Net Crimes & Misdemeanors

I moderate a YahooGroup for my organization, WHOA, and this is the reply I sent yesterday: Re: Kudos to Dardenne Prairie Mo for a new law making online harassment a crime there. It's not a kudo. It's a band aid. And it wouldn't have helped in this case at all. Cyberstalking and online harassment are not "cruel messages", as was sent to this girl, number one. Number two, the law only applies for that one town, so that means a case can only occur if the victim and harasser live in Dardenne Prairie. The town did this to appease the girl's parents. What happened to her was horrible, don't get me wrong, but what needs to change is the accountability of sites such as Myspace, not creating laws that will do nothing like this one. Myspace, Yahoo, Hotmail, Facebook, etc need to have some sort of safeguard so that fake profiles can NOT be opened up and used to demean, harass, or be forged in someone else's names. That is the answer. I was on a radio show this ...

I just wanted to let you know that I was interviewed as an expert for a segment about online dating for America's Most Wanted. It was supposed to air tomorrow night, but has been moved to December 8th on Fox TV at 9 pm (after "COPS"). This is because it is not a time-sensitive story and is more of a "filler" for AMW. There isn't anything on their site yet that I can see, but keep an eye out on there for info about the show just prior and after my segment airs. They are going to add more video of me on the web site later on, as the camera guy spent close to two hours interviewing me and I know they'll use less than five minutes of it on the show.

I'm a member of Sisters In Crime (both national and New England) and have gotten to meet a lot of my favorite mystery authors. When I read in the local paper that Tess Gerritsen was going to be giving a talk at our local library this past Saturday night, I figured I'd see if she could join Chris and I for drinks afterward. Chris is a HUGE fan of hers (and this is no lie - he's read just about every book of hers), so he was excited. I emailed Tess and got a prompt reply that she and her husband, Jacob, would love to come to our house afterwards for drinks. Chris couldn't contain himself - he was actually nervous. We went to the library for her lecture at 7 pm. She talked about her latest book, The Bone Garden , which is a bit of a departure from her Jane Rizzoli & Maura Isles series. It goes back and forth between the late 1800s and present day, but of course there is a murder to be solved. She talked about the research she conducted for writing the late 1800s par...

ARE YOU A UNIVERSITY STUDENT WHO HAS BEEN STALKED ONLINE? Complete a brief, anonymous survey and you could win $50! Click Here to take survey This is being conducted by Nancy Hensler-McGinnis, M.A. Doctoral Candidate, Counseling Psychology University of Maryland, College Park

. . .will be ignored. My blog info clearly states that I post about my professional and personal life. I do not disclose information I don't feel comfortable letting the world read. As a cyber crime expert, I know what I am doing and I am more than comfortable with what I post. If you are not, that is your problem.

I knew I couldn't be here when the anniversary of dad and my husband's deaths came up, so I made plans to fly to Sarasota, Florida to be with Jean, a dear friend I haven't seen in almost 10 years. I met her on a flight back from Tampa - we were seatmates. I usually don't talk to anyone on planes, but we struck up a conversation and became great friends. She's almost 20 years older than me, but very young at heart and we got along famously. Then it turned out she lived in Annapolis, only about 10 minutes from where we lived in Crofton, Maryland, so we ended up becoming good friends. I call her my fairy godmother, LOL. So I asked Jean if I could come see her - she and her husband, David, moved to Sarasota full time last year. She was ecstatic. I made my reservations and flew down there on US Airways on November 3rd, a Saturday. No problems with my connection and I almost cried when I saw Jean. It had been too long! We drove to her place to say hello to her neighbors a...

Who was it that said that everything happens for a reason? When my husband died a year ago today, I was devastated. I didn't know how I could go on, but I did. I didn't know how I'd be able to live in the same house where he died, but I am. I never thought I would ever find someone to love again, but I have. This doesn't mean I love my late husband any less - so not true. He will always be in my heart. How could he not? After all, we were together for almost 20 years. But I know he would have wanted me to be happy again. I think he approves of my newfound happiness in the little signs I see every day. Pennies from heaven. A 1989 nickel (that was the year we were married). A heart-shaped rock. Monarch butterflies following me everywhere. . . So on this day that was so sad a year ago, I rejoice in my love for my late husband and my love for Chris - yes, the new man in my life is also named Chris. Another sign, I truly believe. Everything happens for a reason and though no...

I miss you, Dad. In memory of William E. Hitchcock 1928-2006

Now I can make the announcement I have been waiting to make for over a year. Back in late 2006, soon after the 2nd edition of Net Crimes & Misdemeanors came out, a representative from Video Professor contacted me about possibly basing a tutorial on the book. I was very excited at the time and put them in contact with my publisher, Information Today, Inc. (the parent company of the imprint Cyberage Books). Time passed. Emails went back and forth many times. I persisted. Sent them candy (actually salt water taffy from Maine) to sweeten them up - pun intended. More time passed. Then I was on Good Morning, America and several other news articles/shows and suddenly things were on again. A contract was sent out. It took forever (it seemed) for both sides to agree on the terms. Finally, it got signed. Then I had to wait for the advance check to arrive. More toe-tapping while I waited. Video Professor did send the first script for me to go over, so I worked on that. Waited some more. Fi...