I’m sorry. I know I should take this seriously. Or at least view it as column fodder. But instead I’m sitting here just … giggling.

Sigh.

I’m so going to hell.

Warning sounded over ‘flirting robots’
A program that can mimic online flirtation and then extract personal information from its unsuspecting conversation partners is making the rounds in Russian chat forums, according to security software firm PC Tools.

The artificial intelligence of CyberLover’s automated chats is good enough that victims have a tough time distinguishing the “bot” from a real potential suitor, PC Tools said. The software can work quickly too, establishing up to 10 relationships in 30 minutes, PC Tools said. It compiles a report on every person it meets complete with name, contact information, and photos.

“As a tool that can be used by hackers to conduct identity fraud, CyberLover demonstrates an unprecedented level of social engineering,” PC Tools senior malware analyst Sergei Shevchenko said in a statement.

Among CyberLover’s creepy features is its ability to offer a range of different profiles from “romantic lover” to “sexual predator.” It can also lead victims to a “personal” Web site, which could be used to deliver malware, PC Tools said.

In case you’re worried about being a victim, PC Tools has advice: “use good sense in general” and “use an alias to chat” and “don’t give out personal information.” Whew!

More seriously, though, does anyone ever write about the idea that you might divulge “personal information” (whatever that means to you) after a long time of getting to know someone? That maybe you chat online for a few months or a year, then exchange mobile phone numbers and talk for a while, and eventually you kinda forget you haven’t met in person? There’s this whole message about DO NOT TELL SOMEONE ANYTHING ABOUT YOUR REAL LIFE as if we’re all bursting to give out our full profile in the first 30 minutes.

If you’re not smart enough to let the relationship develop over time, and to see the person in times of sorrow or illness or irritation or irrational tantrums as well as in the good times, then you’re not smart enough to engage online without adult supervision. You might not be able to tell a robot suitor from a human suitor — or a genuine suitor from a fraud — in the first 30 minutes. Give it six months and you’ll begin to suspect something’s just a little bit … off … about him.

If you never, ever share personal information, the relationship can’t grow beyond a certain point. It all depends on your goals, your risk tolerance, and your life circumstances. One rule can’t fit all, when it comes to what to share and when.