Sometimes getting random DMs in your online community doesn’t always work out like you want it to.  

Picture this, you're Aubrey, a cybersecurity pro thriving in a fast-paced tech scene. Everything’s going smoothly until you try to do a nice thing - offering some extra tickets to a local disco costume party. Sounds harmless, right…right!? 

Enter Ted: a seemingly well-meaning but totally clueless guy who doesn’t quite get the boundaries. What starts as a small gesture develops into a series of awkward DMs, boundary-pushing, and what we’d call very awkward exchanges, oof!

Got a tech tale of your own or some workplace drama? Hit us up at jellyfish.co/offthevpn. And don’t worry—we’ll keep it Off the VPN.

Highlights:

• Ted Doesn’t Get the Memo: You gotta read the room yo! 
• Aubrey Goes CSI: It all starts with the phone number
• Community Vigilance: Moderators, we love you, thanks for keeping communities safe!

Jump into the conversation:
(00:00) Intro
(03:47) Aubrey’s generous ticket giveaway
(07:02) Ted’s unsolicited messages start flooding in
(09:10) Boundaries set, but Ted doesn’t get the hint
(12:55) Crossing over the cybersecurity line
(17:02) When online turns real
(20:52) Aubrey plays CSI on Ted
(25:40) Community moderators step in
(28:09) The moral of the story: Privacy, people