Post by Clara Hinton on Jan 28, 2008 2:46:23 GMT -5
Dear Silent Grief Family,
As most of you know, we have had a bad experience on the message boards very recently. A person stole pictures of babies from another website and used them as hers. Many people befriended this person and gave support fully believing this person was being honest in all things. But, that wasn't the case, and now some of you are feeling fearful and betrayed.
My message to you is this: We are dealing with a very fragile issue - the loss of a child. Many, many different people search out websites for help and support. Some people are very depressed, some are even suicidal, some are angry at God and the world, some are lost and lonely and seeking friends. Sometime -- not very often -- some are untruthful, and we don't understand why. The incident that happened is one of those times when I cannot give you an answer that will satisfy you completely. I don't know why a person would take pictures of someone else's babies and claim them to be hers. But, it did happen.
What do we do? For one thing, we can use more caution. This is the Internet, and what you post on the Internet is public. There is nothing foolproof when using the Internet. Therefore, I will remind you again not to post private information such as your last name, your street address, your telephone or cell number, or any other personal information on the message boards OR on any website, blog, myspace, etc.. Once posted, that information becomes accessible.
That being said, what do you do when you want to show pictures of your babies and your children and family members to other on Silent Grief? Keep in mind again that if you post a picture and make it public, it can be copied (unless you take precautions such as watermarking your photos). There is always a risk with posting pictures. That is a decision only you can make.
I am so sorry that this incident occurred, but this is not a new or isolated incidence. In talking with other Administrators, this type of thing is not uncommon.
You are real people.....many of you have visited in each other's homes. Some of you have visited in my home! ;D I have made life long friends, and many of you have done the same. I'm looking foward to meeting many more of you in person at our Retreat in October. I love putting a face to a name!
Please use caution when posting publicly. If you do not feel comfortable posting pictures, that's an option you can easily choose not to use. If you want previous posts deleted, I can do that for you. Just pm me, and I will do that for you.
It is my prayer that you will not allow one incident to come between you and the many friends you have made. We are in need of love and support, and it is my prayer that we can move forward and continue to help each other through this difficult pain we call child loss.
I cannot give you 100% assurance that we will never have untruthful people post on our site again. But, I can assure you that you will receive help and encouragement as you journey through your grief.
May God bless you and this family we call Silent Grief!
Much love,
Clara
As most of you know, we have had a bad experience on the message boards very recently. A person stole pictures of babies from another website and used them as hers. Many people befriended this person and gave support fully believing this person was being honest in all things. But, that wasn't the case, and now some of you are feeling fearful and betrayed.
My message to you is this: We are dealing with a very fragile issue - the loss of a child. Many, many different people search out websites for help and support. Some people are very depressed, some are even suicidal, some are angry at God and the world, some are lost and lonely and seeking friends. Sometime -- not very often -- some are untruthful, and we don't understand why. The incident that happened is one of those times when I cannot give you an answer that will satisfy you completely. I don't know why a person would take pictures of someone else's babies and claim them to be hers. But, it did happen.
What do we do? For one thing, we can use more caution. This is the Internet, and what you post on the Internet is public. There is nothing foolproof when using the Internet. Therefore, I will remind you again not to post private information such as your last name, your street address, your telephone or cell number, or any other personal information on the message boards OR on any website, blog, myspace, etc.. Once posted, that information becomes accessible.
That being said, what do you do when you want to show pictures of your babies and your children and family members to other on Silent Grief? Keep in mind again that if you post a picture and make it public, it can be copied (unless you take precautions such as watermarking your photos). There is always a risk with posting pictures. That is a decision only you can make.
I am so sorry that this incident occurred, but this is not a new or isolated incidence. In talking with other Administrators, this type of thing is not uncommon.
You are real people.....many of you have visited in each other's homes. Some of you have visited in my home! ;D I have made life long friends, and many of you have done the same. I'm looking foward to meeting many more of you in person at our Retreat in October. I love putting a face to a name!
Please use caution when posting publicly. If you do not feel comfortable posting pictures, that's an option you can easily choose not to use. If you want previous posts deleted, I can do that for you. Just pm me, and I will do that for you.
It is my prayer that you will not allow one incident to come between you and the many friends you have made. We are in need of love and support, and it is my prayer that we can move forward and continue to help each other through this difficult pain we call child loss.
I cannot give you 100% assurance that we will never have untruthful people post on our site again. But, I can assure you that you will receive help and encouragement as you journey through your grief.
May God bless you and this family we call Silent Grief!
Much love,
Clara