Privacty Online

[Glenn]

I was watching some show last night on how to "fly under the radar". It was a bit tinfoil hattish, but had some interesting points and got me thinking. Do you have a reasonable expectation of privacy online?

With this site....do you feel you're somewhat anonymous? I've never really had that expectation on a message board; especially one that's regional and involves a common activity. It seems like the likelihood of me meeting another AZer out there is pretty high; even if by happenstance.

 

[Nick]

That's the nature of this forum though since we are all here for snowsports and plus we are "targeted" to the northeast.

Personally, I'm not that concerned about information and anonymity. That said, I do try to keep my home address and phone # fairly quiet, but beyond that... there is a lot out there. So what do I do? I simply think about it before I post it. That includes here but also on other forums, social networks, twitter, etc.

One of the reasons I like Google+ is that it is much easier to limit your posts to the people who you actually want to see it. I have several public posts as well; but there are more that are "hidden" to my circles .

I'm curious about when people worry about privacy, what is it they are really worried about? Is it:

> The principle of it (just don't like the idea of people knowing identity or similar)
> Security (someone finding out about you and stalking you or something)
> Future implications ... this is the only one I really worry about. What if I write / post something that someday comes back to haunt me?

Basically how I handle it is to only make posts on things that I know in 10, 20, 30 years from now I can look at and say, even if I was wrong about my assessment or opinion, at least I was open and honest about it.

It blows my mind how many 20'somethings have literally zero clue how the internet really works and how truly anything you do online leaves a trace that has the ability to come back to you, personally.

 

[andyzee]

You sign up to a forum such as this one, you give an email address, that in itself is usually enough information to get everything on you. Doesn't have to be the case though, if you create an email account specifically for forums such as this one, and use it for nothing else (especially not Facebook). You will have much more anonymity, not 100% but more.

 

[Nick]

yeah but even then sites you visit know your IP. So unless you use a proxy or otherwise mask that your identity is still known. Even when browsing sites without ever logging in.

 

[Glenn]

Agreed. You can hide who you are, but anyone with admin rights on a forum can track the IP. Most of the population won't bother spoofing and/or doesn't know how.

 

[mondeo]

I come at it from a couple ways. Meeting someone who happens to be on AZ is one thing, and I know a few people on here independently from knowing them at Killington. That I don't particularly care about.

But when I think about anonymity on the internet, I look at as more of can you find me from the information publicly available. You'd have to stalk me on here to pin it down; the pieces are all there, but they're scattered. You can't find me on Facebook unless you have mutual friends or know my email address (that I don't give out to any person that I don't necessarily want to find me online.) And only admins, maybe mods, can get my email from here.

I'm not worried about Google figuring out who I am through my search history. They have better things to do. But individuals would have a hard time finding me just from the information I put on the internet. And I'm careful with revealing where I work (even though it's not that hard to figure out,) just so I don't say something that would reflect poorly on my company and then have to face the consequences of it at work.

 

[Geoff]

I don't even attempt to keep myself private. I use my real name. I routinely link to images on my personal web site. If I were a single female, I probably would keep myself anonymous but I don't have anything to hide and I'm not worried somebody is going to stalk me.

I've been around the internet since the 1980's. I learned long ago that what you do on the internet lasts forever.

 

[andyzee]

yeah but even then sites you visit know your IP. So unless you use a proxy or otherwise mask that your identity is still known. Even when browsing sites without ever logging in.

True, but you can get far more info on a person with email than IP.

 

[Nick]

True, but you can get far more info on a person with email than IP.

The isp has that ip right to your address.

 

[Geoff]

The isp has that ip right to your address.

If you're running Android, you share everything in your life with Google. Talk about no security.

 

[andyzee]

The isp has that ip right to your address.

Not saying IPs don't give you info they do. But, if you use the same email address for everything, very good chance I can tell you your full name, where you live, work, what you're interests are, show you pics of you and your family, find out your friends and acquainteces, etc..

 

[Black Phantom]

Not saying IPs don't give you info they do. But, if you use the same email address for everything, very good chance I can tell you your full name, where you live, work, what you're interests are, show you pics of you and your family, find out your friends and acquainteces, etc..

