http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L0pht#Founders

Many computer geeks started out with an interest in hacking and migrated to security, because they realized how vulnerable systems are.

People are much more at risk from the information they freely post about their private lives online than any risk from hackers. There is a delicate balance between being open and revealing too much information. BT1 continually warned members that the forums were available to the public and web archives. It's everyones personal responsibility to follow that advice.

If you build a supportive, caring community that can vocalize and resolve their difficulties in a civil manner, you will have a healthy balance of people that will have little interest in trolling. When people gang up on others, that is when they are at risk from others wanting to know more about them from what you freely put out there in the past.

The best way to surf is to be considerate, civil and supportive. A community where your voice is as meaningful as the next persons is invaluable to keeping peace and creating an environment where everyone is equal. When cliques of abusive members are tolerated and encouraged, it leads to dissention. The best deterent is for members to self police themselves and use the ignore feature when available.

When I surf I try to avoid situations where I'll paint a bullseye on my forehead It's something I learned through the years online, but was clueless as a newbie.

That's the best advice I can give, other than reserving really private information for PM's and email contacts with those that you trust, while keeping in mind that online communities are a haven for gossip and what you tell another privately will most likely make it to someone elses ears.

I support others that have changed their usernames to protect their identity when they are looking for a new beginning from past revelations they may have made from poor judgement. We are all guilty of doing that, and that's why it's important to allow people to edit their posts with no time limitation to remove personal information when needed.

Even if you were an SOB on the old forum, you are welcome to change your identity, hopefully along with your attitude if that's what you want. I've never met a perfect human being, so my standards are not very high. The only time I ever get upset online is when I see others mistreated and abused. I have zero tolerance for that.

If someone offends you and you fear they will edit their post, QUOTE their post in your reply and it will be there forever.

It's also wise to use a seperate username and email address for every online forum you go to, unless your identity is public information from business activities and you choose to divulge that. I am dorry here and nowhere else. People that I've cared to contact privately, know my identity, and I theirs.

I have no fear of DocJohn having my IP and email address. It's what I post that is far more damaging to my personal life, if I choose to make enemies online.