Reflective blog Saturday, Nov 13 2010

Well, it is almost time for the Multimedia Reporting class to draw to a close for this year. It has been an interesting, but difficult couple of months. Our class has taken part in 3 live rolling news days, and appear to have become more confident, better organised and less stressed.

On a personal level, trying to find new stories was easy enough however, trying to find a new angle for follow up stories was slightly harder. Having seen a news release regarding an attack in an underpass, and reading about previous attacks, I decided that I would cover the story from the angle of ‘how safe underpasses are’ for our second live rolling news day. I went to one where a particularly brutal attack took place last year and tried to get interviews with local people. That was very difficult to do. Most people were unwilling to talk to me due to time restraints and others that did speak, were unwilling to give their details. Undaunted, I travelled to another part of town where other attacks had taken place over the last few years, only to find that the underpasses in question where in the process of being renovated, cleaned up and painted. Once I returned home I decided to do some research on the situation and found that all the angles I had considered for my story had already been covered by Edinburgh Evening News. As a result I decided to take it no further. This turned out to be a mistake. Less than 2 weeks later, another attack took place resulting in someone being mugged and beaten. In retrospect, had I written my original story, I could have placed it to one side and amended it when the new attack took place, covering it with the additional angle that renovation did not necessarily improve safety. A valuable lesson was learned from that experience; to go with my instincts, do the story and keep it for future reference.

I ended up doing a story instead on National Adoption Week instead. I was lucky to find someone who was happy to be interviewed and gave me some fantastic quotes, which reinforced my story and gave it a personal angle. Ideally though, had I had the luxury of choice, I would have chosen to stay with the underpass story. It was grittier and more hard hitting, and to me, constituted a ‘hard news’ story.

The third living rolling news day was a revelation to me. I found my story the day before, left my son playing in the living room while I locked myself ready to carry out a plethora of research. It certainly paid off. I was able to gather the information I needed and get most of my story typed up in advance, ready for the following day. I had emailed a couple of contacts in the hope of gathering some addition information and statistics, and if I heard back from them in time, would simply add this to the original story.

Going in to class the following day I was surprised to find that most people were already there, and in the process of doing their stories. There was a busy, productive atmosphere, yet it was still calm. I had heard nothing back from my contacts so carried on with my story, making a couple of adjustments where required. I remembered this time to check the Guardian Style Guide, which had been laid out in preparation for everyone, added my tags, byline and picture and then saved my draft for the editor to check.

Because everyone was so well prepared this time, a number of stories were put in well before the deadline approached. This gave some of the class time to help others, look for additional stories and create a podcast. I was able to go upstairs to look at the live news feeds which could then be sent downstairs for additional stories. It was interesting to see how the process worked, and gave me an insight into how it must work in the newsroom environment.

After going back downstairs, things were running so smoothly that there was very little more that I could do. I went online however and checked for up to date press releases and found 2 that could be relevant. After that I typed the words “Lothian breaking news” into a search engine. From that I found a breaking news story. All 3 of the stories I found were included on our podcast.

Overall I have found Multimedia Reporting 2, to be an eye-opener. Instead of talking about news gathering, we were given the opportunity to actually be news gatherers. We worked well together as a team, learning how to improve each time, turning our rusty machine into a finely tuned instrument.

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Preparations under way for another cold winter Saturday, Nov 13 2010

By Karen Rafferty

 

The effects of harsh winter weather

As the hours of daylight have started dropping in the UK, so too, has the temperature. With many people suffering last year as a result of snow blizzards and freezing temperatures, preparations are now under way in Scotland to help deal effectively with any issues that the winter weather may bring.

According to TheWeatherOutlook, the UK is likely to experience colder than average weather again this year, with temperatures predicted to drop to a possible -15C during the night.

In readiness for this possible outcome, local authorities have started to stockpile salt in the hope of combatting any effects caused by snow and ice. Executive councillor for West Lothian Council, Robert De Bold said: “We are taking all sensible precautions to make sure we are fully prepared for bad weather this year” he added “we have decided to double our stock to 20,000 tonnes this year, with a further top-up order of 3,000 tonnes organised for early December.” Edinburgh Council is also increasing their salt stockpile, in addition to buying extra gritting machines and tractors.

The Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS) is also actively highlighting the unpredictability and dangers of the winter weather, particularly in relation to road safety. Their campaign is aimed at motorists, cyclists and joggers, as well as pedestrians. Drivers are encouraged to make sure their vehicles are properly maintained for the winter months, while other road users are advised to be highly visible, and choose their routes carefully.

As well as travel, advice is being given on energy saving throughout the winter months. The Scottish Government’s campaign to save on fuel bills and waste is currently under way. Home Energy Scotland is offering callers free gadgets to help save energy and money. Minister for Housing and Communities, Alex Neil said: “If we have a winter like last winter this help will be more important than ever.” Scotland particularly is expected to be on the receiving end of another cold snap. Brian Gaze from TheWeatherOutlook, who believes that this is likely, said: “I wouldn’t be surprised to see some locations in the west of Britain and Northern Ireland having significant snowfalls, but the coldest weather is likely to persist for longer in eastern Britain.”

Looks like it may be time to dig out the hats, scarves and gloves…

Winter safety tips for drivers (source: The AA).

Check all tyres for condition, pressure and tread depth. At least 3mm of tread is recommended for winter motoring, and certainly no less than 2mm.

Give yourself extra time before you set off on your journey. You may need it to get your car prepared.

You may also need to give yourself extra time for your journey. In hazardous weather, traffic moves slower, be prepared to reduce your speed.

Make sure your windscreen is completely clear before you drive off. Snow or frost remaining on it could seriously reduce visibility.

An old sack or rug is a useful addition to your car during the winter months. When stuck in snow it can be placed under the front wheels, giving extra grip.

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Midlothian council appeal for families during National Adoption Week Thursday, Nov 4 2010

By Karen Rafferty

Sandra Bullock has done it. Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman did it. Katherine Heigl has done it, and now Midlothian Council has launched an appeal for it. What is it? Adoption. Midlothian Council have release an appeal in the hope finding new families for children in the local area.

At present there are 90 children living in foster care in Midlothian, however homes are specifically needed for siblings or for children over the age of five. The council aim to assist those who wish to apply to adopt by offering support at every stage of the adoption process.

Councillor Jackie Aitchison said: “Adoption can be rewarding and challenging and we are committed to provide help, guidance and support at each step of the way. We will often pay an adoption allowance to assist in providing an adoptive home for a child, if additional support is required”.

They are welcoming applications from single people and couples from a variety of backgrounds, and offer to provide support and guidance to prospective families. They believe that although there is no such thing as the perfect family for adoption, the main concern is that the needs of the children can be accommodated. According to their website they “require adopters from various backgrounds and with different life experiences who can provide a family for life for children who are unable to live within their birth families.”

This appeal comes as part of a national campaign to highlight the plights of children without families. National adoption week is running until 7 November 2010, and has been backed by national charity BAAF (British Adoption and Fostering). This week, BAAF released the results of research into the many misconceptions regarding adoption. Chief executive, David Holmes said: “It is very worrying how many myths have come to dominate in adoption. It concerns us that people may disqualify themselves needlessly, which could mean a child misses out on a family … every case is treated individually.”

This is certainly the case with Midlothian Council who will welcome applications from all areas of the local community – regardless of gender, age or sexual orientation. Each case will be assessed individually, with the main aim of adoption services to administer to the needs of the individual child.

Kathryn Fretton from Bournemouth, who adopted a baby daughter in 2008, said: “We were unbelievably lucky.” She stressed how rare it was for parents to be able to adopt infants: “It never happens these days.” This is certainly the case for Midlothian Council who is asking for families for children over the age of five.

Myths and legends debunked.

Myth: Many children waiting for adoption have been given up by their families or are orphaned.

Fact: Many children waiting for adoption have been removed from their families due to neglect or abuse.

Myth: Single men cannot adopt.

Fact: Single people can adopt, regardless of their sex.

Myth: People who smoke or are obese cannot adopt.

Fact: Smoking and obesity do not automatically exclude a person from adopting, however health issues do need to be taken into consideration.

Myth: Those with a criminal record cannot adopt.

