Internet safety: privacy

[MeneerDijk]

As contributing members of this forum we all expose a little of our personal info, wether it's your picture, preference in music or hometown. Even the more careful members will sooner or later give out some private info.

How do you actively deal with your private info? have you set limits for yourself in things you will tell online. Or does it depend on how well you know the other person?. Do you feel secure giving out pictures of yourself? Or only if someone asks for them? How secure do you feel online?

I am curious about this because lately it has come to my attention that there are people actively asking for personal info, allthough this does not have to mean their intentions are bad, it does make me wonder how people deal with this. And if it scares them?

Discuss!

[Shishio]

I keep most personal (By which I mean things like my name, address, etcetera. I don't mind sharing my interests or stories though.) details about myself as private as possible. There was one person I knew on another forum I used to frequent that really wanted to meet me, even to the point of challenging me to a fight in hopes that wounding my pride would force me to meet with him. (Not a bad assumption then, as I used to be very arrogant.)

But it was all in good fun. He never gave me the impression that he was some creepy stalker or anything. (But hey, anything is possible.)

Other than that, I haven't had anyone nag me for personal information. (Just one of the many advantages of being of the male extraction.)

[Jay]

Only a few people know my last name, home address and phone number. Aside from that, I'm easy.

[Crowley]

I was thinking about that. I was looking at someone's myspace, and they had a great big 100 question personality survey posted right there - very honest stuff. If you lived near that person, it would be terrifyingly easy to insinuate yourself into their life.

[PopCulturePooka]

Only a few people know my last name, home address and phone number. Aside from that, I'm easy.
Few = Lots.

Hehe, its not THAT hard to track you down JL.

[Jay]

Oh well. :meh: Gonna send me something? How cute.

[Kass]

I never use my real name, my daughter's real name, our address or any other personal identifiers online. I keep my location fairly vague.

I generally try to keep as much identifying information offline as possible. Personal stories I don't mind sharing.

[PopCulturePooka]

Oh well. :meh: Gonna send me something? How cute.
Nah...

Just saying.

Heh... Like I said its not too hard to find some people or their details. Particularly with US friends in the legal and journalism industries who have access to some funky databases and relatives in the Tax Office here in Oz.

[Jay]

Congratulations.

[Lady Chris]

Nah...

Just saying.

Heh... Like I said its not too hard to find some people or their details. Particularly with US friends in the legal and journalism industries who have access to some funky databases and relatives in the Tax Office here in Oz.

You get a cookie :clap:

[Lisa M]

The way I see it, if someone really really wants to stalk me, they're going to find a way to do it anyway. So I'm not that careful with my personal information.

[PopCulturePooka]

Found out the hard way when a board I modded had a particularly virulent troll problem.

A post of his real name and details and photo scared him away though. Comedy gold.

[Stephy]

Recently I have been feeling insecure when using the Internet and accessing sites with many people. This forum is okay, because I feel a little comfortable with all the people, but recently on other things like being on the IRC to be honest makes me nervous. Knowing someone has the capabilities to track you down or find personal information on you is just a bit odd and creepy if he or she may live close by.

You don’t understand what they are capable of. You don’t understand what their intentions are. It is better to act safe and try your best to keep from giving too much info, it is good to trust but then again trusting someone has limits sometimes.

I don’t mind giving my name to people. My last name to some I really trust and I don’t mind showing a pic here and there. But I usually censor my pics and personal stories are kept for a few people (sometimes I slip) I don’t share that much. Only what you see of me when I am being curious and asking questions, because I am stupid and don’t know things people my age should.

Grr, wanted to make this longer, but I have to get ready for work.

Oh but then again you can just about google any persons name these days and find information on them so easily. It isn’t too hard and with the whole myspace, livejournal etc trends going on, personal information is so easy to access already.

[Shishio]

A post of his real name and details and photo scared him away though. Comedy gold.

