We know that there are a lot of schools that have chosen to ban journal sites like www.myspace.com, but we want you to know that we are not going to do that. Even though you are not permitted to use these sites during school hours, we feel you have the right to use myspace.com or similar sites to write about your world in an appropriate way. You must, however, understand some of the “unwritten rules” that go along with any publishing you do to the Internet, because that is what you are doing: you are publishing your thoughts, ideas and - in some cases - your pictures and videos to a vast audience.

And this publishing may have some unintended consequences. The most serious of these is that some people who you become your “friends” online may not really be who they say they are. If you publish information about yourself like your name, age, address or telephone number, you increase the chances that something unfavorable will happen. You don’t really know who is looking at your words and pictures. So please, don’t publish personal, identifying information.

Also, always remember that the things you publish may follow you long after your elementary or middle school experience ends. Google® is good today; but think ahead about what it will be able to find five years from now. Many people are already being affected by things they wrote and published years ago. Be smart about what you publish. Ask yourself if it’s really something you want to become a part of your online record.

Finally, understand that while you have the right to create and update these personal sites, you do not have the right to use them in ways that hurt, threaten, or harass others. Remember that despite your best efforts, it’s very unlikely that what you publish online will stay private, which means that even words written in jest may be punishable by law.

Blogs can be wonderful places of learning and connection. They can be places to think, to reflect, to dream and to plan. But like anything else, we all need to learn how to use them effectively, appropriately and safely.