Fact: This would depend on different factors, such as the nature of the offence and when it occurred. Some people with convictions can still adopt, although exclusions will apply depending on the type of offence committed.

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ADHD boy 9, denied full time education Wednesday, Oct 20 2010

A 9 year-old boy suffering from ADHD is being denied full time education from an Edinburgh school. For the last 6 months, Ben Rafferty, aged 9, from Murrayburn, has been attending Canal View Primary School for fewer hours than his classmates. Ben had his hours of attendance cut following behavioural problems, which were subsequently diagnosed as symptoms of ADHD.
Since then, Ben and his parents have been struggling to persuade staff at Canal View to allow him to attend school on a full time basis. His Mother, Dawn Rafferty, has expressed her concerns; “He’s in on a Tuesday afternoon, but it’s only after I’ve hounded them that they’ve done this.
“Because I’ve hounded them again, they’re putting him in on a Thursday afternoon, starting from this week.”
According to a spokesperson from the Education Welfare Service, based in Edinburgh, the choice to have a child in education on a part time basis is something that should be done “in consultation with parents”. He stresses that any decisions that are made are done so “for the best interests of the child”. This is something that Miss Rafferty does not feel is in Ben’s best interests. She believes that he is missing out on part of his education and is falling behind as a result. “I’m worried about his reading levels. He’s got to be able to read. He gets no reading homework from school and he has difficulty reading books set for children in Primary 1 or 2”.
The Education Welfare Service recommends that in a case like this, the parents should discuss and review the situation in conjunction with the head teacher and professionals involved and include the Pupil Support Group.
Canal View Primary School was unable to comment.

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Women’s Aid groups embrace legal loophole closure Tuesday, Oct 12 2010

by Karen Rafferty

Women’s Aid groups in Scotland are today embracing the closure of a legal loophole in domestic violence cases. Introduced today by the Scottish Government, the law will give more protection to victims of violence. The new offence will be classed as ‘engaging in threatening or abusive behaviour’.

Scottish Women’s Aid Manager, Lily Greenan believes that the change in the law will bring clarity to those affected by domestic abuse. “This is a really positive thing that they’ve closed the loophole as it was very concerning” she said “it is now clearer for police, clearer for prosecutors, and clearer for women, and for people who engage in threatening behaviour.”

Following a court ruling last year, there were fears that a legal loophole may have been created, leaving domestic abuse victims more vulnerable, and also creating more difficulties for prosecutions, particularly where the offences have taken place in private.

Previously, the charges of ‘breach of the peace’ were used in relation to offences within the home. Last year, however a ruling at an appeal court, saw this change. The ruling claimed that breach of the peace required a ‘public element’, which created the loophole for offences that took place away from the public eye.

The Criminal Justice and Licensing Act, which was passed recently, has helped ensure that the loophole created has subsequently been closed. The act no longer has to take place in public to be considered a statutory offence.

Justice secretary, Kenny MacAskill

 

In a statement, Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said:

“The effects of domestic abuse can be devastating and we are doing everything we can to tackle it.

“We’ve done a lot of work to raise awareness that this behaviour is totally unacceptable, that help is available, and to encourage more people to come forward, safe in the knowledge that they will be supported.

“We want to send out the message loud and clear that if you carry out this offence, there will be no escape, there will be no wriggle room to exploit, and you will be met with by the full force of the law.”

According to Scottish Women’s Aid, it is not only women who suffer the affects of domestic violence. Children and young people who witness abuse can find it traumatic, affecting their health and wellbeing. Victims of domestic abuse can contact the Domestic Abuse Helpline of 0800 027 1234 or go to www.scottishwomensaid.org.uk, where information and support will be given in confidence.

Sidebar

• The Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland’s defined domestic abuse as:

‘any form of physical, non-physical, or sexual abuse which takes place within the context of a close relationship, committed either in the home or elsewhere. This relationship will be between partners (married, co-habiting or otherwise) or ex-partners’.

• From 2008-2009, 53,681 incidents of domestic abuse in Scotland were reported to the police.
• For the last 10 years, police have seen an increase in the amount of domestic abuse incidents reported. This may be attributed to either a rise in incidents, or a rise in people that are willing to report them.
• Eighty-four per cent of reported domestic abuse cases have involved a female victim and a male perpetrator. This has shown a decrease in the last 10 years.
• Domestic violence with male victims and female perpetrators has increased in that period however, rising from 8 per cent to 14 per cent of the cases reported.
• Most incidents of domestic violence where the location has been recorded takes place at home.
• Forty per cent of domestic abuse happens during weekends.

