Forum Privacy Problem/Drawback

[Norm's Coupe]

Not sure how many people know this but thought I would make everyone aware of it, just in case. This is especially true for people using their real names as handles on this or other web sites and forums.

Just out of curiosity I ran a google search on my forum name "Norm's Coupe". The result of that search brought up my forum profile, and every post I've made on the forum since last October when this format began. That made me more curious so I ran a google search on a couple of people who use their real name here to see what happened. Won't mention the name but one of you has over 3,000 results from the various forums and web sites you post messages on.

Now, I'm not going to sit and go though all that stuff to see what people are doing. However, there are some that will to dig out information.

We didn't have this problem with the old forum format because GTK changed the board at least once a month. That removed it all off the web. Under this forum format everything stays on the web. As a result, the search engines pick up that information when you run a google search.

Because of this, I would recommend anyone wanting to maintain at least a little privacy, change their forum name to something other than their real name. Or, at least not use their full name and to do so on any other forums you're posting on like this.

To find out what's under your name on google, just type in the name in quotation marks in the search box. This will bring up just your specific name.

[blueskies]

unless of course, you are like me... My name is not used as my username, but both my name and username bring up about a jillion pages completely unrelated to me... My name is so common that there are three of us with the same name and middle initial in the state, and two of us are Architects registered with the AIA...

Pete

[Plymouthy Adams]

I went 44 pages deep on my nme without a direct reference to me...oh well...fill out your new community survey as circulated by the census bureau and you have zero privacy at all...them people just plain rude and invasive..elect to be a non-respondent...

[PatS....]

I have to use my real name on the forums and message boards I use for genealogical research, so if I Google my name I get lots of hits as well. It doesn't bother me at all because there isn't anything much more than what's in the phone book. Lots of info on long dead relatives.

As far as identity theft goes, well, my credit's so bad they won't take my cash, so they would likely pay me to take my identity back.

This "new" format here is no different than the other forums around. You just don't give out or post things like addresses or bank account numbers or other personal stuff that you wouldn't tell a stranger on the street.

[Rodger S-11]

Hola There

This does not bother me either. Nor am I on any witness protection plan. If I was afraid of the world I would be stopping by any tree instead of touching the door handle at the gas station.

Uncle Rodger & Aunt Gabby

COS

[thedahmer]

just type in "Dahmer"-- Jeffery comes up-- ALOT!!!

[Norm's Coupe]

Gary,

That's if you type in "Dahmer". However, if you type in "thedahmer" you get these results. Click on this link:http://www.indfloorcoating-repair.com/thedahmer.pdf

[Reg Evans]

Cool ! I'm an English actor. Show me the money.

[1947PLEVY]

When I posted a part needed, I used my email address in the correct way of entering it, you wouldn't believe all the garbage I recieved, so I went back and spelled it out??? Go figure. I believe they have programs that pick up on email address and spam the Devil out of them..

My 2 cents. John Ennis 47 Plevy

[Norm's Coupe]

Cool ! I'm an English actor. Show me the money.

[1947PLEVY]

Wow!!!

I am REALLY somebody, an actor, a baseball player, and a top ranked shootist. Lifted my EGO, I thought I was just normal, well close to it anyway. Maybe I could steal their Identies and make something out of my self, instead of being fat,bald and toothless. Naw, I like being myself ..

Everyone Take Care and God Bless...John 47Plevy

[Allan Faust]

Hey, not bad, I just found out I'm a doctor, a commander in the navy..... great.... wish I had the paycheck with it..... oops, forget that, it ain't me....

Allan

[Allan Faust]

Even better than that.... I'm dead!!!!! sniff geez, and I never even heard my eulogy.....

[Norm's Coupe]

My username only comes up with 4 responses, and those, all related to posts on the forum. Why only 4? I have made several posts on the forum. Some even have some meaningful content. I guess armed with that info they could read all my posts.

Good idea not using your name here, or anywhere on the internet, and now I'm starting to wonder about using it anywhere.

Shel,

You didn't search enough. At the bottom of your google search you'll find a link that says:

repeat the search with the omitted results included.

Click on that link and it will bring up over 300 responses for your forum activity and whatever else you've done elsewhere under the same user name.

[Normspeed]

I don't worry about it. The best thing to do is run your annual free credit report and study it for suspicious stuff. If you do any internet activity at all, there are going to be a bunch of references and cross references to your name. If you don't post on the internet, you're still gonna be on there. It's just a part of living in this century. I recently found that my homeowners insurance company found a link to a prior tenant that I never lived with, she lived in a rental home years before I did. She is an insurance deadbeat. It turned up on a credit report and it's a simple matter to remove her from the record. They also send me pre-approved credit card mailers for an ex-wife, long since passed away, to my current address. I've lived in maybe 5 different places since the last time we lived at the same address. My opinion, don't get your undies in a bundle over it, your info is gonna be out there no matter what.

[David Maxwell]

...because my name is apparently common enough that if the things I do post(and I'm not ashamed of anything I've put online) come up, it helps differentiate me from the other David Maxwells out there on the net. Some of THEM, I would NOT want associated with me in any way whatsover. Since I can't stop them from coming up with a search, my own stuff lets people know who I really am.

[Lee Exline]

I already get 20-30 emails a day offering me everything you can imagine. Part of the problem of having the same email address for such a long time.

This is one of the few forums that I use my real name on. Mostly I am known as roadkillontheweb

I guess I will get a few more personal emails now?

[Don Coatney]

Without the quotation marks I got over 40,000 hits.

[D25_Steve]

I guess I will get a few more personal emails now?

As far as I know, it doesn't publish your email.