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PSA! Please don't post "harmless" tiny clues of your ID or location!!!

kenny

kenny

Super_Ideal_Rock
Premium
Joined
Apr 30, 2005
Messages
33,770
I am super cautious about privacy and security on the Internet.
I've never downloaded a single app onto my phone.
I'm not on any social media that requires agreeing to their terms and agreement, which probably always gets permission to spy on you and sell everything you post.

I've spent a month struggling whether or not to post this because what I've proven to myself is upsetting.

I'm not a crook, but was curious about this topic so I did a test.
I challenged myself to do what hackers do, solve the puzzle of someone's personal info.
I'm amazed and disturbed that I did it.
I now know the full home address of a member here.
I didn't use the dark web, or any illicit resource, only the member's posts.

Of course I'd never reveal what I've learned, or that member's screen name.
The knowledge will die when I do.
That person is 100000% safe.
I just want to use this lesson to make us all safer.

I'm sorry what I'm posting is disturbing.
I'm only posting it to emphasize how easy it is to put together several seemly-worthless pieces of a puzzle.

I learned about this puzzle-solving aspect of security 50 years ago when I getting my top security clearance for my 6 years of active duty in the US military.
One puzzle piece may seem harmless.
But if a bad person wants to, they can patiently collect and assemble many pieces over time.

FWIW I've already reported this post to Ella, which seemed appropriate.

Please be careful, y'allz. :wavey:
 
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Can you PM the person to let them know?? This stuff scares the s@$& out of me so thanks for the heads up
 
Omg we’ve all been able to figure out who’s who for ****ing years. This isn’t new. Is this your first day on the internet Kenneth?
 
monarch64 said:
Omg we’ve all been able to figure out who’s who for ****ing years. This isn’t new. Is this your first day on the internet Kenneth?
Click to expand...

PS has no PM feature.
Also, only PMing that person would not help anyone in the community.
This thread might.
 
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I'm sorry you two but that exchange between you two above was funny. :lol-2:

On a more serious note, I recall someone on here years ago whose house was robbed when she went out of town and they cleared out her expensive jewelry collection. If I recall correctly, she thought it was due to her posts here and she stopped posting. Or maybe it was actually on a different luxury-ish type forum, come to think of it. Either way, it definitely pays to be careful!
 
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I know it's me, I've dropped geographic hints such as "north of Karl" and "Cheesehead."
And the possums on the front step, they're all microchipped of course and kenny's NASA equipment can read them.
This might be my 15 minutes (another clue - guess my age).
 
kenny said:
I am super cautious about privacy and security on the Internet.
I've never downloaded a single app onto my phone.
I'm not on any social media that requires agreeing to their terms and agreement, which probably always gets permission to spy on you and sell everything you post.
Click to expand...

That's good but it won't save your info from being hacked if any of your medical records are electronic or if you've purchased anything on line or if the DMV is hacked....

I remember when AllyT posted enough info about her new house early on that made it easy to find and that was scary. Caution is always a good practice but I also know that there's currently no way to keep electronic information safe.

I can't remember what info was required to become a member here and it could be a source for privacy issues if this site is ever hacked.
 
Matata said:
That's good but it won't save your info from being hacked if any of your medical records are electronic or if you've purchased anything on line or if the DMV is hacked....

I remember when AllyT posted enough info about her new house early on that made it easy to find and that was scary. Caution is always a good practice but I also know that there's currently no way to keep electronic information safe.

I can't remember what info was required to become a member here and it could be a source for privacy issues if this site is ever hacked.
Click to expand...

True.
Hence, two choices:

1. Because avoiding all risk is impossible, just give up and don't worry about taking more risks.

2. When possible, lower the odds by taking fewer risks.
IOW, avoid taking risks that are optional.

I choose #2.
But sure, people vary.
Some (zillions actually) choose #1 given how many folks automatically and thoughtlessly participate in all the personal-info-revealing & stealing technology.
 
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One thing I've noticed is the young ones seem to me far less worried about online anonymity and such than my/our generation. Not sure what that means, if anything.

Anyone else notice that? I don't like my posts endlessly sticking around at all. I'd rather delete them all after a thread seems no longer of interest.
 
Thanks for the PSA
 
There are plenty of folk on here and other fora who would be easy to find and it has been that way for years. I’m always surprised how much information people will let slip on what is essentially an open forum. It’s not like the login is particularly protective. I don’t understand the lack of PM ability here though, I know it’s based on security concerns but the other bag related forum has it and people are parading very expensive bags and jewellery there. I wonder if they’ve had any negative experiences.

And @kenny, you might be missing out by not downloading apps, some of mine have been really helpful, not to say life changing.
 
I might be easy to find. I'm sure no one wants to go that route if they know me well enough.
 
kenny, I should apologize, I think I came off as disrespectful while you're doing us a service. I have no idea how you found anyone and I'm such a Luddite I'd never understand how you did it anyway.
But, if you can locate Karl for me I'll give you a hundred dollars. I'd like to show up at his house, with a covered dish of course. (Midwest for casserole.)
 
