Privacy Issues

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Hi, I've been here for 5 years and this question has only occurred to me.

Is there a level of privacy in these forums? i.e. Would it be possible for non-members to trail through post histories of users such as myself?

Or is it in the Terms and Conditions that people who aren't registered allowed to go through what I post, as well as everybody else?

It sort of makes me feel uncomfortable you know?

I am soon entering the world of the film industry, and if (even by my request of privacy) journalists/paparazzi etc. (if I manage to get famous) manage to find my user on here, they could 'dig up' posts that have my opinions, feelings, and previous experiences of the past which I don't really want to share with the outside world.

This could be just paranoia, but it's just a curious question that's all.

I'm sure other members feel the same but in different ways. Personal issues etc.

The important thing when posting somewhere like this is not to use your real name anywhere or disclose anything that can be linked directly back to your real life. It is easy to find posts of members here by doing a Google search. There is no such thing as privacy on the internet. When you post something it is there for ever, lurking around on the sites posted to or in various search engine databases or archive site databases.
The only none-searchable area on WP is the Members forum.

Once you've let the horse out of the stable it is too late to close the door.

Fair enough TallyMan. I see how that makes sense.

Wish I thought about it that way before opening up so much on this website.

Bit of a bummer really?

The thing about opening up is to do it anonymously. I'm surprised how many members use their real names as their username or openly disclose their real name in their posts. Nowadays it is quite common for potential employers to type the name of prospective new employees into Google and to see what comes up... links to Facebook pages or other online forums etc.

Hmm. It just fills me with regret to be honest.

Wish I remove such posts now or do something to block them permanently.

Only because in the past such posts relate to more let's say...personal issues.

One thing I have learnt through personal experience - never use your real e-mail address (that includes your name) on a forum like this. Because anyone doing a Google search on your e-mail...

At least here in Finland, that would be illegal without a prior consent of the prospective/employee.

I think it is illegal in a number of countries, but employers will still do it regardless. Especially small businesses where the person doing the job interview is the business owner. If they discover online that the potential recruit has a drink / drug problem or mental health issues or some other "impediment" they will likely give the job to someone else who comes up "clean"; it is unlikely the employer would disclose the real reason for giving someone else the job for fear of litigation. It isn't like there is some independent authority vetting the "fairness" of the selection process.

Or even something like they were shown having a joint in a photo taken ten years ago and they haven't touched the stuff since.

Or posts to an autism forum, or, let's say, has political points of view that go against the majority. Mightcher, in a small town they'd probably know all this in any case.

How to protect your privacy:

Never post real photos of you on here
Never mention your full name
Never mention what place you work at or what school you go to
Never mention what town you're in
never mention to anyone in real life what your user names are online
Always use a separate email address for real life
Also make your Facebook profiles private and your Myspace too

But of course I have broken several of these. I just don't mention my last name and the company I work for or what building I work at. Besides people in real life have to know my user names online to look it up online to spy on me. I have decided to use a different email address now too.

As you said:

Never post real photos of you on here - broken
Never mention your full name - broken
Never mention what place you work at or what school you go to - not relevant
Never mention what town you're in - broken
never mention to anyone in real life what your user names are online - broken (but only to family)
Always use a separate email address for real life - broken
Also make your Facebook profiles private and your Myspace too - broken (though I don't use those but Flickr instead and I don't use my real name on there)

Never post real photos of you on here - Broken (But when I was younger)
Never mention your full name - Not Broken
Never mention what place you work at or what school you go to - Not Broken
Never mention what town you're in - Not Broken
Never mention to anyone in real life what your user names are online - Not Broken
Always use a separate email address for real life - Broken (But I've hidden it)
Also make your Facebook profiles private and your Myspace too - Not Broken

Here are emails are private unless we choose to make them public. So not something anyone can search, and not visible to anyone but admins (or maybe moderators too, but I think just admins).

The email address is the only thing on my account that can connect me with me elsewhere on the internet, so I'm quite aware that it's private to all but a very small number of people. I actually do use an email address here that I rarely use elsewhere (though that wasn't always the case), but it's not exclusive to here.

A google search would not be helpful for bringing up email addresses, unless someone had openly posted their email address somewhere for all to see. The ones to watch out for are the snooping websites.

Anyone can do a reverse email search on Pipl or Spokeo to check what websites any email account has been registered at.

Try it. It's scary.

*shudder*

And people laugh at me for being paranoid.

You can do username searches as well. It's wise not to have the same username on every website.

Last edited by all_white on 11 Jul 2011, 7:23 am, edited 1 time in total.

No such thing as "private" Facebook profiles.

Sorry to break it to you.

They can be seen by anyone who really wants to see them. And not illegally, either.

As for the email address: it doesn't really matter about having separate ones, as long as your password is hard to crack. What matters is not emailing relative strangers from an account that shows your real name. Just use initials.

I've lost count of the number of people I've met online who email me from an account that shows their real name and surname. That and their hometown is enough for anyone to find out their current address online on websites such as 192.com, leaving themselves open to stalkers.

I've had several email exchanges with people on dating websites who claim to be this or that. From doing a bit of googling once they have stupidly given away their real identity, it's interesting finding out who they really are, what they really get up to on the internet, and how many lies they told in their profiles.

Their idiocy just blows me away.

Hmm. My facebook profile at the moment doesn't really give anything away. Neither does here...I think.

I'm glad I'm not alone with this thought.

All_White, I did a search to see if I would appear on here, and so far no results.

Not even on the UK versions.

But it is still scary.