Identity

[Moos]

So what are the risks if any of putting your identity on the Internet?

We're always being urged to be super-careful with personal details, but with what I hear is called the 'Mosaic Effect' (thanks Asset) we on the Forum are all giving away little details here and there (what road do you live on...do you have kids...what do you do for a living...what train do you catch to work) to make ourselves identifiable. And quite a lot of people happily put their real names, phone numbers and so on here.

And that's quite apart from Forum socialising in person! :-$

I'd be interested to know what people think are the risks, and what we should do to be careful. Or am I just paranoid?

Moos

Secret Agent

[LuvPeckham]

you are being totally paranoid, and I have now agreed to that court order you took out to stop me stalking you, going through your rubbish and pretendign to be you on discussion forums...

but yes, one should always be careful on any discussion forum or website... one piece of information here, another there soon adds up to a complete picture of someone, their habits, their address, their email account and even details about their employer, where and when they work and worst of all when they go on holiday and their house is empty...

Linking this forum to Facebook, Linked in, ecadamy and other social networking sites would allow someone to know more about an individual then that person thinks... all it takes is time and effort. The old concept of people going through your bins, whilst it still goes on, isn't necessary any more as people reveal far too much about themselves already online

Hence why I never use my real name anywhere

Yours

Charles Windsor !!!

PS have we all gone organic yet ?

[SeanMacGabhann]

Great thread and I will answer when I get more time - but for now.. I just use www.192.com for my stalking needs

[cdonline]

I'm under no illusions that many would be interested in my trials and tribulations. I've posted a few personal things, but nothing reallt earth shattering. Unless knowing I'm gay and what school I went to floats your boat.

I used to post on a forum where you could upload your avatar and realised that some of the crap I'd written could cause me problem, ie if somebody at work had looked. So took down the photo and deleted a few posts.

I did google somebody name from another site once and all it really brought up was the tat he'd being trying to sell on Ebay.

On any site, I would only really talk about myself and not include information on friends or family. I also don't sign my name and haven't gone on any of the drinks yet.

C*****

[KalamityKel]

Everyone knows I'm really a man with no teef and hair that isnt my own. I'm also a mutli millionaire who owns most of the Dulwich Village area and now looking to expand in to ED. I'm known to be quite a passionate sugar daddy... info can be found across many raunchy websites and I believe I was once listed as the most eligible and wanted man of 1973 as voted by the residents of brixton.

[Brendan]

I too am really a man.

[HonaloochieB]

Anyone that gives away potentially damaging information about themselves on a message board is a klutz and deserves all they get.

[capt_birdseye]

Brendan Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I too am really a man.

Oh my god! I feel a bit queasy knowing that. I'd always read your name as Brenda N.

[louisiana]

Moos

You're quite right, there is a mosaic effect. It should concern us all. Yes, some people do post their own details (name, phone) on here, but it's often the self-employed, who need to reveal who they are otherwise there's no trust (and this info is probably available online in any case. You should always assume that lurkers include the po-lice as well as your worst enemies and someone from the legal department of your employer, and that some people are not gainfully employed and have plenty of time on their hands to piece together the jigsaw.

Open Rights Group is currently putting together a publication about maintaining your privacy etc. online. I'll post a link up here when it's available.

[will dex]

ha ha ha ,

on a nearly similar note, given MOOs thinks im her husband im doing a pretty good job of disguising my identity!!!

[Moos]

Hi Louisiana - I see what you mean about the self-employed, but I suppose I was thinking more about the people buying and selling in WO&R. I'd be interested to see your link.

Will dex, don't deny our love.

[KalamityKel]

:( I'm jealous

[ruffers]

On a very active motorbike forum I used to go on the collective might decided to have a pop at someone in a humourous kind of way who'd been asking about whether he shoud finally ask a girl out. Within about 15 minutes as I recall, just from regular information and facts he'd posted which were by no means what you'd say over revealing, his real name, place of work and phone number were posted along with a decent guess at his reg number and home address. The girl it was just her home address.

The thread got pulled by admin at that point highly unusualy on a basically self moderating forum but this wasn't any great forensic scientist group, just a bunch of posters.

Made me a bit more careful anyway.