by Eric Goudie

Created on: August 10, 2009   Last Updated: August 12, 2009

Internet users have no shortage of bad habits to indulge in whilst online. Some are mundane, others simply messy. Some are irritating, even invasive and some are outright dangerous. Here are a few of the most common traps users fall into, along with some suggested remedies:

Poor Password Management. The University of Michigan IT department says it best: Passwords are like underwear - don't leave them lying around, don't share them with your friends and be sure to change them often. You should have a different password for every secure site you visit on the internet, so that if someone does manage to hack your Facebook account, for example, they still won't have access to your personal e-mail.

Passwords should also be difficult to decipher, so rather than using the names of your friends, family or pets you should pick a random mix of letters, numbers and other symbols (such as #, *, !, %, etc). Inattention to spelling, grammar and sentence structure. Writing e-mails like graffiti on a bathroom wall degrades both the sender and the receiver. An e-mail is a personal letter (or a business memo), so it should be clear, concise and appropriately arranged. Even in an instant message proper spelling, capitalization and expressing your ideas as complete thoughts in sentence format won't hurt. You will look and sound more intelligent, and your readers will find it easier to understand what you are trying to say. Getting addicted to online games or other activities. Spending a few minutes playing Tetris on your lunch break isn't a sign of being addicted to online games. Yet it's easy for users, especially newer users, to find a game, website or online activity that they find utterly engrossing, and they can wind up spending hours on Myspace, Ebay or Twitter when they should be exercising, doing homework or preparing dinner.

For those who do have a problem there's plenty of help available from organizations like the Centre for Internet Addiction and Recovery, which can help people get the most out of their Internet experience without the Internet getting the most out of them. Excessive use of Acronyms. You might know what LOL, BRB and ROFLMAO actually mean, and in the character-restricted world of text messages they may or may not have a place, but they should be avoided in most online communication, and especially when it's important that everyone understands exactly what you are trying to say. Many users could likely guess that "R U OK" means "are you okay,"

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