I was actually going to suggest something similar to this as a solution to people being harrassed by others. Maybe if people posted screenshots that showed who was harrassing them, those people would too embarrassed to post here anymore. Then again, some of them may be infuriated enough to redouble their efforts and become more aggressive.

[Lady Chris]

Knowing someone has the capabilities to track you down or find personal information on you is just a bit odd and creepy if he or she may live close by.

I don't know, these days I worry more about someone trying to steal my idenity more than anything else and I know of a few people that I work with that has had it happen to them.

[Stephy]

I don't know, these days I worry more about someone trying to steal my idenity more than anything else and I know of a few people that I work with that has had it happen to them.

I know how easily that can be done, and I barely know how to use a computer. I have seen it done actually and it makes me sad. I have seen some situations. :(

One of the reasons I censor all my pics when I post it. I mostly post pics to give people the idea of who is behind the words, and to let them know... I am a girl -_- because it is so hard to believe people when they state their gender now on the Internet, because once again people fake identities and even use pics off myspace or google to pretend it is them. Sad.

[Osucka]

I don't care much. I figure if someone wants to put forth enough effort to track me down for no apparent reason then feel free. Plus maybe if I had a stalker I would feel like a celebrity.

[gentlemanandscholar]

I don't care much. I figure if someone wants to put forth enough effort to track me down for no apparent reason then feel free. Plus maybe if I had a stalker I would feel like a celebrity.

qft
10characters

[Jay]

I feel the same as Osucka. I don't mind who knows my details, I just haven't really felt it really important to tell many people.

[Trump]

Well, I don't volunteer information people don't need. But unless it is my last name, address (general location like East Orlando is ok) and financial information I don't really care. No one would want to stalk me, and if they did I'm sure they could find me. I tend to avoid dark alleys at night alone so I'm probably ok. Besides, I'm a guy.

[Nights_into_dreams]

I am a strange case. On these forums, and to FFXI players, I am simply "Nights". I hate revealing anything about myself, including name, picture, age, or even my eye/hair color at times. However, there are a few exceptions that I have made over the years, to certain people that I feel close enough to to take the "next step forward".

A few of my FFXI friends and a few of my YIM friends have my cell phone number, and may call me anytime that they wish to. Out of that number, a smaller few have my actual address or at least the means to that I wouldn't mind if they used to track me down.

I am quite the suspicious bastard, but I am also quite trusting at the same time. A rather neat contradiction, if you ask me.

[Jay]

Oh man, I'm JUST like that. Exactly the same, I only want even a few people from here to have my personal details.

Though with Pooka on the job, I assume everyone from this forum now knows the last time I took a shit. :sarcasm:

[Nights_into_dreams]

Oh man, I'm JUST like that. Exactly the same, I only want even a few people from here to have my personal details.

Honestly, I don't know anyone here quite well enough to...I don't post often enough (well at least didn't use to) to get to know people really.

Though with Pooka on the job, I assume everyone from this forum now knows the last time I took a shit. :sarcasm:

Thirteen and a half minutes ago.

[Jay]

Wrong .

[Nights_into_dreams]

Damn you Pooka...you told me wrong in your PM...

:frypan:

For this, I BLAME SHO!

[Random]

Most people probably know my address, real name, cell number - or can find it out in seconds, that's publically available info.
Considering the amount of places that know this level of information - school, and everyone in it (we get lists of names and numbers and addresses), any company I've ever bought anything from (and they have my debit card number too), anyone who cares to check any of my domains, etc.
Pictures are generally easily available, because I can't see anything wrong with people knowing what I look like - indeed, it would be kinda awesome to meet someone who'd seen a picture of me.

Identity theft is of course a big problem these days, but as I'm not old enough for a credit card or national insurance number, and considering that I just ignore stupid things like secret questions, I feel my identity is at least somewhat safe.

As people have said, all this info is very easily available anyway - so I'm not too cautious with it. I live in a safe area, so I'm not too worried about stalkers or such, and generally speaking I don't see what all the fuss is about.

