First of all, be careful about your personal information. It's unlikely that someone can track you down depending on the initial name as well as the city your home is in, however with enough information one will discover where you stand. Be careful about what you say to people unless you actually know that is on the other hand from the screen. Over sufficient time people can piece together who you are so just make sure you really know them before letting them know an excessive amount of.
Be cautious about the links that you select in boards. Often these are either adult content or can even be malicious websites that may harm your pc. The same applies to files an individual might wish to transfer for you through a chat client.
If the youngsters are using chat sites, monitor what they are doing. As sad as it is you can find individuals who will pose growing up but actually be a grown-up. Try taking some precautions with your children interacting online although you may think it is just along with other kids. There aren't scary people around, but it is something to keep in mind.
If you're planning on ever finding someone that you met online, you need to meet within an open place where there are a large amount of people around. Consider also going for a friend along with you. Don't ever hand out your personal details similar to this to a person you haven't yet met face-to-face. It is smart to become bit cautious. When the person turns out to be fine, to make sure good.
Nevertheless there is no reason at all to stop online chatting out of fear, you will need to be careful in what you need to do.