I am deeply suspicious of the number of threads asking for personal details.

[KickAssAngel]

Over the last few weeks I've noticed several threads asking people for information which does it in a kind of 'just getting to know you' sort of way, but does mean that people are giving out personal information.

A while ago there was one asking people if their friends' names were typical of the dates they grew up - so people were inadvertently giving out enough info to narrow down date of birth to within a year or two, and potentially their best friend's name, a common security question.

there have been ones about middle names, and just various ones along the lines of 'AIBU to ask you what your favorite TV programme was as a child?"

In fact - all the kind of info that people use for their security questions for banks etc.

Yes, I could alert MNHQ to each of them, but that wouldn't get the word across to everyone that there seems to be a lot of digging going on right now, so be careful what info you share online.

MN is NOT a cosy little club full of trusted members who know each other. The questions may be a genuine person wanting to chat, or they could be a cunning plot to get info about people and start working out the answers to their security questions.

And if any/all of them are from genuine people just wanting to chat and get to know others - I apologize for my cynical stance, but even if the OP is genuine, people reading the answers may not be.

Is it possible to also search the LR just using the owner's name and the county/area the house is in, in order to find the exact address?

God I'm nervous now! My best friend identified me in seconds on a post on here and I just thought it was funny but I guess it wouldn't have been if it had been someone else. My real name is very unique so I think I will nc a lot (will after posting this).

I posted the other day about a guy I met online who turned out to be cheating - thing is he had his real name and his photo in his profile. When he told me where he worked I found him in seconds - he was gonsmacked! I was like, really?

Oh no was that too identifying?! I have only posted a couple of times, think I may go back to just lurking!

YANBU.

However, I only answer ones I don't have security questions of

I name change frequently. I lie habitually about my RL circumstances. If anyone did a search they would think I had multiple personalities.

I dont FB or Twitter. You may as well pap yourself. Agree dont't write anything you wouldn't be prepared to wear on a tshirt.

I lost my first email account to hackers, it caused enormous problems. I am very wary about my digital footprint. I do genuinely believe as pp have said that some weirdos do keep spreadsheets.

I change details of things i post. For instance sex and age of child/children, where/when i go on holiday. Dont do Facebook or any other social media.
I'm astonished the amount of information people are prepared to reveal on an internet forum.
The sex thread is just yuck. It's obvious;y population by attention seeking women and creepy men.

Must name change sometime when i learn how to do it

I name changed after Jeffrey (it was Jeffrey wasn't it? Not Jeremy) but haven't since.

I always feel that as I don't ever post anything that I wouldn't be happy to state in public, that it doesn't really matter if I'm identifiable. But maybe I'm naive.

The worst thing about those threads (which I never post because I wouldn't state my salary in public, or how much I have saved) is that they're so bloody boring.

I'm amazed people want to state line of work, salary, savings etc.

People often give away far too much without even being asked.

I used a rather poster(who hasn't been around for a while) as an example to my dds of what NOT to put on the Internet.

I told them how she'd posted what she worked as and the location, where she lived, where her DC went to school, where her H worked, I could go on....I then did a bit of googling and got her name and address and place of work, with a photo of her in their website!

Very very scary and a very valuable lesson for my DC.

I will add his person has since had all her posts deleted so she is now safe!

I've decided to really ramp up my lying on those threads from now on. Instead of just saying I'm a shop assistant or an accounts clerk which I am not I am going to be a brain surgeon or an equine vet or an actress who is famous and has won a BAFTA.

And I won't pretend to live in Chertsey or Ipswich, I'm going to say I have a penthouse apartment opposite Hyde Park or a croft in the Outer Hebrides where I draw my water from a well and weave clothes from my own sheep.

I am going to have nine children. I had the first one when I was 14 and the last one when I was 49. I have been married and divorced 4 times and am currently in a polyamorous set up.

And my name won't be Janet it will be Scheherazade or Bathsheba or Doris.

And if people ask what tattoos or piercings I have I'll say I am covered from head to foot including my inner fanjo bits and that DH has a Prince Albert.

Either I will have 2.5 several million in the bank or I will say I need someone to send me a quid for my meter.

I might start to be African American as well. Or maybe from Hungary. Then everyone can marvel at how brilliant my English is.

And I quite fancy an OBE.

Ah yes, the regal poster-girl for what not to publicise on the internet.

"Oh I don't mind telling you all about myself. And my hubby did Dishonest Thing that could really affect his reputation and business if it got out!"

Glad for her she got everything pulled and namechanged. She could be recognised by style for sometime after, but I haven't spotted her recently.

A poster once really barracked me for posting something and said I was so easily identifiable from the info I'd given. Except of course all the info I've ever put on here is similar to but never the absolute truth.

who hasn't been around for a while

She has though

CoYo, I don't know. I use the free site to research recent house prices at sale (as opposed to estate agent listing!) in areas we like and that doesn't show names of the owners. No doubt there are paid for tools that show more info that many people can access!

Trills, I wouldn't worry about Sara. She also likes pampas grass and waterfall cardigans, so she's no better than she ought to be

I thought the what profession are you in was a bit outing. Also, loads of threads have ended up in the Daily Mail lately, so it would be pretty awful, even if all of these threads are genuine, if the DM could use it to find out the RL ID of Poster123, an accountant from Middlesex, whose DH is into naked uni cycling to get him in the mood or whatever and who pissed the bed last night when he got in from a works do in his Civil Service job...

I guess this is a TAAT or a PAAT.

Maise that's great, hope she's decided to be rather more discreet!

Yes I saw the thread about much have you got in your bank, I was like , that is personal and rude. Of course you don't gave to respond, I did not. Tgere was another one, about how much you earn.

Basically, you shouldn't say anything on here (or FB) that you wouldn't be happy to have used in a headline in the DM, or any other national newspaper.

There are 1.5 million unique users on MN every month.

We know that there are journalists who use the info and that it is pretty easy for people in RL to see something there then know what you've said.

We know that there are hackers who target MN.

It really doesn't take a lot of computer knowledge to run a program which just gathers all the information, and as soon as a certain number of links are made, a human being starts going through making enough connections to get what they need.

The thing protecting most of us is that there are so many billion people on the planet and a relatively small number who set out to 'get us'. Mostly, it's someone else's turn to be on the receiving end, but sometimes it isn't.

I'm 100% certain that people could find out my RL name and address pretty quickly. I try to make sure that I don't say anything I wouldn't say if being interviewed by the press, but I know that often I can be tired/upset/been drinking and therefore my judgement slips.

Personally - imagine you're being interviewed (by Mariella Frostrup) for national TV. Then keep your comments to those kind of safe topics you'd mention on there.

This thread is making me wonder whether I should become a regular name changer. But I've been Mardy for years now and would feel odd.

I do have another name which I use for identifiable stuff. And try not to give away too many identifiable details with this name. If someone's sussed me please let me know.