are we too careful with welcoming unknown people into our home?

Hi Hatley! I think thst the meaning of 'friend' is different among the younger users compared to those who have more experience of years past. The word 'friend' is used too lightly nowadays. Not all the Lotters are my friends. I cannot be a friend to someone I met the day before and have exchanged nothing but a couple of words with BUT this does not mean I cannot offer hospitality. I can accomodate them on my list of friends here and open the door to them if they arrive at my house and THEN there could be the start of a friendship. That is how I am offline too, available for all but my friends are few and far between

I would think that anyone at myLot who wanted to meet you in person would ask permission first, before coming unannounced. That would be simple to do by using the message link. Then, knowing in advance that you had company coming who you only knew online, perhaps you could have a neighbor or other friend/family be there at the same time. It would certainly be rude for anyone like that to show up out of the blue like that, and I wouldn't let them in. That said, with pre-planning it's a lot of fun to meet friends we've made online. I have several friends through Pogo that I've had the pleasure of meeting. All get togethers have all been planned in advance.

Letting someone you've never met into your home is a scary thing. I don't care if they're from MyLot. How do I know for sure? Maybe if I've seen a picture of them or something, but even then, I don't think I'd let them in. Especially if I didn't tell them where I lived. That would be stalking!! If anyone wants to meet someone from MyLot (or the internet in general), they should meet in a public place and leave separately. I'd even take it as far as making sure they weren't following me. Maybe I'm paranoid, but it's better to be safe than sorry! Right?

Those people we have been interacting here everyday should not be a problem. They are as good as our real friends. They are most welcome if any would want to visit me and I will be their tourist guide here. A mylot friend will be coming over to my place in October and hope he can make it. But the prevailing swine flu is quite disturbing for traveling tourists now. It is worse here now.

People are afraid of everything these days I answered that discussion and said I would let her in, introduce her to Shelly and Esme and then go from there. I don't know what people were thinking. It's not like she's a stalker or something

Maybe yes, they are just being careful but we can always try to find out if he/she is telling the truth. Though, maybe we haven't seen any picture of him/her on mylot, then we can ask him/her some questions regarding some discussions on mylot that he/she has posted. Or basic questions about his/her profile or mutual friends on mylot. That way we can relax and let them in if he/she matches the things you know from the friend he/she says he/she is on mylot and enjoy meeting a friend personally. I think i am too, because i trust easily, though i hope that the friend who knocked on this mylot friend is really a fellow mylotter. Take care my friend!

Well, it really depends on who the people are, and my gut instincts when meeting with them and talking with them on what I would do. Because even with any person online here or otherwise not every person is who they say they are and you do need to be cautious. But overall I also see nothing wrong with meeting strangers even from here in a public place and talking before inviting them into your home if you have doubts about someone. Because in reality it is really Best to be safe than Sorry in everything you do as well.

I don't know the discussion you're referring to Hatley but I think if I was to meet someone from here it would be pre-arranged. The people most like to turn up here unnanounced(lol, I'm in the middle of nowhere) I think I would recognise by sight because I've seen photos of them.

Well if I need someone to fix my dishwasher or my microwave, and that person is a myLotter on whose profile says "hobby is fixing motors," or has a web site that says "J and J Repairs, sales tax #,,, " I would welcome him or her. Or if the mylot friend has similar interests and says "I am --- you know me by my mylot name --- and I came to visit my --- who also lives in Winnipeg and I thought I would just drop in and see how you are," so it depends on whether there is a connection. That person would give clues. The only thing wrong is that I might not have something prepared, and would feel guilty that I cannot offer them a cup of coffee and some squares.

yes i am extra careful. first we dont have a father figure at home second i am the only parent and i have four teen children and three os them are girls so i need to be extra careful. if someone is knocking at the door and i dont know them i just talk with them on the window. ny children does that too. i told them to do that. in answering the phone too is the same do not give any identification to people you dont know or dont to long with them. if its a fellow myloter them i am sure he or she will advice me before going to my place. i know no one will surprise visit me for they dont know exactly where i live.

i will often do so since i have a business i run from my house,but watch them close

I would love to meet some of my friends from MyLot. I have already been invited by a few people, I don't have a lot of money to spend on travelling at the moment, but I hope to meet those friends one day. If they ever visit Denmark, I will welcome them with open arms, I will show them around, tell them about my country etc. I would be excited to meet them and I would look forward to talking to them I am a girl and if I were living alone I wouldn't invite a male friend inside my house, if we had never met before. But if a friend from MyLot comes to visit me, my husband and I would meet him/her together and that is a different situation.

I will too careful when my house have the strangers come in my house.I don't want to happen but sometime i will fix the air or water.I can't avoid this situations.I will keep my wallet and the valued stuff in the good place.

Hello Hatley, as I replied to the other discussion I would let anyone in. For me anyone is a friend until otherwise. I don't care about what a person looks like/ has done. I would let him/her in anyways. Cheers! Thok

Hatley, if I were coming your way, I would certainly come see you. No one on MyLot would have my address unless I gave it to him or her, so of course they would then be welcome. I have met up with one MyLotter, we went to a restaurant so we could be with his wife at work. If they are a good enough friend to have my address, they would be good enough friends to phone so I was expecting them and good enough friends to be welcomed in. I have people in who I have not seen in years and it is fun.

I am afraid of alot of people these days. We do not really know who these people truly are. There have been many cases of people pretending to be something they are not, but instead they are rapists, murderers and killers, who claim to be friendly until they come face to face with someone.

That is and has always been a dream to meet someone from myLot and definately if someone from my friends list wanted to meet with me I would know I gave them my address. If you're ever coming towards Alberta Canada please let me know ahead of time so we can make a point of meeting. That would be fabulous!!!

I did welcome this mylotter to my home. I would not feel comfortable welcoming a stranger to my home but here we are friends and unless we open up and meet we will never get a chance to know each other. And if I did not like him/ her then I would think twice of calling them again.

Well.I think you just too nerves But keep our eyes on the ball is necessary anyway Lol. If it was me maybe i will do the same thing.But the question is onone asking for me.Haha.

Finally some new topic to discuss.Thanks.I would say that fear is always there when you don't know who has arrived at your home.I do believe that people also don't like to see salesmen coming to their home either.Nowadays,even if some relative comes to our home most people don't like that .The rituals of welcoming the guest is dying out day by day in this modern era.