What would you do...son's website!!

[eeyoresmountainpals]

My son is 13, just finishing 8th grade. For a school project he was required to make a web site. My DH and I knew that he was working on this.

The other day I went on line to look up the school address. While on the school's website I saw a new link to the 8th graders website. I clicked on that link and was taken to a page with one name on it....our DSs name! (Apparently he was the only one that had finished the project.) This page had his FIRST AND LAST NAME on it! I clicked on his name and was taken to his web page. First thing I see on his webpage is his first name in bold print AND HIS SCHOOL YEARBOOK PICTURE!

He had only used his first name on his web page but the teacher not only linked it to the school web site but also used both his first and last name. Once you went to his web page, even though he had only posted his first name the computer's address line showed both his first and last name.

His web site included six pages. One page was about his family. He not only listed family members by name but included a physical description of both his younger and his older brother. He identified both his dad and I by our professions. He had a hobby page and told what he likes to do (basketball and video games). Yes, he knows better than to give out personal info but he said he didn't really think he was giving personal information - he felt he was just bragging about his family!

Aside from home address, home phone number and blood type there really isn't much more information that could have been provided! Since it was linked to the school web site anyone reading it knew the school address, the school phone number, had a picture of the school AND directions to the school from the nearest town! From there they had a picture of our son, his family inof and his interests!

DS forgot to tell us that he turned his project in and he didn't even know that it had been put on line. From what we now know it had been online for several weeks.

The school has taken the site off since we brought this to their attention.

Now to my question -

What would you do and what do you think about this happening???

I have had the feeling that I'm looking over my shoulder for the past two days since I saw the website. There are so many weirdos out there these days...what is to prevent one of them from watching my son get onto the school bus and follow him home? What is to prevent someone from watching the basketball courts and then approaching him. We live in an extremely small area, but a remote area. I was finally to the point of allowing my kids to "grow up" and giving them the opportunities to be on their own. I would drop them off at the park for a little while to play basketball. Now I don't feel safe that I can do that. I feel that I've lost my sense of security!

Sorry about the length of this post and thanks to all of you that stuck with it to read to the end!

 

[jfulcer]

Um, well... I can't really tell you that you're not being paranoid because that really won't make you feel any better. The chances are that anyone actually saw that beyond your son's classmates, IMHO, are slim to none, and of those people that would be interested in doing your son or family harm - another slim to none chance.

Have you talked with your son about 'stranger danger' and such? I assume so. You need to at some point realize he may have to make those kinds of decisions on his own and trust him to make the right ones...

 

[DISUNC]

This is a prime example of "WAY TOOOOOO MUCH INFO". I am suprised that the teacher allowed him to place all this info online for the world to see.
I know must schools have a STRICT policy and do not give out ANY students full name or pics of students.

However they did take the page down. I doubt many people other than you saw it. In fact, The schools IT admin can give you the precise # of times the page was viewed (hits). This may help you relieve some of your angst if it is a low number.

I wouldn't worry about it too much.

 

[CEDmom]

I have to agree with Jfulcer. I doubt your DS is at any greater risk because of this. I do think you need to have a conversation with him about specifically what is and isn't personal information. I also think the school should think of more generic ideas for a website than students own families. Maybe students could design a site about their idea of a perfect family or a crazy family etc.

 

[disneymom3]

From what I have heard--like on Dateline and such--the internet creeps generally intentionally set up a meeting with the kids they are meeting online while claiming to also be kids. I think the majority of kidnapper type creeps on the other hand, capture a kid through opportunity--the kid is in the wrong place at the wrong time. As long as DS is not corresponding with and setting up meetings with people who contacted him through this webpage, I think you can notch down on your worries. Not, that I don't completely understand!

I am glad the school took the site and link down.. Very odd for them to have your son's last name on there too.

 

[Disney Doll]

I would probably tend to agree that the chances of many (if any) unsavory characters viewing your son's website out of the thousands, or perhaps millions, of pieces of information and websites that are on the Internet are probably pretty slim.

I'd probably "review" the personal informaiton, stranger danger and Internet safety rules and leave it at that.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

I agree w/jfulcer, too, but I would take the opportunity to meet with the school and recommend that they have some type of training for their teachers about what should and should not be put out there for others' to see, and extend it to students and parents.

The schools that my kids have gone to have always been extremely careful about what they published about the students on the web.

 

[robinb]

Um, well... I can't really tell you that you're not being paranoid because that really won't make you feel any better. The chances are that anyone actually saw that beyond your son's classmates, IMHO, are slim to none, and of those people that would be interested in doing your son or family harm - another slim to none chance.

Have you talked with your son about 'stranger danger' and such? I assume so. You need to at some point realize he may have to make those kinds of decisions on his own and trust him to make the right ones...

