They're Stealin' Mah Privacy!

[Seil]

So I passed my PN assessment test yesterday and put up a Facebook status saying

Since I've just passed my PN Assessment test - that's passed with a "P" - I will now go out for some medicinal alcohol.

I was the cautioned against guarding that particular information in case it was discovered by a future employer in the medical field.

And I was looking at this and thinking (http://www.cracked.com/article_18531_5-guilty-pleasures-web-killed-while-you-werent-looking.html), "Man. Maybe they're right."

[EVILNess]

Do. Not. Use. Facebook.

[Viridis]

I have one but put nothing on it. Purely as thing to watch friends.

[Green Spanner]

I have one but put nothing on it. Purely as thing to watch friends.

Same here. You put all your personal information on there and you're just asking for trouble.

And/or police.

[Geminex]

I've always thought that George Orwell didn't go far enough. He envisioned a society where every individual's speech and actions would be forcibly monitored. Whereas we're living in a society where a significant proportion of individuals freely, voluntarily! divulge not only actions, but thoughts and opinions, publicly, for everyone to see, motivated by a simple illusion of privacy.

Yeah, I usually try to take care with what I post on the internet. I don't think I'm paranoid, but unless it's somewhere that third parties can't access, or are very unlikely to look, I'm not telling you about myself.

[Rejected Again]

I use mine for firing insults at people. No joke here, I have one that I accepted everyone that I hate on, and just post about how they are all total fucks.

[BitVyper]

Man, I signed up for Facebook so I could look at some friends' photos. Used a fake name, never put anything on my page, and I still got friend requests from a bunch of people presumably because I used my real email. As a result, I got far far away from FB and went back to using dummy emails to sign up for things.

[Geminex]

And I just want to say how incredibly disappointed I am that the thread title isn't "Spy sappin' mah Privacy!" It would have acutally fit!
SO DISAPPOINTED.

[Professor Smarmiarty]

Are you dudes that interesting that you think lots of people are just hunting for information on you?

[bluestarultor]

Are you dudes that interesting that you think lots of people are just hunting for information on you?

In America, one of the most basic background check tactics is to throw the person's name into Google. I have to say it works scarily well. All I have is a Twitter, but plugging in "joseph bauer programmer" puts me on the first page.

[Green Spanner]

Are you dudes that interesting that you think lots of people are just hunting for information on you?

Not while I have my tinfoil hat on.

[The Artist Formerly Known as Hawk]

Doesn't facebook have privacy setting anyway? So that only people on your friends lists can see what you've posted? So how can anyone find out anything about you if they can't see your personal page?


Are you dudes that interesting that you think lots of people are just hunting for information on you?

Also this. I mean unless you're posting up bank account/social security/national insurance numbers, your general banking and online purchase information, email, phone numbers and your home address then what's the problem?

Or am I just being naive and missing the point entirely?

[Viridis]

Doesn't facebook have privacy setting anyway? So that only people on your friends lists can see what you've posted? So how can anyone find out anything about you if they can't see your personal page?You mean these 170 options (http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/05/12/business/facebook-privacy.html)? Which Facebook changes back to the default (fairly open) settings every time they update?

It's a little more invasive than that. You've see the 'Like' button on sites like Cracked? Even if you don't click it, Facebook knows you were there. Cracked got onto my list of applications without me doing anything. So, to a degree, Facebook knows where you go. And they are more than willing to share this info along with more (http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/05/latest-facebook-blunder-secret-data-sharing-with-advertisers.ars?utm_source=microblogging&utm_medium=arstch&utm_term=Main%20Account&utm_campaign=microblogging).

[bluestarultor]

Doesn't facebook have privacy setting anyway? So that only people on your friends lists can see what you've posted? So how can anyone find out anything about you if they can't see your personal page?



Also this. I mean unless you're posting up bank account/social security/national insurance numbers, your general banking and online purchase information, email, phone numbers and your home address then what's the problem?

Or am I just being naive and missing the point entirely?

