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The Internet is a wonderful resource, but it also has a very dark side. 

Last week, Abraham Biggs, a 19-year-old college student, announced to people in an online chat room, he was going to take his own life by swallowing pills, live.  According to reports, some onlookers believed he was just joking while others actually egged him on.  Some did try to talk him out of it, according to various reports.

But hours later, it became apparent Mr. Biggs was no longer moving and some people who were watching finally notified authorities.  Once his location was pinpointed, police arrived on the scene and found Biggs, deceased.

Adina's Deck, an International Film Festival Award Winning Film,  is releasing two new episodes in the continuing story of fictional detective Adina and her friends.  The sequels, about 30 minutes each, are informative and fun ways for children to learn about the serious issues of  electronic bullying and other online concerns children may face online.  Both new episodes also include interviews with online safety advocates and funny "bloopers."

A live screening of  "The Case of the Online Crush" and "The Case of the Plagiarized Paper" will be held in El Cerrito, California, on November 16th, 2008.  Admission is free but space is limited. The actors and directors will be holding a question and answer session after the screening.   Plenty of food will be available and autographs will also be available after the event.

Debbie Heimowitz and Jason Azicri are the talented writers, producers and directors of the three-part series.  Read how this important project got started and some behind-the-scene photographs in an earlier Internet Safety Educator interview.

For more information, visit Adina's Deck and order your copy today for home use, clubs and organizations or for school.

In order to bring awareness to cyber security, October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month, an annual event.  The US Department of Homeland Security, the National Alliance of Cyber Security and EDUCAUSE/Internet2 Computer and Network Security Task Force, along with other various organizations, are working together to bring much needed attention and information to the public regarding various online issues and concerns. EDUCAUSE is sponsoring another college student video contest this year.

More than 800 police were involved a sting that resulted in the arrest of more than 120 people in Spain.  More than 200 homes in various provinces of Spain were raided during the operation, which unearthed an online child pornography  file sharing network.  According to the police statement, millions of files were seized and two of those arrested used their own family members in the pornography.