The most you can do with my address, phone number, name, birthday, etc, is maybe send me a card (:O MAIL BOMB), ring me (:O TRACERS), wish me happy birthday (:O PRESENTS!.. I wish :P), or try and track me down - probably easy enough to do anyway, so I'm not too concerned.

Feel free to point out problems in my logic that should leave me very, very scared, though.

[Jiant Flying Panda]

I think I'm pretty much in the "safe zone".

I never posted a picture of myself which I know probably upsets a few people and for that im sorry, it's just that I think posting a picture is pretty risky (And I still don't have a digital camera anyways, lol).

I think I only told a handfull of people my last name which, they probably don't even remember.

I told only one person my real address and it kind of slipped because we were joking around, but it's all good because in return she told me her's.

My friends visit this site every once in a while and they're cool with the fact that I post about them (I do it just to embaress them, haha) just as long as I never use their real names.

And besides. It's just not like me to really open up to people both on the interweb and in real life.

The more you open up to people the more vunerable you make yourself. The more you open up to people the weaker you become. So, don't open yourself up.

^ That's a highly effective method. I suggest all of you turn to the dark side and do the same. Mwuahaha :D

[Jay]

The more you open up to people the more vunerable you make yourself. The more you open up to people the weaker you become. So, don't open yourself up.

That's exactly right. I can only think of two people from this forum I've been totally open with. One went completely belly up and the other doesn't care about my peculiarities. :D

[CNagy]

I couldn't worry less about staying anonymous. My username, however, is a clever way to keep people from finding out that my name is Christopher Nagy. My location, my phone number, my age, specific details that would make tracking me down easy, I don't mind sharing that kind of stuff. I am my avatar, even.

It would be extremely difficult for someone to simply insert herself into my life and have it seem natural, and I tend to read people like books. Identity theft is a problem, but I keep that kind of information as secure as reasonably possible-- if someone wants something bad enough, they'll still find a way to get it.

I think openness is a source of power as opposed to a vulnerability. If I am being open and sincere with you, you will have no real idea when I deviate from open and sincere. Openness tends to make people underestimate you, and if there is anything I love, it is being underestimated.

[Nights_into_dreams]

My online anonmity is just a reflection of how I am in real life. In my real life, you can be close to me, yet know next to nothing about me, or at least see what I want you to see.

A girl I once dated told me that "everyone is an author...we only let others read about us what we write for them to read."

It's simply how I am.

[Jay]

I'm pretty open in real life, at least with the people I know, because I know if anyone tries to stalk or threaten me I have no problem using... force to get them to cut it out. I AM talking about heads through walls and broken bones.

I'm not trying to impress anyone. It's just my way of life. :meh:

[Myrsilus]

If someone decides to investigate me, oh well. Nothing about me that's going to ruin me or anything. You let the fear of someone investigating you take over, and they win.

If someone wanted to stalk me, they can go right ahead and do that. I'm not saying I'd destroy them, because I probably would not know much of anything about them. I don't like to underestimate mysterious enemies.

I guess I have my ways to deal with people like this, though. I just won't say.

[Chelsums]

I try to remain unclear about what I tell people. I'll tell people my first name (which is obvious from my username) and my state but I don't tell people my last name or my hometown. Only people I really trust on the internet, people I have talked to for a long time, know details about me. Some even have my address. If you type my name into google, the stuff that comes up is all documents from my school's website >_> I think I'm the only person with my name o.o Anyway, I feel comfortable sharing stories and stuff and a lot of times I tell people I know online stuff I can't tell people I know in real life. The anonymity kind of gives you the power to be more honest. At the same time, I don't open myself up completely, obviously.

I give out my picture on the internet but only because I think having a face to go with a name makes things easier. Sure someone could try to stalk me down but considering I'm mostly a homebody, it would be kind of difficult (unless they somehow found my address, of course). I have a myspace and a livejournal. Both of them are set to friends only. On my LJ, the only public info is my state, country, first name, and interests (which I don't see as that harmful).

