Internet, Anonymity and You

NSW · 12-03-2009, 08:20 AM

I use nonsubmissivewife (or variations) on alot of websites, but none of those have my name anywhere. I think I'm safe from being found out...but perhaps not.

Mojo · 12-03-2009, 08:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nonsubmissivewife

Just for kicks I googled my user name (noise sparked my curiosity) and thankfully not too much came up. Mostly a bunch of Christian websites talking about the virtues of being a submissive wife...lol.

Sure, if you're on the internet actively and people really want to dig up something about you, they are going to find away. But I think being discreet discourages people from wanting to do that. I'm amazed sometimes at the amount of information people are willing to share on this website alone.

Theres this girl i know, shes a friend of my sister. She had her address and possibly her phone number on FB. I think she only took it down when this guy she was talking to through FB happened to be a police officer and told her to take it down.

Arya Stark · 12-03-2009, 10:20 AM

I stopped thinking about too much anonymity when I realized the most personal information about me wasn't off of my Facebook, it was coming from my highschool's site.
You can find my graduation pictures, my old bands and performances, even my school play and character, just by knowing my name.
It's horrible, but true.
Creepy, but I can't do much about it.

Sneer · 12-03-2009, 11:05 AM

Well in terms of forums, this is the only one i go on, so in that sense it's quite easy to keep a check on my anonymity. Since i've started here i've actively kept a detachment regarding me in real life and me on here, so i dont share any information with anybody except my username and place of origin. I dont even accept people on msn or anything like that.

I've also become a lot tighter on facebook, only accepting requests from people i know. I do use online banking for convenience, but have enough confidence in the security measures to feel safe doing it.

6underground · 12-03-2009, 11:25 AM

A girl I know had some issues with a man in a neighborhood she moved to. He found her online, without her knowing, and started talking to her. At first he was friendly, then he started making comments about her children, and talking about the inside of her home -- things he should've never known about. Turns out, he had been reading all of her emails, basically following everything she did on her computer. It turned into quite the debacle. She ended up moving again less than a year later.

Just goes to show the internet can be used in reverse too.

ribbons · 12-03-2009, 01:29 PM

Do you know how he was able to read her e-mails? Was he able to determine her password or something?

6underground · 12-03-2009, 01:37 PM

Not really sure. I got the impression that he was just all around hacker.

Urban Hat€monger ? · 12-03-2009, 02:08 PM

I googled my full name & the results I got were a garage in Devon and a facebook page that isn't mine but someone who shares the same name as me.

So i'm not really that worried.

NSW · 12-03-2009, 02:20 PM

My full name is so common that when I googled it there were so many hits on a bunch of different people. The only thing that popped up regarding me was my LinkedIn profile. I suppose that could be bad.

~~someonecompletelyrandom~~ · 12-03-2009, 04:16 PM

You can't get a more common name than mine... but add my middle name and you might have better luck.

I'm not at all worried that somebody, even if they did threaten me, would actually go through with whatever they were threatening. Sure the internet can be a dangerous place but unless your a 13 year old girl chatting with a 40 year old perv (which would be your own dang fault if anything bad happened) I don't really think theres any danger.

I mean even if I posted my phone number and home adress right here right now it'd be no different than the dozens of phone books i'm sure have it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nonsubmissivewife

The only thing that popped up regarding me was my LinkedIn profile.

What do you do for business?

12-03-2009, 08:20 AM	#11 (permalink)
NSW Bigger and Better Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Texas girl living in the UK Posts: 2,596	I use nonsubmissivewife (or variations) on alot of websites, but none of those have my name anywhere. I think I'm safe from being found out...but perhaps not. __________________ Hi.

12-03-2009, 11:05 AM	#14 (permalink)
Sneer Let it drip Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 5,430	Well in terms of forums, this is the only one i go on, so in that sense it's quite easy to keep a check on my anonymity. Since i've started here i've actively kept a detachment regarding me in real life and me on here, so i dont share any information with anybody except my username and place of origin. I dont even accept people on msn or anything like that. I've also become a lot tighter on facebook, only accepting requests from people i know. I do use online banking for convenience, but have enough confidence in the security measures to feel safe doing it. __________________ LastFM Sneer's Emporium of Sound Fright Team radio show

12-03-2009, 02:08 PM	#18 (permalink)
Urban Hat€monger ? The Sexual Intellectual Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Somewhere cooler than you Posts: 18,605	I googled my full name & the results I got were a garage in Devon and a facebook page that isn't mine but someone who shares the same name as me. So i'm not really that worried. __________________ Urb's RYM Stuff Most people sell their soul to the devil, but the devil sells his soul to Nick Cave.

12-03-2009, 02:20 PM	#19 (permalink)
NSW Bigger and Better Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Texas girl living in the UK Posts: 2,596	My full name is so common that when I googled it there were so many hits on a bunch of different people. The only thing that popped up regarding me was my LinkedIn profile. I suppose that could be bad. __________________ Hi.

12-03-2009, 11:25 AM	#15 (permalink)
6underground Prozac Princess Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 198	A girl I know had some issues with a man in a neighborhood she moved to. He found her online, without her knowing, and started talking to her. At first he was friendly, then he started making comments about her children, and talking about the inside of her home -- things he should've never known about. Turns out, he had been reading all of her emails, basically following everything she did on her computer. It turned into quite the debacle. She ended up moving again less than a year later. Just goes to show the internet can be used in reverse too.

12-03-2009, 01:29 PM	#16 (permalink)
ribbons Music Addict Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 1,265	Do you know how he was able to read her e-mails? Was he able to determine her password or something?

12-03-2009, 01:37 PM	#17 (permalink)
6underground Prozac Princess Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 198	Not really sure. I got the impression that he was just all around hacker.