I have to admit...being of the quite protective sorts, and also defensive sorts I don't like to post of any of my previous...misgivings...but stalking is one of them. Being a professional stalker should not be seen as stalking, in the more negative sense, AT ALL, coming from experience. It simply exists because a person will not / cannot (for celebs, especially) get sufficient attention; in the sexual case, this would be through lack of notice through flirting, or such and such. The majority of stalkers are shy, retiring types, who are VERY law-abiding and don't intend to carry out any harm on the stalkee. They are simply put, more actively-fantasising about the stalkee. I may post more of this in a new topic, about my experiences, but obviously here they would not be well outllined, being of a more specific issue. I'll just give a few stats: 85% of recognised stalkers are male. 99.9% of cases do not even get reported, if spotted. If a case is reported, the stalker becomes worried about the stalkee, and does not stalk that person under their wishes (usually). If this is not the case, he risks law enforcement aggrovation. If he does not respond to this aggrovation, he will be of the "non-enforcable" type. These people are usually the trouble-makers, and do not recognise the law as a be all end all. These people ARE NOT however, to be called rapists, etc. You have to have a detailed perspective of someone's background to even try and guess this. The problem is with this: it encourages more negative stalkers to stay stalking, and discourages positive stalkers from stalking. As soon as I was even AT RISK with aggrovation, I would stop. It's only first timers who don't stop: usually through inexperience they get caught anyway. And for all of sanity's sake, it is a very passive thing to do. A very active thing would be to assault. It's more of a kid's game: like follow the leader. It should be seen as a more active use of non-physical flirting. Of course it crosses boundaries...but so does ALL sexually-based forms of social discourse: if I touch you, and you like it...is different to I touch you and you don't...so that's harrassment. On a more lighter matter, I feel it's more of a form of flattery...as Minx said. But for future spies...and internet hackers: stealth and anonymity is something that is a value to us.