and i probably wouldn’t mind, i laugh at people who make threats over the internet- it’s so pathetic it’s funny
I will never understand why people post things on a public internet site, and then get mad because someone reads it.
Not i. i’m been grateful for all that i’ve learned from anyone i’ve met via the internet. EVEN those that didn’t turn out so good. Yet, again, being 6’4″, i don’t have all that much worry about.
No person should have to be the recipient of show negative ‘attention’.
Uh I don’t know, DMV sort of scares me sometimes.
no
Im not scared by looking at footprints. we all love footprints.
But when someone comments all my posts, with caps lock on, and a huuuuge paragraph, then emails me on the same topic, then posts on of their own on the same topic -and then looks at my page 20 times after to see if Ive posted since- its just pathetic.
Also, MY “internet stalker” knows me in real life- it started over a year ago, and she happened to find me here through seaching my name in google. Now that is just creepy
Nope! Now there’s been a few people that I met from the internet in real life that have creeped me out, though.
Nope, not afraid. However, I do think it’s quite interesting that my recent boyfriend likes to still view my blogs on a regular basis. It would make sense if he was a single guy but this guy turned out to be married (which is why we broke up) and he didn’t tell me until I found out in other ways. I think it’s cowardly to be reading my blogs but choosing to avoid me so he doesn’t have to fess up that he just plain, got caught.
Yes. There’s a site called Girlsense, and it’s supposed to be kid friendly. It’s got auctions, and in the auctions they have chats, but there are certain words you can’t say. Anyway, so there was some random guy in the auction I was in, and he said something uncomfortable to me. *shudders* So I Ieft that auction to go to another, and HE FOLLOWED ME THERE! O.O I left again and went to another auction and he STILL FOLLOWED ME! It got so bad that I had to make a second account in case I’d ever see him again.
I’m not afraid of people online but I once had a stalker in real life. He scared me a lot.
No. It’s just the internet. You can get up and walk away.
No. I don’t want to be stalked either.
Not until I met you Dan!
@nattata - How’d you deal with it??
Not as such… once there was this creepy guy who I didn’t know who added me on MSN then kept telling me how he wanted to fall in love with me and be with me forever… immediate block =]
No, but once my mom freaked out when a guy asked my sister for her phone number.
People trying to hack into your account to get personal information so they can make up phony credit cards in your name is no joke. Those anonymous footprints from Korea or China or the Ukraine, hackers looking for ways to get your info and rob you. I’ve traced IP addresses and found out some of them are owned by organized gangs in Nigeria, scam central.
It doesn’t hurt to know who’s snooping through your site. I know you’re talking about a different kind of animal but, both are dangerous. Stalkers, scammers, vermin, – all the same to me. I wish I had a big trap to catch them in.
This is why I only give out my address to the really hot chicks on here. I figured the odds are better then that I’d get stalked by some insanely hot woman.
Yeah there was some dude on xanga who tried adding me and all of my friends and his default is some picture of his penis and legs, so i blocked him and reported him.
@dikdoktor - I always wondered who those people were!
@Ayumi_Hyuga - I reported it to the police, told my neighbors about it, got extra locks for my flat, always knew where my pepper spray was and I blocked all anonymous calls.
@nattata - good job! So many safety precautions…
@laurasaidwhat - lol, how terrifying!
@AS90 - :|
@laurasaidwhat - Lots of them have been showing up lately. That’s why it’s a good idea to make sure you always update your security. I traced one guy that was using a university in Texas to hack while he was in Singapore. These guys are really sneaky.
Yes!!!!
I am hanging out in the wrong places. I don’t have any stalkers.
No, but then again remember that hooker who put herself on craigslist and that psychopath killed her?
Was she a hooker or a model?…don’t remember.
Anyway, this guy was actually in college going for his doctorate or something. Extremely intelligent and a ruthless murderer.
So, no, I’m not afraid of people online.
No problems here.
There are people who read different featured posts and never comment on them. I guess one could be paranoid when ten percent or less leave comments, yet I still think xanga gets a higher ratio of comments to traffic on blogs than most other blogging sites.
The footprint feature and view features may leave someone under the impression their xanga is generating less traffic or “reads” than it actually is. Many people still use the subscription browsers and others use rss feeds which may result in a lower tally of reads than actual. If those would be all shown, some might be really paranoid…
It all depends on the “life on the internet” to “life in the real world” ratio. Too extreme into either one of those conditions, and I’m usually terrified of said human being.
Maybe if I actually had someone chasing me around each and every site I go to. But hey…nobody chases the fat and ugly chicks anyway.
So I’ll be safe just as long as I keep the weight on and avoid makeup at all costs. Why be afraid? Block, report, move on.
I think it’s curious when people complain that someone looks at their site too much. For most people that is exactly what they are calling stalking and why they would be irriated or freightened by it escapes me.
