to ask thisisanicecage to repeat her experiment on internet insecurity

[Consils]

she looked up the mumsnet history of a random poster and was able to find out names and addresses. I missed the end of the last thread and I am still curious.

And no, I don't do this for work but maybe I should, what are the biscuits like at MI5, do you think?

I just got good at stalking dead people while doing family history; they move slower but it's remarkably similar.

Biscuits are not good Tianc. Already looked at it. I'd also agree with the Family History comment... Its frightening to think how much more data we collect now compared with 100 years ago and how much our descendants will be able to find out about us when privacy limitations/data protection expire.

at dead people moving slower.

Those asking Tianc to do you - have you advance searched yourself and made a list as if you didn't know you?

Snatch I think I've done a pretty decent Google search of myself and found nothing that relates to me, but lots of people with my name.

I think I'm pretty safe. I have a website at work with my real name, plus lots of work related stuff I've written online under real name, and Twitter, which I use for work, under same name. so I try and make sure I don't put anything personal linked to that name as I know hope my peers would be searching my name.

otoh, I have divulged on mn the city I live in, the ages, number and gender of my children, that two of them are twins, that I'm in a cp. if you already knew me irl you could probably spot me on mn. but I don't believe you could go the other way.

hope my firewall is as safe as I think it is!

something scary I found googling some family to have a play at stalking. search Google images for a name. by spotting related pictures you cam link people's accounts on different websites.

I did use to do what Tianc has just done as a job. We had to buy our own biscuits though. And these days I only use my skills for genealogical purposes.

Seriously, be very aware of what you are posting IF you don't want to be found/recognised online. If possible use a different user name for every forum you use. There is so much information available that is in the public domain. Some of it has to be paid for such as electoral roll data, land registry, birth marriage & death info. But it's out there and legally available.

And don't join in on those threads that ask things like 'what were your grandparents called?' or 'what is your aristocrat name? - your DM's first name, plus your street name hyphenated with your DF's first name.' With other info you may have posted it, as Tianc has demonstrated it can be incredibly easy to use that info to find out who you are.

I know not everyone is bothered about being anonymous but if you are please take care.

Wednesday - I meant more on here than via google - on google you are starting with your name and seeing what comes up

So If you post on S&B that you own a beauty parlour and on Pregnancy that you had your DD in St Egberts, Little Snoring and on Baby Names that you love the name Rowan but it rhymes with your surname so you can't use it... Then it's not too hard for me to figure out that you might be something to do with Coen's Spa in Greater Snoring. So even if your spa didn't have a website just a listing in Yell (unlikely, I know), if I knew it as I used to live near there, I might still "know" you.

Ah!! I don't think I've posted that level of detail on here. I think the only things that could give me away would be to people who already know me irl. But I'm probably wrong!!

Fair enough if you want to stay identifiable.

I post so much personal information that I'm easily searchable.
It doesn't bother me.

But i would namechange if i wanted something to be confidential.

Would you please do me?
I'll probably beat your record as the quickest to find

Specifically, can you tell me what my favourite hobby is?

Doctrine has it to a tee - that's exactly how it's done. With lots of help from the threads MrsPogle has highlighted.

I'd be shocked and appalled if you didn't know every single detail of my dd's life. Poor baby.

I would be amazed if you could identify me.

nickel I don't even have to search MN to identify you!

Think I remember a fair bit about MrNickel, too, but weirdly haven't clocked much about BabyNickel - unlike regular readers of your shop website!

Can't remember your fave hobby though...

MrsPogles I am much intrigued by your previous job. But in the spirit of this thread, can't ask you to say more!

Darn!

Have PM'd you Tianc x

I think you could probably find me out because my son has done really odd sports and I have posted about them on Facebook and so few people do them. But I'm hoping that that is the only way people could find us....

(head firmly in sand)

Nickel's hobby must be readkng, surely

If I search my maiden name then you get a few google hits and several less in my maiden name - I have posted a few personal bits on MN and this has been my nn for a year or so but I don't understand how you get a real name from that

I have stalked looked up an old crush on the internet. The amount of information I have found out about him when all I know is his name and where he lived is scary! I tried doing the same for myself and luckily there doesn't seem to be much at all. Although I am not sure about from my MN NN. I haven't changed back to my usual yet as I am on a few threads at the moment but my old one is one I have had for a while. I would be interested to see what ThisIsSNiceCage would find out about me.

My real name is all over the web because of my work, and DH has a web site that we publicise constantly. And because we are both company directors our address is public.
I'm pretty sure that anybody who knows me could work out which poster on a thread was me, but not sure that getting from my posting name to me would be easy.

With name and a bit of history, most people can be found nowadays.

Doctrine
How on earth did you guess that?!