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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

sharing personal information on MN

69 replies

StealthPolarBear · 08/10/2010 17:46

Brought up by another thread but this isn't a thread about a thread.

How much is it up to us to share (or not) our personal info on MN? Should MN be protecting us from ourselves?

OP posts:
LoveBeingInvitedToTheVIPSale · 08/10/2010 18:31

pmsl @ getting het up, but dont agree re the friends on fb thing pretty certain they didnt agree to be put on mn.

pluperfect · 08/10/2010 18:43

Oh, Stealth, I put my hand over the address when I'm queuing in the Post Office! Blush

vbusymum1 · 08/10/2010 18:45

lovebeing that's my concern really, I wouldn't be happy if one of my friends posted their page on a forum.

I'm a naturally private person but I do understand that others are happy to live their lives in public but I don't want them to assume that I do too.

Not everyone is aware of the possible dangers and don't realise the consequences of being on FB and similar.

verytellytubby · 08/10/2010 18:51

I really want to have a rant about my family but I'm convinced somehow they will find this forum and read it!

I put out what I don't mind sharing with the www. I wouldn't link to my FB but if I made friends on here I would add them.

Hassled · 08/10/2010 18:56

I have no idea what you're talking about, but tend to start threads (when I do) in Chat, quite deliberately, so they won't exist forever.

People just need to be sensible - piece my existing posts over the last 4 years together and you can probably find out more about me than I actually want you to know, and certainly enough to confirm my identity if you happen to know me in RL, but the chance of that happening are pretty damn slim.

NoahAndTheWhale · 08/10/2010 18:57

I made a mistake in sharing too much information about a situation I was in and when someone in RL googled (as she was also in same situation) the thread I started came up. She then looked at my profile and phoned me about it. Was a big reality check for me about what I put on here.

LadyintheRadiator · 08/10/2010 18:57

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MardyBra · 08/10/2010 19:13

I name change regularly and keep one name as my "I don't mind being recognised" name where I don't post anything controversial. Until I got muddled up recently and started an AIBU thread which went into several pages....

LoveBeingInvitedToTheVIPSale · 08/10/2010 19:15

mardybra is this your safe name Grin

MardyBra · 08/10/2010 19:17

Safe so far - I've only been using it since yesterday and haven't disgraced myself yet.

LoveBeingInvitedToTheVIPSale · 08/10/2010 19:19

I'll ask again after the weekend then, btw love it!

MardyBra · 08/10/2010 19:22

Blush why thank you!

FallingWithStyle · 08/10/2010 19:24

Lovebeing - people on friends lists haven't agreed to be linked to on mn, no. (though technically they haven't been linked to) but if your stuff is visible ...its visible. Whether one of your friends has made their page paticularly public or friends of friends of friends are all looking at each others lists.
All it comes down to is your own privacy settings - the option is there to not show up. Its up to the individual to select the settings they are comfortable with.

ChippingIn · 08/10/2010 23:56

Stealth - why would you do that with envelopes? It's not anything that isn't freely available in the phone book? Confused

scottishmummy · 09/10/2010 00:00

no mnhq shouldn't protect you-need be savvy.be aware this all visible and accessible and reproducible.cant abdicate responsibility to mnhq shoulda/woulda/coulda looked after you

StealthPolarBear · 09/10/2010 07:23

Well exactly sm - but apparently MNHQ are protecting us from ourselves, and that is what this thread is about!
Not sure CI! I suppose I just think that it's not my address to be careless with (although it's fairly careless leaving them in the car too!). I can just imagine the situation "OK the woman in front of me has got a parcel with "D. Irvine, 1 High Street, Sometown" on it - I must go and burgle them!" :o

OP posts:
frasersmummy · 09/10/2010 07:47

I would never leave a parcel on the seat of the car...paranoid that someone will think its valuable and break into my car..

sorry I know its off topic

RustyBear · 09/10/2010 08:11

Stealth - if you leave a parcel in your car, you shouldn't really leave it visible at all, in case someone breaks the window to get it - the annoyance & cost of that would probably be more than the value of the parcel.

I went to a conference on safeguarding children the other day, there was a guy from CEOP there who showed how easy it was to track down a child who put too much information on a social networking site, especially if they mention a school - very easy to go on Google street view and take a look round an area, then they can start talking to the child about it "yeah, I go to the school down the road, hang out at the chippie on Friday nights...." - makes it much easier to gain their confidence.

Children should only put nicknames online, age is OK, but not where they go to school or live, hobbies are OK, but not where & when they go to do them, or what they are doing at the weekend (if I put 'see you at the Forbury Saturday' you could find out which area I live in with a couple of clicks and if you have my photo, bingo!)

And another scary thing - more and more photos found on sex offenders' computers are self generated - those 'sexy' poses that 1 in 4 14 year olds have sent to a friend....

I'm pretty open on MN under this name, it wouldn't be difficult for anyone to find out who I am, but that doesn't bother me because I don't post anything I wouldn't like anyone to know.

StealthPolarBear · 09/10/2010 08:28

Oh I know. I really onyl do it in the work car park

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