Statistics from The Scottish Government Statistical Bulletin, Crime and Justice Series ‘Domestic abuse recorded by the police in Scotland, 2008-09’.

Available at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/292984/0090391.pdf

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Live rolling news day 6th October 2010 Tuesday, Oct 12 2010

The last two weeks have kept me fairly busy. Last week saw our class carry out our first ‘live rolling news day’. I have to admit, it was tough work. Enjoyable, but still tough. Trying to find a story that was fresh, edgy, original and relevant was a challenge. Of course, I do love a challenge, and so, although I was a bit nervous, I started looking for stories days before the news day. I was lucky enough to find 2 stories from online press releases that would be appropriate; one of them the day before news day, and the other, early that morning. For me, the difficult part was finding contacts and quotes. I have a vast amount of experience in call handling and speaking on the telephone, however the thought of calling up strangers to ask them for information or opinions terrified me. However daunting I found it, I carried on regardless and did as much research as I could in advance, making sure that I had the correct details for the people I wanted to contact.

On the day itself, I went in to university early and started to write up the story I had found, without the quotes. Live rolling news started at 12pm and I had a class at 11am, which left me very little time to get organised. Making it into class on time was a bit of a struggle however, and as a result I missed most of the conference. Once the conference was over, the team got started on their tasks. There was an immediate buzz in the room, as telephones calls were made, typing was taking place, and pictures were being obtained. As far as I could see, there was a great deal of enthusiasm present and it was fantastic to be a part of it.

Before long though, our time was drawing to a close. Stories had to be finished up, editing had to take place, and the news has to go online. I think there were a few sighs of relief, some relaxed shoulders and a general feeling of achievement.

Upon reflection, I feel that although my contribution was relevant although there were a couple of things I could have improved upon:

• Find the right sources; this is something I found extremely challenging. My story was regarding a change in the law regarding domestic violence. To find someone to interview, who has suffered from domestic violence would have required more time. This is something I should have perhaps addressed sooner.
• Recognise when the angle of the story has changed; I had a great quote from the manager of Scottish Women’s Aid. I should have used this to open the story, which would have made it more original. Instead, I used the quote to finish off the story, which made it less powerful.

Regarding the team’s target group, I feel that we were successful in reaching our target. A large number of our stories were relevant to that particular group. On the other hand however, we were advised to keep the stories applicable to Edinburgh where possible, and although a number of stories fulfilled this directive, there were some that didn’t achieve this.

The team itself worked well together as a whole. The members appointed as editor, sub-editor and picture editor worked well to ensure that the rest of the team were able to deal with issues that arose, where possible. The network of support that team members created meant that although some stories did not meet deadline, there were still a number of strong ones that did.

During the time spent on live rolling news I learned a number of important things:

1. Be prepared. Ensure research is done as soon as possible.
2. Know the story. If information or a quote changes the story, make sure that the angle is still relevant. If not change it.
3. Do not look at stories from a personal point of view. What I may think is unimportant, or of a lesser priority, may still be of relevance to others.
4. Try to find someone who is personally affected by the story. Quotes help to build on a news story and give it more substance.
5. Work with the team, as part of a team. Working with a number of people, each with their own strengths can help to enhance news delivery.

In retrospect, I can understand why certain things have to be done a certain way in a newsroom. Without preparation and research, there is no solid foundation for the story, without quotes, there is less sense of what and who is affected; the story is more impersonal to the reader. Without teamwork, a shambles can occur and deadlines can be missed.

In general however, I can honestly say that the buzz from the day’s events was contagious. I never thought I would say this, but… roll on the next live rolling news day!

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Am I starting to think like a journalist? Monday, Sep 20 2010

I woke up this morning and, as usual, logged on to see what updates there were with my friends on Facebook. One in particular caught my eye, and I was thrilled (in a journalistic way of course) to find out that I might possibly have found a news story to present on Wednesday. One of my friends from Wester Hailes had been posting about something that was happening in her street last night. Police were in attendance, as well as an ambulance. From her vantage viewpoint she could see that someone was being rescusitated in the back of the ambulance, and was providing updates on what she could see, as it was happening.

