Scubanation.com is committed to providing a safe environment for our members to express themselves and meet new people in the community.

To ensure safe and positive experiences for all users, we have written guidelines for our members to follow. The guidelines and tips are for parents, teens and daters.

Tips for Parents

Members must be 14 years or older to join our site. If your teenager has just recently started using the internet we encourage you to talk to them about their online experience. You can use these guidelines to start the conversation with your teenager. Please review the Terms of Use with your teenager to ensure that you both understand the rules to which our members (and by extension, you as the parent of a teen under 18 years of age) are subject.

Not everyone on the site should be trusted.

Community based internet sites are just like neighborhoods except that they are online - make sure your teens take caution in interacting with and adding members to their friends list. Suggest they talk to you if they want to meet an online friend in person, and if you think it's safe, make sure that any planned meeting occurs in public with friends or a trusted adult present.

Make sure your child does not lie about his or her age.

In real life would you probably wouldn't let your child lie about his or her age to get into a club. Don't let them lie about their age online! Members must be 14 years or older to join the site. We have an age restriction because there are certain areas of the site that may not be appropriate for those less than 14 years old. If your teens lie about their age they may be exposed to mature and potentially inappropriate content.

Talk to your teens about the dangers of giving personal information to strangers.

Although we are a community based site and we make every effort to remove inappropriate members your teens should understand the dangers of giving out personal information to strangers. This is a free site that anyone can access and personal info should not be given to strangers. Don't let your teens give personal information to strangers online!

Talk to your teens about what to do if they are bullied or harassed by another member.

No one has a right to bully or harass another member. Talk to your teens about what to do if someone harasses them or sends them unwanted emails. Your teens should know that harassing messages can be stopped by blocking the member or reporting them for abuse. To report a member for harassment please clicks on the Report Abuse link on the member's personal page.

We developed the guidelines stated above to help you understand that situations that happen in the real world can also happen in online. Go online, surf the internet, learn the lingo your teens are using. This will allow you to have a continuous, open dialogue with them about who they are meeting and who they are talking to in the real world and online. This will help your teens stay safe in the real world and online.

For more information about internet safety please visit the following sites:

http://www.wiredsafety.org
http://www.safefamilies.org
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/tech/tec14.shtm

Consider Utilizing Parental Control Software

Software is available that allows parents to add controls that block certain websites. The software can also filter content so that parents can prevent children from viewing information that they do not think is appropriate. Many of these options are available to you for free. If you perform an online search using "parental control software you will see your options.

Tips for Teens

Our site is a fun and cool place for you to meet new people and express yourself. Before you get started we recommend that you read the following guidelines that are designed to help you have fun and be safe while on our site.

Think before you submit!

This is a pubic environment and anyone will be able to see what you add to your personal page. Do you want your friends, your teachers, your parents or potential employers to see what you have written and uploaded? Think about this before you add anything.

People can be mean!

There are some people who join the site just so they can instigate and annoy other members. Don't fall into the trap of responding back with negativity. Click on the Report Abuse link next to the member’s name to report the violation and WE will investigate the situation.

Don't use provocative name.

Other members may get the wrong idea about who you are and what your intentions are. Additionally, accounts with inappropriate names violate our Terms of Uses and will be shut down.
If it seems too good to be true it probably is.

Some people make stuff up and there are a few people who join the site in an attempt to make a quick buck. Protect yourself from scams. Don't give other members money, credit card information or any other financial information.

Don't lie about your age!

We ask your age for a reason - to protect you from mature and potentially inappropriate content. Lying about your age violates our Terms of Use and will result in your account being terminated.

Don't be a Bully!

This is a community based site and we encourage members to freely express themselves. Don't harass or bully another member if you disagree with them in a chat room or a forum post.

No one, including us, likes a bully. If you act like one, we will shut your page down immediately. If you feel there is content on our site that violates one of our Terms of Use, click on the Report Abuse link and our member services tea will investigate and take appropriate action.

Don't mimic negative behavior

We are a community based site and this is your opportunity to show the world who you are and what you care about. Don't disrespect yourself or others by uploading inappropriate photos and/or text.
Pages that have inappropriate posts and comments violate our Terms of Use and are shut down almost as quickly as they are set up.

Still have questions or suggestions about online safety? Click here to send a message to our Member Safety Team. To learn more about Internet safety please visit:

http://www.wiredsafety.org
http://www.teenangels.org
http://www.safefamilies.org
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/pubs/consumer/tech/tec14.shtm

Beware of "Phishing" Attacks

A phishing attack occurs when someone fraudulently tries to obtain personal information from you such as your user name and password. When you log into the site always make sure Scuba Nation.com is in the URL. We ask for your username and password when you log in and we do not ask for it anywhere else. If anyone other than scuba nation.com asks you for your username and password please alert us immediately by sending an email.

Use your common sense and trust your instinct.

Meeting members online for the first time is just like meeting a stranger in a club or bar. Think about what you would do or tell someone about yourself when you first meet them. Use the same guidelines and the same common sense when you first meet someone on the internet.

Take care in giving out your real name, your address or phone number.

Be cautious about how much information you share when you meet someone new. Why not start by sending a note, an IM or an email from a third-party email address such as Yahoo or Hotmail? This will allow you to take time to get to know the person and will help you determine if they are trustworthy.

Trust yourself. If it seems too good to be true it probably is.

Although we have great and wonderful members you should be wary of those who may be making up grand stories to trick you into believing they are someone they are not.

Don't post any nudity.

Posting nudity, even if it is in the form of artistic expression, may be misinterpreted by others. Members may get the wrong idea about who you are and what your intentions are. Additionally, accounts with inappropriate photos will be shut down immediately.

 

To learn more about Internet safety please visit:

http://www.wiredsafety.org
http://www.teenangels.org
http://www.safefamilies.org

All these guidelines are put in place to remind you to use your common sense when using the internet. Remember you are in CONTROL!

Here are some other ways you can protect yourself online:

When uploading photos in the photos section you can choose to keep them private or to only allow those on your friends list to view your photos.

If you see inappropriate content, bad photos or other violations of our Terms of Use report it to member services. There are links to Report Abuse in every section where there is member to member contact or where members can post content or photos. Our dedicated member services team is here to help you and to ensure that this remains a community based site.