I'm rambling on now but basically it's good to keep yourself safe but you don't have to be paranoid about it. If someone wants to find you, they're going to anyway. There's really no way to keep yourself completely sage.

[Trump]

I guess I've never understood why you can tell things to total strangers that you can't tell your close friends. If there is something embarassing, just laugh about it! It makes things even more fun.

[Lateli]

Thanks to Gmail my last name is out there more. I post pictures-a-plenty, it really doesn't bug me to be seen. I do wonder how many people are out there debating if I'm a guy or passing my pictures off as them :rofl:

Very FEW people know my address. And I've only given two people my phone number, I think one doesn't even have it anymore.

Stalkers, hmm. I have one "internet stalker" he used to send me letters and pictures. Now he just spends the days sending me IMs of how he loves me and how he'll wait for me.. O_o

[Radiance]

Internet security is a moot point, as long as you're safe from viruses and spyware thats all you should care about. If you have an IP your exact location can be found unless you're wardriving with a hijacked mac address, which is a crime in most places. So don't worry too much about it, just don't go giving your personal information to everyone and their mother and you're fine.

As for me, I'll give out my name and general location. (edit: Oh, and pictures too.) If someone really wants to find you over the internet, it isn't difficult. There isn't anonymity over the internet, just ignorant people that think they have it.

[Aras]

I feel somethat secure, i dont think that there is some crazy stalkers or something who would like to stalk me o something, and besides there is no point in getting info about me, they could annoy me with spam in email or something like that and if someone could get some serious info like bank acount or something then it means that they could it get anyway, so i dont see point in hidding my personal info, it just the same like in real life, you just dont go and say you adress or something to random people.

[The Divine Comedy]

On the internet I only really give out my first name and very, very general area. Last name and anything like that is reserved for people I trust lots. I'm too young for much of an identity so far, so I don't think identity theft would be an issue. I do pics for the same reason Chels stated, I think that it's nice to have a face to go with the name. I don't think I'm interesting enough of a person to be stalked, but still, precautions are good.

[MNJetter]

I don't volunteer information unless it's relevant, but I don't hide anything that I would tell people in real life anyway. I don't give my friends my bank and credit card numbers, so I won't give those out on the internet either.

[Kaji]

I personally don't care too much about it, and don't have many reservations about posting my last name or where I live/go to school most of the time (though I don't post a mailing address in a public place, I've handed it out to a number of people I talk to on AIM for purposes of offline correspondence). Truth is, even with my last name, I go by my middle name anyway, so it's not too much good without my first.

There are limits of course, however. I can remember a couple more severe incidents that I had to deal with on an anime board I admin at...

-One kid was arranging a sleepover with another member of the board, and instead of using a PM for it, he posted a thread with his address. Edited it out and reminded him that it's not a smart thing to put up in public, especially without your parents' permission.
-Another member decided to put his full name, address, and phone number in his signature and told people to contact him. A quick PM pointing out the wisdom of such got him to change it fast.
-Google can search credit card numbers (or at least used to be able to, don't know if the trick still works or not), and even turns up all the information on the owner. Someone posted it on the board as a public awareness thing, but didn't realize that posting how to do it was a security risk in itself. A quick admin edit solved that.
-A longtime member (who did this more out of studpidity than any malicious intent) posted a thread asking what people's SSN numbers were. Suffice it to say that one got closed very quickly.

[gyoza]

Internet security is a moot point, as long as you're safe from viruses and spyware thats all you should care about. If you have an IP your exact location can be found unless you're wardriving with a hijacked mac address, which is a crime in most places. So don't worry too much about it, just don't go giving your personal information to everyone and their mother and you're fine.

As for me, I'll give out my name and general location. (edit: Oh, and pictures too.) If someone really wants to find you over the internet, it isn't difficult. There isn't anonymity over the internet, just ignorant people that think they have it.