This, I decided, was exactly what I needed for Multimedia Reporting. Plans were laid out in my mind, as I started to visualise what I needed to do. Contact Lothian and Borders Police to ascertain what had happened, get quotes from those who had seen anything, charge the batteries in my camera and go to the scene and try to get some pictures to accompany the story and then think of how to present it.

First on the agenda was to call the police, and so at 7.50 this morning I dialled the number for Wester Hailes police station, where I was transferred to their Press Office. At that time however, they had no information, so told me they would call me back as soon as they could. While I waited for them to call back, I started to prepare for the day ahead. I looked out and made copies of my Interview Release forms, sent a message to my friend asking if she would be happy for me to get some quotes from her regarding what she had seen, and got my notebook and camera at the ready.

Less than an hour ago the Press Officer from Lothian and Borders Police called me back to inform me that although there was a death in that area last night, there were no suspicious circumstances, and therefore nothing to report on. Now, this is where I am starting to wonder if I am thinking like a journalist. Although I am sorry that someone died, I feel a little disappointed that the story I thought I had, has slipped through my fingers. Perhaps that is one of the lessons I had to learn. Never assume anything. Maybe something has the potential to be a story, but until there is confirmation, never think that there is something newsworthy there. I think I may have to go back to the drawing board and look for something else. Never mind… when one door closes, another one opens.

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Into the abyss… Sunday, Sep 19 2010

It has been a very busy few months for me. As well as passing my first year exams, I took the kids on holiday, moved to Gorebridge and have been trying to create order out of chaos ever since. However,  my nose is well and truly back to the educational grindstone. Last week saw me beginning my second year of my Journalism degree, and what a mixed bag there is this trimester. Media Law – which looks so unbelievably complicated, Multimedia Reporting 2 – which I am having very mixed feelings about, and Popular Culture – sure to be my favourite subject so far. I cannot believe how much I have spent on books for Media Law, and am now awaiting delivery of them. I think my abandoning my kids to get stuck into reading, may well end up creating a news story… “Mum of two leaves children starving in order to read about Media Law”… I can see it now. 

Multimedia Reporting 2 might be a bit of a challenge for me though. I think that with this type of class, there is so much information to take on board, and so much practical work that can be learned, that quite simply, there is not enough time to cover it all – it is going to be a pretty intense learning experience. I am looking forward to one of the field trips however, it should be very interesting to attend court and not be the accused, the witness, or a member of the jury (and for the record I have only ever appeared as one of the aforementioned – and I’m not saying which one).

For Multimedia Reporting, we have to come up with 3 news stories for this week and I have been racking my brains all weekend to come up with something. Obviously I will not be able to come up with any stories by sitting around, however, with having the children, there are limitations. To overcome this, I think my options are to a) visit the local police station and find out if there are any news stories they may have;  b) visit my local council offices and see if there is anything happening there that may be newsworthy and finally  c) speak to someone from the Gorebridge Community Development Trust. I have to be optimistic, even if I am unable to get a news story from any of them, I may just be able to develop some contacts, which could, in future, be very useful…

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36 hours of drama… Monday, Nov 23 2009

Well, what a strange, but dramatic, couple of days I’ve had. My car has been wrecked, my nephew was taken into hospital again with febrile convulsions (he’s home now and doing well) and the stair I live in has seen more excitement than a years worth of Eastenders.

One of my neighbours, who I’d previously considered to be a bit ‘dotty’, for want of a better word, decided at 2.30am yesterday morning to completely snap and cause chaos in the grand olde gardens of Dumbryden. She rampaged up the stair, kicking all the residents doors as loudly as she could (waking my son in the process). After I went out and shouted at her, she then felt the urge to smash someone’s kitchen window – with a turnip!!! After she did that, her next move was to destroy my car with a stairgate. And credit where credit is due, she did a very good job of it!! My rear windscreen was completely smashed, the front, not much better. Tyres were slashed, windscreen wipers snapped off and the bodywork was deeply scratched, thanks to a pair of pliers (which she then decided to leave in the shell of my car).

