Why are people not more careful revealing details online?

[Pirate009]

My AIBU is to not understand why people reveal so many details online such as address etc on social media? Is it just me that finds it a bit scary?

This stemmed from me watching a documentary of a famous crime case. I promise I’m not a weirdo but I looked the person up on Google and it revealed they were married, the married name so I had a nosey on Facebook. It’s quite a notorious case involving a young child and this person was found guilty. Anyway found them (it’s a distinct surname and Google had revealed their occupation, again distinct and something community lead so I could see it advertised on Facebook) and scrolled down. There was a post about a free item with a picture of their drive with said item and the address for anyone to collect with it saying it’s outside our house. WTAF!! Clearly I just went down a rabbit hole and I promise I am not a weirdo and it was the matter of a minute or two and I was there. Not sure why this person would want to be so identifiable.

For that particular person I find it mind blowing they have this footprint but then I thought about the usual general public that don’t have a notorious crime against their name and what I see scrolling through Facebook and cannot understand why people advertise things such as going on holiday (house empty) children schools and all sorts. Made me check how locked down my footprint was to be honest.

I know. A friend posts lots about her kids on public insta account.

Anyone looking at it will have

• their full names, including middle names

• their dates of birth
• details of medical conditions they have
• plus could also likely figure out the address easily from 2 or 3 bits of information together (distinctive photos of the location, photos of kids in front of front door showing the number of the house, references to the town they live in).

Its crazy.

I think many people just don't care, but I agree with you.

I've looked up lots of people from various articles and documentaries before and it's so bizarre to me that they're quite happy to have their entire life online like that!

Agree, my SM isn't even in my real name.
I often see police officers identifying themselves with the blue line icon as their profile image and think Why?

If it’s Louise Woodward, she runs a dance school. I suppose the length of time perhaps shows that most people have moved on.

It’s so crazy. I was wondering if I was being OTT. I would say I’m normal and I was quickly looking at the house on Rightmove 🙈 it’s just so easy to click and then I stopped and thought what am I even doing.

I do see on instagram some ‘influencers’ with massive followings being really open about their children. I find it a bit unnerving to be honest and seedy that they seem happy to flog their children for money in engagement and ads.

Also given this case it back out there and a recent doc on it I would of thought the person in questions would maybe come off social media for a bit. Very strange. I suppose they must live a really normal life and that fear factor isn’t present. I know I would always been concerned for myself and children or any backlash even small given my history of it was me.

If you are a company director it's very difficult for your home address not to be in the public domain.

People are so gullible! Name an animal name without a A queue 10,000 people on Facebook sharing their pet name. I was a carmichael before I was a green what about you... please share mothers maiden name. What was your first car?

And Lidl is giving away 10 x £100 shops just share this post from a completely unrelated page to enter. My in laws are awful for this.

@BringYourOwnBoris

Agree, my SM isn't even in my real name. I often see police officers identifying themselves with the blue line icon as their profile image and think Why?

The Blue Line isn't to identify themselves as a police officer. It's usually put on a profile pic temporarily if a cop is killed or badly injured. It's a sign of support & I've seen it on profiles of people who have no police connections. Anyone can use it.

A girl I know just put every single date her and her family were away this year. Like 27-30th June- holiday. Why would you tell people the exact time you're away and back, In advance too! She's put about 6 dates up 🤦🏽‍♀️

The big issue for me and I see it everyday, is a complete lack of thought from parents about their kids. Most are so keen to post about their kids on Facebook/social media from the moment they even get scan pictures. Every single day.

You could build a full profile of most people's kids, including all the security questions they need in the future. Where and when they are born, fun pics of their first pet, posts of first school they attended and which school (usually name of it on their uniforms pictures), first best friend's name, where they live and grew up. It goes on and on all useful information for a hacker or to gather for Identity theft layer in life all from their parents posts they can never remove themselves.As parents share photos and posts of their kids every single day.

Oh & the Fire Service use a red line & Ambulance service use a green one

I don't get why people do this either. Especially the advertising when you are going to be away idiocy. It's like saying here's my empty house, come on round.

I usually avoid signing into places with Facebook for this reason, as it certainly used to put up a notice about where you had just signed in from.

Thinking about it a friend on facebooks husband has a holiday calendar. Due to him tagging her I see it (they go away a lot) so again that’s information and dates being shared. It’s so strange.

On the subject on children I wonder if I’m the future when they become adult age there will be a spate of law suits on this, even for earnings etc for those that due use their children to earn from. It’s a minefield and if I could do it in minutes imagine what the professional could find.

I wonder what Michael Macintyre's kids will think when they are older. He often talks about them in his shows.

I give away too much. And I forget that people are watching. On MN there are people who know me from when I was working - not always friends! I name-change but give myself away with my writing style, attitudes and telling the same stories over and over. I take a break sometimes but usually wander back.

I recognised a regular long-time mner who lives over the hill from me, and identified a woman and the school where she taught from her posts on a single thread - I let her know so she could remove it.

If you are a company director it's very difficult for your home address not to be in the public domain.

No, it's not. You can list the company's registered office address as your address for communications, this is standard.

I post on Facebook for friends and family only. People who know me will already know stuff like where I live, what my pets are called, etc. You can’t keep everything secret. But I don’t post about days out or holidays until I get home, and I don’t answer questions that are fishing for private info. On public platforms such as Instagram I don’t reveal anything personal and don’t post my kids faces or any info.

Agree you cannot keep everything secret and those people will know that. However the point of this is those that have the information open to complete strangers. My original example was from someone well known who killed a baby. So in that example given the history to reveal your address and offer people to come to your house on social media to collect things is very strange, especially when you have children yourself.

I haven’t noticed users on here but I suppose you could do and in fact I have thought sometimes when it’s been a similar situation I know about I wonder if it’s them. I think I’m actually quite nosey on reflection!