This is kind of how I feel. And frankly right now I'd like the confidence boost that'd come with being stalked. :box:

[Kaji]

I don't volunteer information unless it's relevant, but I don't hide anything that I would tell people in real life anyway. I don't give my friends my bank and credit card numbers, so I won't give those out on the internet either.

A friend of my girlfriend's was having trouble with her PayPal account and so she cut and pasted everything and sent it through MSN to my girl, who forwarded it to me to decipher for her. We both got a good laugh when I pointed out that we now have this girl's bank account and credit card numbers (though we'll never use them), and made a point of pointing this out to the girl so she'd know to be more careful about it in the future. Her reply? She "trusts that we won't do anything bad with it..."

Seriously, even as much as I trust some people, I'd never hand that information to anyone who wasn't in my immediate family (not even my girlfriend, for that matter). It's not a matter of distrust, it's a matter of that there is some information that you should keep a tight rein on at all times.

[MNJetter]

It's not a matter of distrust, it's a matter of that there is some information that you should keep a tight rein on at all times.

Well spoken. Exactly my thoughts on the bank/credit/$$/etc. stuff.

[Soli]

I have given out my address to certain people who Itrust and know aren't bad. I like this forum because it feels pretty safe. They say at school to never give out your name to anyone on the internet, but I know that's safe. There is a girl who lives in the town over from me with the same first name and last name. So if anyone wanted to stalk me or something and knew I lived in Ohio, chances are you'll get the wrong person. I do have a pretty common name and a really common last name. =P

We just had an announcement in school about not using myspace. "There are bad people out there, who you think is a 14-year-old like you is really a 40-year-old man. They will try to get you to meet them somewhere... etc." Apparently a lot of young people are using myspace. Isn't it possible that the 14-year-old friend you made is really 14-years-old? There are bad people, but even then most people are smart enough to not meet that person privately. My mom said that if I ever wanted to meet one of my friends online I could as long as I had talked to them through skype or something and she came with me to somewhere public.

-snip- wish me happy birthday (:O PRESENTS!.. I wish) -snip-

I am going to send you a present now! :D

[Shamu]

If someone wants to stalk me, go ahead, but you'll have to put up with my dog (who will bark at you to death with her high pitched, yappy little bark) or my 4 year old will talk you to death, take your pick (also I'd like to remind people of all the lovely weapons laws in Texas :P).
So a good handful of people around here have personal info from me, however, just like in real life, I don't always give away my personal info to people I have just met. It takes time to build up trust with someone, and just like in real life, people are not always who they say they are. My opinion is to just be careful and if you're not comfortable giving out info, then don't do it. Also, people asking for info shouldn't take a offence if someone doesn't want to give them their personal information. I don't like people I don't know at all asking me personal stuff, regardless of if they can find it out or not on their own, it's just weird to me.
I also don't give out my child's name or her information to anyone I don't know and I almost never post it on forums.

[ellie]

I try not to be stupid on the internet, but I realize that if someone wants to stalk me, they're going to do it whether or not they know me from the internet, or whatever.

I'll show pictures of myself. You'd have to really memorize my pictures to be able to pick me out in a crowd, I don't think I have any really outstanding physical features that make it really easy to spot me (well I guess except for all the long blonde hair that I have). I'll also give out my first name.

I've given my last name and my address to a very VERY select few whom I've met through this forum. I trust basically everyone, but I don't think it's necessary to volunteer personal information about myself unless asked.

Also, there are some that originally seemed safe, whom I no longer believe to be so. Therefore I am more cautious now about giving out personal information.

[Frankey-eh]

I'm more scared of people in real life tracking me down. and asking me about some of the stuff I post online.

I'm not scared of giving out my first name because I know a lot of anime characters share my name (Card Captor, Digimon, etc.) which means a lot of anime fans will use my name too. Last name, I am scared though. And yes, how much I reveal about myself does depend on how long I've known people.

City... I used to be very vague, but after realizing that two other people on this forum alone lives in the same city, I've given up.