Since her apprehension, and very swift release, she has also smeared excrement on my next door neighour’s front door, and assaulted another neighbour, who subsequently was taken away in an ambulance. Can you see the comparison to Eastenders now?

I have to admit to being concerned about this abrupt turn of events. Not only am I worried about this maniac being anywhere near me or my children, there is also the issue of me being carless. My car is very much an essential part of my life. Without it I’m struggling to take my kids to school and nursery. Without it, I’m unable to then get to university on time for classes. Without it, I can’t get my shopping (I’m such a weakling I can’t carry much).

In a single stroke, Mrs Crazy has completely turned my schedule upside-down, caused difficulties for myself, my kids and my other neighbours. I must be an optimist though, because I’ve noticed that in the last 36 hours, as well as having a madwoman downstairs, I actually have a lot of good neighbours. We’ve banded together in the face of an all-out attack, swapped phone numbers and have actually started chatting more than we ever did before. As for the car, well, that’s become a casualty of war, but hopefully with a bit of TLC it should be back in action soon.

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Internet Dating – the Realities Thursday, Nov 19 2009

As someone who’s been using internet dating for almost a year now, there’s a lot of things I’ve seen. Things that could be considered be a fairly unusual occurrence in ‘real life’ and also things that could be considered ‘ten a penny’. What is it about the virtual dating environment that seems to attract so many people? Is it the fact that they can act out their guilty pleasures in secret? Could it be that there are so many lonely people to choose from right at their fingertips? Or is it simply that people are so busy in their everyday lives that they’ve been reduced to surfing the net looking for ‘the one’?

One of the main problems with internet dating is that people can be whoever they want to be, and it’s easier to keep up a pretence. For example, one man that I was chatting to seemed very charming at first. However, once I had talked to him for a few days, the chat turned towards sex. In this day and age, it’s quite normal to talk about it, making sure you have the same likes, dislikes, sexual appetite etc. However when Prince Charming starts getting to the point where he’s discussing a distinctly unusual sexual preference, then you know it’s time to cut him off. I made the mistake of not doing so, and arranging to meet said Prince Charming, despite my instincts telling me to back off. In the end I stood him up without letting him know why. How do you tell a guy that every fibre of your being is screaming at you not to do it? Well, in this case my instincts were spot on! When I received a text from him threatening to ‘hunt me down’ I was glad that I hadn’t shown up. Better to hurt someone’s feelings then end up as a police statistic.

The other side of the coin is that people genuinely are looking for love. They want to find that ‘someone special’. Someone to cuddle up to at night, share their thoughts, fears and happiness with. I do wonder on occasion, how many people end up that lucky. I’ve met a couple of guys online, who haven’t been unable to keep their emotions in check. One of which, even gave me an indirect proposal after 2 dates! It’s easy to be swept up in the tide of emotions that come with a bit of attention from the opposite sex, but after a while, you learn to hold back a little and get to know people a bit better before making declarations that you might later regret!

From what I’ve experienced, online dating is very much a game of chance. Although some people do find their significant other online, for a great many more of us, there’s more chance of winning the lottery. For every decent person on the dating websites, there must be at least 5 who are not all they’re cracked up to be! There are a few things to keep in mind when jumping into the online dating scene though. Remember, just because someone tells you something, don’t always assume it’s true. I’m not saying that everyone is lying about everything, however text can be misinterpreted and sometimes people can exaggerate or stretch the truth a little. Be cautious, not everyone is out there looking for love. Some people could be looking for a bit of fun. Make sure you know what the difference is, and that their definition of it matches with yours. One final point, BE SAFE. If you do meet someone online and decide to meet outwith the virtual world, make sure that you put your safety above everything else. Make sure you meet in a public place, and that you’ve told someone where you’re going. If you can get a note of your date’s registration plate, copy it down and text it to your ‘safety person’ in case of emergency. As long as you take precautions, the virtual world can be your oyster. Although I’ve had a few bad experiences, I’ve also had the good ones. I’ve made friends, had the opportunity to go out on dates and clawed back some of my socialising skills. It can’t be all bad then, can it?

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