ITA. I think you are over-reacting.

 

[eeyoresmountainpals]

This is a prime example of "WAY TOOOOOO MUCH INFO". I am suprised that the teacher allowed him to place all this info online for the world to see. I know must schools have a STRICT policy and do not give out ANY students full name or pics of students.

However they did take the page down. I doubt many people other than you saw it. In fact, The schools IT admin can give you the precise # of times the page was viewed (hits). This may help you relieve some of your angst if it is a low number.

I wouldn't worry about it too much.

It's not only that the teacher "allowed" him to put way too much personal info on there but the teacher is actually the one that put the last name and linked it to the school. They do have a strict policy and that policy was was violated in many different areas.

Thanks for the advise about the school giving me a # of times that the page was viewed. I had not thought of that.

 

[eeyoresmountainpals]

ITA. I think you are over-reacting.

Okay. Thanks.

 

[robinb]

Okay. Thanks.

You're welcome. You asked, after all. All the other folks (so far) except for DISUNC have said essentially the same thing, but less bluntly.

 

[grimley1968]

I agree w/jfulcer, too, but I would take the opportunity to meet with the school and recommend that they have some type of training for their teachers about what should and should not be put out there for others' to see, and extend it to students and parents.

The schools that my kids have gone to have always been extremely careful about what they published about the students on the web.

ITA. While I doubt anyone but you and your son's teacher saw this site, it is troubling that the teacher/school allowed so much personal info to be put on the site without telling your son to take it off. Hopefully the school has learned from this error in judgment and will never make this mistake again. Kids have to be watched like a hawk on websites they create or visit at school, even when they're doing what should be harmless school projects like your son. It's not that their intentions are bad, but that there is so much potential harm out there that they have no way of knowing about at their age and experience level.

 

[DISUNC]

You're welcome. You asked, after all. All the other folks (so far) except for DISUNC have said essentially the same thing, but less bluntly.

I meant THE WEBSITE had way too much info! Not the OP!!

 

[horseshowmom]

I work in a school district, and I am amazed that a teacher put this online (with names, etc.). I'm sure the teacher learned a lesson out of this (hope so anyway!). I would think that if he/she were computer literate enough to have assignments like this, they should also know better than to post it like they did.

If it helps any, I can tell you that we're also very rural, and I can assure you that very, very few people ever look at our webpages. The internet can be a scary place, but you probably really are okay!

 

[buddy&wooz]

I wouldn't worry about what was up there. It's very unlikely that someone with evil intent would have stumbled across the page and taken notes.

But you did the right thing telling the school to take down the page right away, and I'd be concerned about that teacher's credentials to teach web design to kids. The first thing they should be taught is internet safety before they're allowed anywhere near their own website.

 

[momof2inPA]

You could ask that the teacher who put the info. on the website be required to take a course on child internet safety. Other than that, I wouldn't be paranoid about stalkers.

That kind of reminds me of the directories everyone would get Freshman year of college. They had everyone's picture and campus phone number. So, all the hot girls and guys got tons of phone calls for the first couple of weeks. That was a really dumb idea, too. I wonder if colleges still do that.

 

[disykat]

I agree with others that probably few people saw it, but think you have very valid concerns. It sounds like the school has addressed it. That is really creepy. I doubt any of you would be randomly targeted from this, but it is one more place your name is out there. Every once in a while I type my own name, as well as my internet names (like disykat), in and am amazed at how much info I find. I'd try googling his name and see if you hit on it.

 

[Puffy2]

I haven't read this whole thread, but just based on what you have posted in the first post, I'd IMMEDIATELY call someone at the school and demand to have it IMMEDIATELY removed. That is entirely inappropriate (to post something online with so much info). Makes me wonder about the comman sense level of these adults teaching our children.

 

[slk537]

I don't think you are overeacting. I think we are bombarded by so many scary situations from the internet today that the idea of what too much information can do is frightening. I agree that chances of anything happening from this are definitely slim, but I believe you have every right to feel the way you do. I agree that you should educate your son again on dealing with strangers, check how many hits it got and move on.

The project reminds me of something my brother did (on paper only) when he was about your DS's age. (I remember him listing me as having dreams of becoming an author, a movie star or a waitress ...but I digress...). It sounds like a typical school assignment, but NOT for public viewing.

I'm glad they took it down.

 

[CheapMom]

You are not over-reacting. 1st and last name with photo and name of school is way too much info- throw in the family info and hobbies... a predator's jackpot.

You did the right thing and so did the school by taking it down. I would recommend getting your PTA to sponsor a web safety seminar or similar. And work with the PTA and the school's administration to know, practice, and promote safety guidelines regarding the web.