Age... it doesn't really matter. I'm sure people can figure it out just by the way I'm always talking about academics. I do try to be careful on Mixi though, because people under 18 aren't suppose to be on it. I'm not sure how seriously the Japanese take it, and I don't want to chance it. it seems people under 18 are being REALLY cautious...

Picture... only when people ask. or in the case with the one in the picture thread (the first one. the second one, you couldn't see my face) it was because others have insisted it, and I had shown them, so I figured if I showed one, I might as well show all.

phone number, definitely not.
address, definitely not

[PopCulturePooka]

I'm more scared of people in real life tracking me down. and asking me about some of the stuff I post online.

Actually, thats my bigger fear.

I don't care what a bunch of neckfuckers online try and do. Big woop.

It's my real world family and friends seeing some of my internet antics taht worries me.

[Pierrot le Fou]

My nightmare scenario: my employer finds out my online identity, and reads that crap I toss up there.
-

[gyoza]

My biggest fear came to reality the other day... my parents found my blog. Most of the recent stuff I wasn't embarassed of, but it was the stuff written several years back during my 'angsty-teen-who-hates-parents' stage that I quickly and discreetly deleted before they noticed.

[RoxFontaine]

I'm not telling you shit!

How's that for internet safety? :watson:

Nah, I never give out personal info. Pics are fine. Only of myself though. Never my family.

[Possum Jenkins]

Age, residence, name, I lie about all of these things.

Musical, film, game preferences.. why make that up?

Appearance, the photos are real. but if you don't know where to stalk me, why would it matter?

[Kaji]

Appearance, the photos are real. but if you don't know where to stalk me, why would it matter?

Nothing an IP search won't fix. If I have yours I can tell you what city you're in, which is certainly a good starting place. Almost all messageboards record them so that mods/admins can see them, and many blogs have it set to record the IP of whomever comments on them (I know a lot of people on LJ who have that setting turned on). Sometimes you don't need to hand out information for it to be accessible.

[Possum Jenkins]

Sure, but why would you have my IP address?

What're you gonna do, ask a mod for it?

"Hey, can I have <member>'s IP address?"

"What're you going to do, find out where they live?"

"Yeah."

"all right."

[Pierrot le Fou]

It's not hard to trick someone into giving their IP address away. Honestly. I would recommend not assuming that it's an unknown.

[Kaji]

Furthermore, that's assuming that no mods or admins on said sites don't use them themselves.

[Bob]

I'll give anyone who asks my address, but it would be inconvenient for the other people I live with to give out my phone number

[Kass]

The mods and admins here can see IP addresses, not that it is that interesting anyway.

To those who are reckless with their personal information, internet stalking is actually a rising crime. Most often, it is people who've met in RL then one starts following the other everywhere, but there are a few occasions where it's gone the other way.

Also, identity theft is one of the most profitable and easiest crimes to commit. It takes on average, 7-10 years for an identity theft victim to recover from the crime. It takes that long to clear your credit, any liens and your name of the fraudulent transactions. It can prevent you from buying a home or a car, getting a credit card or renting an apartment.

It's very easy to do to anyone who shops online or allows P2P connections. Want this cool song? Sure, have it while I see what else is on your PC.

The most common way to have your identity stolen is to not shred documents and bills before you throw them away. Dumpster diving is still the most comon way to get access to personal info. They get account numbers, bank statements, SSNs, etc. that way.

[Tungtvann]

I rarely post pictures of myself, nothing to do with privacy, I just hate pictures of myself. A fair bunch of people know my real name and where I live/work. I'm not particulary bothered, I have nothing to hide, and frankly, if someone wanted to stalk me or whatever, apart from finding it quite funny that someone would want to stalk ME! I'd probably be quite flattered, to some degree (aslong as it was a hot chick).

So hey, my name is Alex, I live in Waterloo, London, and I am joining the Army this summer. I am 20 years old and I work in a military hotel in Waterloo. With that info, you probably could come and find me. I'm waiting....