1. You should never share your personal information online. It's private, and you should keep it that way. Never tell anybody online your real name, address, phone number, e-mail address or any other personal information that could identify you. And when you register a screen name for anything, make sure you don't use any personal information like your real name in your screen name, either.

2. Make your passwords hard to guess and don't share them with anybody. Passwords are like the keys to your online accounts. Just as you wouldn't give strangers the keys to your house, you shouldn't give anybody the passwords that let them get inside your online accounts, either. Only you, or your parents, should know your passwords.

3. The World Wide Web is a public place anybody can access. No matter how private you think a Web site might be, remember that any information or opinions you share there could potentially be seen by anybody in the world, including your parents, your friends or even complete strangers. And once you make something public on the Web, it can be really hard to take it back. So don't share anything you want to keep private.

4. The online world is very different from the real world. When you have a conversation in the real world, you can see the person's facial expressions, body language, tone of voice and other informational cues about that person. But when you chat online, you have no idea if that person is really who they say they are. So be very careful when you're making online friendships.

5. Downloads can be dangerous. Of course, not all downloads are dangerous, but sometimes they might have viruses or other bad stuff that could ruin your computer. It's a good idea to use helpful things like virus protection programs or firewalls to protect your computer. But nothing can protect you as well as simple common sense. Be very careful about what you download, and never download anything if you don't know what it is or who it's from.

6. Read the privacy policies for Web sites you visit, especially ones that ask for registration. If you're giving a Web site information-any information at all-it would be a good idea to know how they intend to use that information. A Web site's privacy policy should tell you how the site will handle your information and whether they'll be sharing it with anyone else.

7. Never be afraid to ask for help from an adult you know. If somebody online makes you feel unsafe or uncomfortable, or you encounter something online that you don't understand or makes you feel uncomfortable, tell a parent or other trusted adult about it. If a friend you met online wants to meet you in person, you should definitely tell a parent or other trusted adult about that. In fact, you should ask an adult to explain these safety rules to you in more detail. Understanding and following all of these rules will help you be safer while you're having fun on the World Wide Web.