Are you familiar with any ski related website security breaches?

 

[MommaBear]

Not saying IPs don't give you info they do. But, if you use the same email address for everything, very good chance I can tell you your full name, where you live, work, what you're interests are, show you pics of you and your family, find out your friends and acquainteces, etc..

Can you do this because you are an admin on your site, or as just an average Joe? Curious - attended a continuing ed class about internet security recently that kind of freaked me out and just curious if this is along those lines.

 

[andyzee]

Can you do this because you are an admin on your site, or as just an average Joe? Curious - attended a continuing ed class about internet security recently that kind of freaked me out and just curious if this is along those lines.

Just by knowing an email address.

 

[Geoff]

Just by knowing an email address.

I registered on the AndyZee message board using AGlobalVillageIdiot@gmail.com

If I hadn't had an email exchange telling Andy who I was, there's now way he would have gotten any useful information out of my email address.

I pretty much stopped participating on that site when he started cross-posting things on Facebook. To me, that crosses the line.

 

[andyzee]

I registered on the AndyZee message board using AGlobalVillageIdiot@gmail.com

If I hadn't had an email exchange telling Andy who I was, there's now way he would have gotten any useful information out of my email address.

I pretty much stopped participating on that site when he started cross-posting things on Facebook. To me, that crosses the line.

And here I took it personal, damn!:lol: No, that's good, not using the same email every where.

 

[Glenn]

Can you do this because you are an admin on your site, or as just an average Joe? Curious - attended a continuing ed class about internet security recently that kind of freaked me out and just curious if this is along those lines.

I think it would be just a matter of googling an e-mail address and seeing what comes up. More often than not, it'll be some forums posts or anything where google sniffs out your address. Pics would be harder to link unless someone created a photo account using their e-mail address as their account name. I think Googling a full name will yield more results.

 

[riverc0il]

There is enough information about me online that by either having my email address or handle, you can pretty much track me down in real life if you wanted to do so. I operate online with the understanding that any one that really wants to connect the dots can do so.

That said, I choose to approach the internet in this open manner. Anyone that complains about privacy online, or supposed lack thereof, is doing it all wrong. It is very easy to be anonymous online but still participate. You can do so by creating an anonymous free email account and using an email address and handle that can't possibly connected to you and then don't share any personal information at all when you post. Don't join Facebook. Don't join Google+. Only join social sites that allow completely anonymous posting excepting having a handle. Concerns about IP tracking? Post from a library. Take privacy as far as you want to but don't complain when you use free services and information you voluntarily posted is not kept private.

 

[andyzee]

There is enough information about me online that by either having my email address or handle, you can pretty much track me down in real life if you wanted to do so. I operate online with the understanding that any one that really wants to connect the dots can do so.

That said, I choose to approach the internet in this open manner. Anyone that complains about privacy online, or supposed lack thereof, is doing it all wrong. It is very easy to be anonymous online but still participate. You can do so by creating an anonymous free email account and using an email address and handle that can't possibly connected to you and then don't share any personal information at all when you post. Don't join Facebook. Don't join Google+. Only join social sites that allow completely anonymous posting excepting having a handle. Concerns about IP tracking? Post from a library. Take privacy as far as you want to but don't complain when you use free services and information you voluntarily posted is not kept private.

Well said.

 

[deadheadskier]

I come at it from a couple ways. Meeting someone who happens to be on AZ is one thing, and I know a few people on here independently from knowing them at Killington. That I don't particularly care about.

But when I think about anonymity on the internet, I look at as more of can you find me from the information publicly available. You'd have to stalk me on here to pin it down; the pieces are all there, but they're scattered. You can't find me on Facebook unless you have mutual friends or know my email address (that I don't give out to any person that I don't necessarily want to find me online.) And only admins, maybe mods, can get my email from here.

I'm not worried about Google figuring out who I am through my search history. They have better things to do. But individuals would have a hard time finding me just from the information I put on the internet. And I'm careful with revealing where I work (even though it's not that hard to figure out,) just so I don't say something that would reflect poorly on my company and then have to face the consequences of it at work.

This is pretty much exactly how I handle participating in online communities; whether it be here, on facebook or the music forum I'm engaged in.