I had a stalker, that is why my site was protected for the longest time……..and she wasn’t good looking.
whoa, no too scary.
dont visit my xanga. ahaha.
Internet Creepers are amusing, if you ask me.
Unfortunately, I have. I had a very angry, and psychologically ill (to put in a polite way) ex boyfriend who wouldn’t leave me alone after breaking up, and especially after I was back with my boyfriend previous to him. It resulted in months of harassment over the internet with IMs and emails, not only to me, but to my boyfriend, as well as threatening to come to where I live, and hurt me physically,
Then either he (and I doubt this because he’s not that smart), or a friend started gaining access to my screenames despite changing passwords, sending viruses to my computer, tracking my conversations, and threatening me physically.
It was an extremely terrorizing and traumatic series of events. Fortunately I was able to finally get police involved to the point of actually doing something about it after my ex made dozens of phone calls, and left a very…scary and threatening voicemail on my phone.
Being stalked is terrible, and the internet can make it so much easier for people. Protecting your personal information is key, with protection and privacy if you do put information up is also extremely important.
@josiebunny - Girl, I’m stalking you.
And I’m stalking you, Theo. Watch yourself.
I’m not concerned personally. Who would want to stalk a self-defense-minded male college student? But I can definitely see the possible worries for some people.
And as to people worried about footprints. . . isn’t the whole point to generate traffic? If it isn’t then set your security to friends only.
south korea is my stalker.
not at all, mostly because I am a guy. I don’t mind people checking out my old posts neither since I don’t put up any personal info
If Xanga removes footprints, I’m leaving.
@Ro_ad808 - Apparently the site was shut down for impersonation of a Xangan, blah blah blah. O.o
i haven’t been afraid of ppl on the internet b/c i know how to keep my distance, but i have been annoyed and blocked ppl even if they tried to get at me from other usernames/screennames.
[I have never been afraid of someone on the Internet. In fact, Internet threats are kind of funny.]
Same here.
I was freaked out only once and it had nothing to do with footprints. I welcome people to stalk me if it is nothing more than footprints.
Nope. If someone’s a bit too mean, I ignore them. If they write inappropriate comments, I block them.
Yes.
No but I do know someone who was murdered by someone that she met on the Internet so I can understand why women would be more concerned about it.
This has nothing to do with your actual post. If you manage to make it all the way down to the bottom of the comments here, I would like to tell you that your plugz-thing stating that everyone needs to be more creative with their plugz-thing descriptions and titles made me laugh out loud involuntarily
Nah. Although I do have a stalker. Someone from NY came to my site by searching for ‘Undercover Librarian xanga’. And then spent a lot of time looking at pictures of me. I bet it’s VaneDave visiting incognito. Hehe!
One time….when I was a host in a large chat room.
Heck no! I don’t give enough info for anyone to know who I am or where to find me, and even if they did, I wouldn’t be afraid of them. I don’t worry about footprints either. I sometimes just use them to see if certain people have stopped by yet. Some peeps have been afraid of me being a stalker, mostly the young and vulnerable, but they have no real reason to be. I just like to talk and sometimes flirt a bit. I have NEVER suggested actually meeting anyone, and never will. It’s against my rules.
@BrittMiles27 - I’m not sure if it’s stalking when the stalkee (is that even a word?) doesn’t mind.
Only you, Dan.
nope. i met my bf on friendster. we’re together for 4 years now. im one of those lucky people i think.
I think the differences between troll and stalker should be emphasized. A troll would be someone who just makes the threats or is mean and hurtful. A stalker would be a certain someone who has stalked me on EVERY sort of thing like xanga, facebook, and myspace. He’s even found every dummy account I’ve ever set up. It’s scary because I’ve never spoken to this man but he found out my name, my address, and my phone number. All from a screen name. It’s scary to know that any stranger on the street could be the man that’s followed me for 4 years. Never making a mark with anything but his IP. And yes I suppose it is different but I have made plans for every situation that he could ever present, just in case, but the worst thing is the fact it can be so scary you never tell anyone close to you because you know they’ll just worry and there’s nothing they can do anyways.
Dan, this is me threatening you on the internet. Scared now? Thought so.
I don’t have the time right now to read through every comment so if someone else mentioned this sorry.
curiosity here, if your blogging or a part of some social network that is made public where does ‘stalking’ get defined? If someone finds your posts amusing or thoughtful so they check your site out daily and read your blog.. that you published publicly.. I wouldn’t consider that stalking. If you put personal information for anyone to read that’s not your readers issue if it should be private then keep it private.
If you mean someone that tracks you down via some way from the net to real life, yeah that would definitely be stalker freaky stuff.
But if you post and anyone can access it, trolls, random people, avid readers and sites, you opened yourself up to that but it wouldn’t be stalking.