If someone can get your name, location, and birth date, they can find out a lot of other information about you, actually.

Currently searching for the article I read. I'll post a link in an edit.

Edit: Not the one I was thinking of, but it'll work: http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/109538/7-things-to-stop-doing-now-on-facebook

[BitVyper]

Are you dudes that interesting that you think lots of people are just hunting for information on you?

Facebook stuff has been used by the corporation I work for in arbitration against employees. So yes.

Anyway your point would work if looking up this kind of information was difficult enough that only someone with significant interest in you would be able to or want to find it, or only someone interesting/popular/famous would be worth looking up. This is not the case. It takes like two seconds and no effort. You can do it out of sheer boredom.

Edit: Also I hear identity theft is big these days.

[Ryanderman]

You can lock down your facebook privacy settings to the point where your profile won't show up on a Google search, or a search within Facebook if you want. The only thing Facebook's guilty of, as far as I can tell, is not making those privacy settings default. But they're easy enough to change.

[stabbity death]

The problem isn't Facebook. The problem is people willfully revealing things on the internet, regardless of whether they believe it's secure.

I have one, as secure as I want it to be, and still, I don't post anything on it that is likely to ever cause me grief in the future. I have an especially strict personal policy of never adding anyone with whom I work. I've known several people who do this, and worse, add bosses, and then end up in hot water when their 'sick' days turn out to be somewhat more eventful than is reasonably expected.

Maybe I have some of that mostly benign data going towards Facebook's advertisers, but honestly, that has never been much of a bother to me. Most of these sites don't charge for use, and they do have to finance themselves somehow. If someone wants to pay Facebook so they can direct ads to me based upon the relatively benign things I say, more power to them. Chrome blocks all the ads via extensions anyway, so no tug on my nuts. ;D

[Osterbaum]

The problem is a world where you can't reveal stuff about yourself (publicly or privately) without being afraid of not being accepted or being profiled or whatever. That's why I post what-the-hell-ever-I-want and more as big 'fuck you' to everyone who it might piss off or annoy etc.

EDIT: I don't mean that I actively try to offend people or anything, simply that not being able to be open about every little thing I feel like sharing with whoever I want to is one of the few things that truly pisses me off. A possible employer checks my facebook and finds something that makes them reconsider hiring me? As long as it's not a criminal offense what I've done; fuck them, I don't wanna work for them in that case.

[Meister]

The problem isn't Facebook. The problem is people willfully revealing things on the internet, regardless of whether they believe it's secure.
I dunno, I think there's a point to be made that different datasets about one person that's stored by many different sites on many different servers isn't quite as potentially bad as having it all in one place.

[Kyanbu The Legend]

In America, one of the most basic background check tactics is to throw the person's name into Google. I have to say it works scarily well. All I have is a Twitter, but plugging in "joseph bauer programmer" puts me on the first page.

Google is always watching us. And they know what you do with your free time.

Joke aside, I was thinking of going on Face book...

And changed my mind after reading this. As the whole, we know everything about you thing is a bit creepy.

[Yrcrazypa]

I'm proud to say that looking up my name shows up nothing, except that I graduated from Basic Training.

[Mondt]

I think I'm good.

I share a name with one of Drew Barrymore's characters.

[Fenris]

I'm also good as well- I have the world's most common name, it seems.

[Green Spanner]

My name gets results, unfortunately.

Maaaaaaaan.

[Ecks]

Mine doesn't give out too many results, but I did bump into something that I didn't like being public.

Fuck AOL/AIM.

[BloodyMage]

On the first four pages:

My facebook page
A comment I left on SplitReason
My name on the speedgamers donation list
My name on my high school website

So overall, I got results, but nothing that should royally screw me over.

[P-Sleazy]

Apperently, when you look up "Pawel Glab" you get a bunch of dudes in Poland who AREN'T me. However, add in "accounting" to the end of it and you get a bunch of articles about things I've done in newspapers and my participation in Discovery day before going back showing you people in Poland with my name.