Thanks for the PSA. I totally believe it. A few weeks ago, I got a notice from PS that someone was attempting to log into my account with an IP address I did not recognize (I looked it up and it was from Texas). So glad I turned on 2FA!

IMG_9391.jpeg

I promptly changed my password, of course.
 
Ibrakeforpossums said:
kenny, I should apologize, I think I came off as disrespectful while you're doing us a service. I have no idea how you found anyone and I'm such a Luddite I'd never understand how you did it anyway.
But, if you can locate Karl for me I'll give you a hundred dollars. I'd like to show up at his house, with a covered dish of course. (Midwest for casserole.)
Click to expand...

Oh, no worries @Ibrakeforpossums .
Your post didn't rub me the wrong way at all
It was funny! :mrgreen:

Maybe it may have seemed otherwise because I didn't click the like button.

I've never agreed with the like buttons and have never used one, here or on any of the other fora I frequent.
I think by now everyone is so accustom to the "like" system that not receiving an expected like can be perceived as negative.
With me, not so. ;))

Like buttons (like when kidnapping the word friend) is yet another tool that Zuck and his buddies at Big Data use to 'innocently' manipulate us into revealing even more about ourselves.
That's worth big bucks to advertisers.
Of course PS isn't making money of their Like button, but I still won't use it.

Years ago PS conducted a poll about adopting the like feature.
I voted against.

I think overall it's best I don't go into detail of the how.
After all, I'd understand if someone felt what I did crossed a creepy line.
(That's a reason I beat everyone to the report button, informing Ella the reason behind the PSA.)

But, as I already posted, all I did was connect personal details that member had posted over time.
 
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Ibrakeforpossums said:
But, if you can locate Karl for me I'll give you a hundred dollars. I'd like to show up at his house, with a covered dish of course. (Midwest for casserole.)
Click to expand...
For a hundred bucks and dinner I'm tempted to post my address! lol
 
Kenny good psa way back in the stone age when I was an ircop on a major network we had a stalker that beat up one of the ircops after he was arrested it turns out he had been outside my house but was too scared of me to do anything.

That said I have met a lot of people in person that I first met online including my Wifey!.
All except for one they have all been awesome! and that one was just as grumpy in person as online so I should have expected it.
I have traveled to 3 states and another country(Wifey!) to meet people that I first met online.
 
Karl_K said:
that one was just as grumpy in person as online so I should have expected it
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You shouldn't talk like that about me behind my back.
 
Appreciate the warning. But how would you know when you've found someone??

I've left some footprints here but I scramble the demographics a bit from time to time. And there would not be much purpose to finding any of us. Yes, we have some jewelry (ooh!) but it's almost trivial to steal tens of thousands of dollars in cash from any of us with info that is already out there for the taking and without anyone having to get their hands dirty. Or just steal a car. It's higher yield to walk around my neighborhood at night looking for unlocked doors than it ever would be to target my house for my spinel dragonfly ring :P2 and then pawn it for a few hundred bucks.

I do wonder how a LLM would roll me up in an executive summary after scraping all my posts. (Surely no human would have the patience -- or stomach -- for that.) "Pedantic coastal misanthrope" comes to mind -- but there has to be more than one of us.
 
Thank you for the PSA, Kenny, I will keep my lips sealed. During happy hour I will be more demure with my evening bling in case anyone of ill repute is watching.

i-saw-what-you-did.jpg
 
LilAlex said:
... But how would you know when you've found someone??
... I do wonder how a LLM would ...
Click to expand...

I'm certain, and to protect the member I won't post details.
You'll have to trust me.

Posting details is not fair to the member as it would just fuel speculation and, stir guessing of the member's ID.
That kind of chatter may make the member feel uncomfortable.
And since their ID is not know, several members may think it's them, making more people uncomfortable.

Not cool! ... so no details.
Also details might help a person with bad intentions.
All this would NOT be where I want this thread to go; I'd have to ask it to be closed.

This PSA thread is an honest attempt to get people to be more careful about posting personal stuff here.
That's all.

BTW, what is an LLM?
 
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asterismdispersion said:
Thank you for the PSA, Kenny, I will keep my lips sealed. During happy hour I will be more demure with my evening bling in case anyone of ill repute is watching. ...
Click to expand...

Yes, of course it's wise to be prudent when wearing bling in public, especially in a bar.
 
There is literally NO WAY to prevent your info from being stolen or used regardless of your unwillingness to use apps or social media. If you post on line, period, if you EXIST ON THIS PLANET, your information is public and there's literally no way to prevent it from being public.
 
ame said:
There is literally NO WAY to prevent your info from being stolen or used regardless of your unwillingness to use apps or social media. If you post on line, period, if you EXIST ON THIS PLANET, your information is public and there's literally no way to prevent it from being public.
Click to expand...

True.
... and seat belts don't eliminate crashes.

But you can make tech choices that reduce the odds of harm.
 
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