Category: Internet Dangers

Gain some insights into the many hidden traps that exist when it comes to building an online platform. Learn about the scams that are out there. And learn how to protect yourself and your loved one online.

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We Let Strangers Into Our Lives

For the last few years, I’ve been writing crime thrillers. Thinking in the head of a bad guy can be liberating. Not sure when these stories of mine will be published (the publishing industry really is a hurry-up-and-wait industry), but I keep pressing forward, and continue to write stories where the bad guys come after us in ways that we are all subject to.

I always wanted the novel to be a cautionary tale about oversharing on social media and the internet. The more I delve into various aspects of internet security, the more I get excited—and scared.

I'm excited, because I know exactly how my serial killer is finding his victims—how he's stalking them. And I also know how he has managed to elude capture for over twenty years. As the writer of this creepy tale, this is fantastic. However, it also scares me, because I'm consciously aware that there will be some sicko out there doing exactly what the bad guy in my story is doing.

I've decided to start this blog series on social media and internet security on my personal blog in the hopes that at least one person out there will take notice and start to examine their own practices. If my ramblings can save just one person from becoming the victim, then I'll be over the moon.

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Guilty

#CockyGate and Trademark Hell: Enough is Enough!

In June of 2018, the entire publishing world was thrown into chaos by #CockyGate. It was an absolute train wreck that was happening in slow motion. What started as one woman's horrible mistake (and lack of understanding of trademark law) blew up into a full-scale witch hunt.

Pitchforks were seized by the masses, and the mob was on the loose. No one was safe from this shit storm (and yes, I deliberately swore). I watched my social media feeds with my jaw open, waiting for the next author to be attacked. And the bullying took a long time to stop.

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Legal Proceedings

#CockyGate: There are lessons to be learnt.

In early 2018, I sat watching my Twitter and Facebook feeds with my jaw dropped. #CockyGate was this tornado that measured 5 on the Fujita scale, and no writer was safe from the disaster left in its wake.

For those of you who have no clue what I'm talking about, I'm referring to the trademark that was issued to a romance writer, effectively granting her sole possession of the word cocky. I know that might sound like an exaggerating, but the responses from Amazon and Goodreads in relation to this mess sent the publishing industry into a frenzy.

I won't go into the details of the ludicrous situation. If you are interested in the little details, just Google it. Trust me. There is a mountain of articles and information out there about it.

No, I want to focus on the effects of social media and how mob psychology works. I want to talk about how one woman destroyed her reputation and likely her writing career. And it wasn't by this trademark disaster. Granted, that didn't help in the slightest. No, in today's industry, so much of your reputation and sales rely on public perception and the face presented online.

There are lessons to be learnt from this mess, that's for sure.

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