I'm very disappointed in Google on its ability to allow people to stalk me.

[Professor Smarmiarty]

According to the internet I have many years of experience as a bike frame builder. Maybe I should go apply for some jobs in that field.

[Azisien]

Hmm let's see, of the 10 results on the first page of Google, I apply to like 6 of them. However, apparently a newborn with my exact name has a blog!

[Sithdarth]

Only result that actually comes up as me is my Facebook page. I am apparently Google anonymous.

[Donomni]

Just my first name: Nothing at all related to me.

My last name included pulled up a lot of things, including my DA account and the fact I posted in the Introduction thread once, which is a fact that slipped my mind.

[Krylo]

I am the most internet invisible of all of you.

First name: Nothing.

First + Last: Nothing

First + Last + City + State: My highschool, and a single 'people finding' site.

[Julford Hajime]

Considering even your NAME is invisible, I'mma agree with you, Krylo. And yes, I did highlight your name to double-check who you were :P

As for myself, I show up along with some other dude with the same name in Omaha. My Facebook, a couple forums, etc. Nothing potentially dangerous in the future, because I'm *gasp* smart enough to not say anything current/future employers can use via hunting me down!

I don't know what the hell you guys would type up on Twitter/Facebook, but, y'know, stop being retarded. Facebook is a useful networking tool and all, but you need to remember it's not anonymous >.>

[Wigmund]

My name on Google pulls up everyone but me, including some putz in Cincinnati who's in marketing.

As for people stealing my information, I've already had that happen to me. Luckily the fucker hadn't charged anything on most of them, and the one he did use had actually tried to contact me at my parents to say they were holding him accountable for the shit. Now, I'm too poor to steal from and the only time I have money is when college loans show up and the bank's good about watching out for weird charges and drafts to accounts people have there...also I've avoided taking out any credit cards since then since I don't trust myself more than I fear someone else using them.

[Si Civa]

There's an article in Wikipedia about guy who has same name as I do. I'm kinda hard to find in Google partly because that I guess. Then there's 56 persons in facebook that share my name. So like good luck trying to find me I guess. (Especially because you don't know my name, I think)

And while my first name is like the most common name in Finland (it's statistical mistake that it's not listed as the most common) I wouldn't feel so annoyed about my name if couple people didn't share my middle name also. Some parents just have this great imagination you know.

[Nikose Tyris]

My name is William MacNeil.

I'm still digging in google for the 'right' me to turn up.

[Karrrrrrrrrrrresche]

Even including my middle name, the state I live in, and the town I live in; I get nothing.

[Osterbaum]

I get links to other peoples facebook profiles (friends lists, I guess) and the Student Union where I participate in stuff. Nothing much else. Two articles in which I am mentioned by name and an old reference to the youth council of my home town of that time.

[Tev]

Asking Google about myself yields the following information in this order:
-I won some diamonds from a jeweler. (They have a Facebook page!)
-I'm part of a Steampunk organization.
-My DCI ranking as well as my Lifetime Point Rankings from Wizards of the Coast.

[A Zarkin' Frood]

I share a name with a famous director/actor.
My name plus hometown will bring you a post I once made on some forum. In that post I said I liked a film by that guy and my hometown is visible in my profile. Haven't posted there in years.

[stabbity death]

My first name is very common and my last name is a short, common word in the English language.

Good luck.

[Professor Smarmiarty]

I hereby dub you Fred Fucks!

[Seil]

OH GOD BECOMING A HERMIT NOW KTHXBAI (http://www.cracked.com/article_18532_5-terrifying-ways-your-own-gadgets-can-be-used-to-spy-you.html)

[Jagos]

Here's what's funny...

I got a request (Facebook) by some random girl who says she lives in Waco.

Go to look at her profile and there's nothing behind it. No message, just a friend request. And her friends are in Italy and Pakistan.

GEE, I WONDER WHY YOU PICKED ME?

