With the influx of newbies, and seeing its been awhile since this issue was visited, I would like to revisit personal security on the forum.
It was highlighted awhile ago now, that posts of the forum can been seen via a search engine (ie Google)
Security is not a big issue here but I think we should always remember not to provide any personal detail, where not required for forum use. It is best not to provide your full name, address, or contact details in any post. Where you wish to do so, use the PM.
Also, as secondary, your member details should be limited. I suggest that surnames and actual birthday dates (use 01/01/year of B/day) are not required to be listed. Your address may just be the nearest major centre and state, not suburb. For forum use, we only want to know about where you live and what age bracket. These things can be edited out from your profile, if you have them there.
I suggest that this is a habit we need to use with any dealing on the internet. With a last name and a suburb, anyone can do a white pages search and possible locate you, for whatever reason. Maybe more of an issue when you post that you will be away for 'X' period.
Slightly off topic, but the same goes for your GPS. Do not program 'home' into it. Someone knocks off your GPS, see's home, and knows you are away, and bingo, vacant house to ransack. Use another name ie 'bowls club' if you forget where you live.
It is a new high tech world and we have to adjust our ways a bit to ensure we do not cause ourselves problems.
interesting you should raise this Bob, I am/have been in hospital for a while undergoing updates, I will not state which hospital or which state, or whether I am currently still in hospital or not,
I currently have a "no visitor" policy in place, the staff at reception have been magnificent in upholding this, my number has been found by various persons who call me and wish to meet or for whatever purposes, one or two may be okay but 30 a day is a bit much
this interferes with my voluntary activity's where anonymity must be guaranteed or the caller will not leave specifics and thereby I am not able to be of any help, the recent posts in here has dragged the spotlight on me and has encouraged numerous calls to not only the hospital but my private line, this has been found by my leaving "information" laying around, entirely my fault,
beside my phone number in the phone book is also an old address of mine, phone book has not been updated but the current tenants have been annoyed by folks who have this address
I have withdrawn slightly from the forum and will consider my placement here, my voluntary activity's must come first last and foremost, this has been placed in jeopardy
entirely my fault, so as Bob states, just be aware of who has your info
Yes Twobob, it is quite surprising the amount of information some folk provide to 'Online' databases. And what is most worrying, is that once all that personal info hits the WWW, there is no way one can retrieve it!!! A local footy player and a delightful little model springs to mind.
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A person with experience is never at the mercy of a person with an argument.
Often I find myself just completing the info required without thinking too much about why anyone would need to know that information. A timely reminder to us all to be a little less trusting!
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never trust seafood more than 50K's from the coast
It is a worry when the content of private massages reappears on the forum. What's the point of having "private" message facility on a site? It's happened to me at least once that I know of, but there may be more.
I have nothing to hide, in fact one of the joys of travelling is meeting people, and so I put a certain amount of recent info on my profile to give people a bit of an idea of the type of person I am. I'm very proud of who I am and what I have achieved, and love sharing. Of course we all must be aware that it's not always friends who read these forums, so to all my enemies out there, there's nothing here for you. Bugger off!
As Grey Nomad friends we may have the opportunity to meet up with fellow GN's, as I have a number of times here in Cairns. It makes my membership of the site very worthwhile. What would be the point of participating in such a great informative and friendly site if you didn't want to meet like-minded Nomads? Might as well live in a cave and call yourself anonymous.
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20ft Roma caravan - Mercedes Benz Sprinter - SA-based at the moment. Transport has no borders.
Management makes the decisions, but is not affected by the decisions it makes.
Chris I am totally unaware that any Private Message is locatable out side of the forum or indeed within the forum. I can recall a situation where some less than honest person, copied a PM to them and sent it on to someone else. Very distasteful.
If you can verify that PM's are obtainable, then we have a big problem.
