You can choose who gets to see your Windows Live Space - whether it's a private group of friends or family, your Messenger contacts, or your fans and the general public. Choose whether people can leave comments on your blog and photos. Choose your settings to be private, Messenger-only, friends of friends, or public!

You can choose to put personal information on private Windows Live Spaces shared with only close friends and family. And you can choose to not have any personally identifiable information on your public space. Take control of what you want to share and with whom.

The Communication Preferences on the Settings tab lets you decide who can request access to your Windows Live Space. Choose your Communication Preferences settings to be private, Messenger-only, friends of friends, or public!

With Statistics on the Settings tab, you can get an idea of where visitors to your space are coming from, and how many of them have come in the last hour, in the last day, in the last week, and since your Windows Live Space was started.

It's your space. You can express yourself with words, pictures, and music, hang with your friends, and get to know your friends' friends. Follow these eight tips to keep Windows Live Spaces the fun it can be.

NOTE: Right now, Windows Live Spaces is NOT for use by anyone under the age of 13.

Think of a sliding scale: The more personal or identifiable the information you share, the fewer people you should share it with. If you want your space to be public, only share what you want everyone on the Internet - friend or not - to know. Otherwise, limit those who can read it. For more information, see About setting permissions.

The more public your space is, the more cautious you should be about what you share. A good rule of thumb: if you wouldn't give these details about yourself, your family, or friends to a strange guy on a dark, empty street, don't post them on your public space.

Don't post your real name (or anyone else's either). When you create a screen name, use one that doesn't attract unwanted attention or help someone find you-footballfan or musicfreak, not john14, sexysue, or gustavosydney.

Cut any info that puts you on the map. Don't mention your home address, phone number, the name of your school, where you hang out or work, or even the name of your town, if it's small.

Never give out your birth date, graduation year, or any other info that gives away your age.

Make friends only with people you or your friends have met in person, because on the Internet, people can pretend to be anyone they want.

Just as in real life, everything someone tells you may be completely true - or only part of it may be true, or maybe none of it. You might meet someone who pretends to be friendly but really wants something else, from predators searching for victims, to thieves looking for a racy car or an empty house.

Also, be cautious about those who might try to exploit or control you. If anyone feels creepy, they probably are.

On your space, you express feelings, good and bad, in your blog, in poems you write, in music you list, and yes - in pictures you post. Does the snapshot show how you feel about yourself? All of this is great information to a predator who wants to make you feel important or special as a way of getting your trust.

What does a snapshot show about you? Does it attract the wrong kind of attention or help someone find you?

What's in the background? Does the photo show your house number, a street sign, a license plate, a local shop, your school, or another landmark?

Did you label your photos with full names or other identifying details?

What's on your shirt? The name of your school, sports team, or club? Your name?

Who's in the picture? If it shows friends or family members, you may be putting them at risk, too.

Keep an eye on what others are saying about you on their spaces. For example, a friend may share your address or real name. Or she may announce on her space that she'll miss you because your family is going on holiday - and you may come back to a burglarised house.

Check the comments your friends leave you, too - and make sure they don't give false or personal details.

Remember: Your online "friends" may not be who they say. (Pictures are no proof, either.)

You may know that some people troll the Net looking for kids they think they can control - kids who are sad, lonely, hurting, or angry. They'll work hard to get your trust using information you and your friends share on your site if it's public. Then gradually they'll try to seduce you with attention, kindness, and even gifts.

But if you feel you must meet someone in person, stick with the following rules.

Always go (and stay) with an adult you trust.

Meet in a busy public place, and stay there. Don't go anywhere alone with this stranger.

Keep your radar on. If anything makes you feel even the least bit uncomfortable, leave.

No one has the right to threaten or upset you. Ever. If anyone (even someone you know) sends you something creepy, says something scary, asks lots of personal questions, or tries to meet you, report the problem or talk to an adult you trust.

To report abuse, click the Report Abuse button in the lower right corner of every Windows Live Spaces page.

It doesn't matter if you maybe did something a bit off-base in the process. If you're feeling uncomfortable, tell someone right away. Never, never gamble with your safety.