*deleted*

And I even heard stories about how cops are using fake profiles to bust teens on underage drinking.

[Seil]

Did you, by any chance, hear these stories from the first Cracked link I posted at the beginning of this thread?

[Jagos]

It happened two weeks ago? I may have been influenced. Curse you, Seil! You've made me a paranoid bastard with your constant linking!

Though that's not much different than I was before

[PsychicKid]

According to Google, I'm dead.

[Seil]

Everyone Googling themselves makes me think of Wanted. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MX7UxsjYg5g&feature=related)

[Aeria]

You can lock down your facebook privacy settings to the point where your profile won't show up on a Google search, or a search within Facebook if you want. The only thing Facebook's guilty of, as far as I can tell, is not making those privacy settings default. But they're easy enough to change.

Exactly this. This is what I was going to say, except that it was already said. I've tried my best to find myself on google (and on facebook searches), and I do not exist, because I know how to set my privacy settings.

Really, anybody who gets into trouble because of facebook deserves what they get.

[Magic_Marker]

I hereby dub you Fred Fucks!

Hey, POS how much do I need to pay you for a name change?

[synkr0nized]

You'd have to pay an admin.

[Magic_Marker]

NPF: Where we tell you who to bribe rather than telling you not to.

[Wizardcat]

I am the most internet invisible of all of you.

First name: Nothing.

First + Last: Nothing

First + Last + City + State: My highschool, and a single 'people finding' site.
I beat that: abso-fucking-lutely nothing. :dance:

Might be because I make it a rule to never use my real name on the interwebz. I think only three people on them even know just my first name.

[Krylo]

I beat that: abso-fucking-lutely nothing. :dance:

Might be because I make it a rule to never use my real name on the interwebz. I think only three people on them even know just my first name.

Yeah, that doesn't help when your high school has a web page.

And those people finding sites use public government records, and then build a database they put online. So if you have a phone number, own a home, file taxes, or have a license, you should show up on them.

[Wizardcat]

Yeah, that doesn't help when your high school has a web page.
They don't.

And those people finding sites use public government records, and then build a database they put online. So if you have a phone number, own a home, file taxes, or have a license, you should show up on them.
I don't (don't like phones), I don't, I don't, and I don't (terrified of driving).

I'll probably show up in the future, of course, but I'm good for now.

[krogothwolf]

There's a lot of people with my name, hell my stupid facebook thingy my wife created for me doesn't even show up when I search my full name, province, city, college.

I feel so invisible :(

[Rejected Again]

I found out that:
I am a former Secretary of State of Mississippi
Have my own web site dedicated to my travel photos
Can apparently play Jazz violin.
And 2 people live within 40 miles of my home that have the same exact name (First/last).

I am a ninja.

[RickZarber]

Interesting.

My real name (first, last, and middle) fail to produce anything on Google (plenty of hits, but none who are me, that is). Neither do adding my hometown, workplace, or birth date bring me up.

Only my screen name gets results.

Conclusion: RickZarber is a more interesting persona than my real name.

[PhoenixFlame]

Are you dudes that interesting that you think lots of people are just hunting for information on you?

It's not that they are, but that anyone, anywhere can on a whim. It only takes one person to ruin your whole life, given the right situation.

A concept known as Sousurveillance, and something that can yield disturbingly accurate information with the simplest of tools.

[ThatPoorMessenger]

Well, Seil, you have officially scared me. And I sat through some of teh worst the internet has to offer without flinching.
Luckily, I have a name held by enough famous people to be hidden in the recesses of the internet...Unless I do something with my life that makes me noticable.

[Krylo]

Well, Seil, you have officially scared me. And I sat through some of teh worst the internet has to offer without flinching.
Luckily, I have a name held by enough famous people to be hidden in the recesses of the internet...Unless I do something with my life that makes me noticable.

You've signed up here. You're now noticed.

It's a little known fact that the NPF actually contains many of the world's premier political and scientific minds, as well as members of the ever present glitterati. I present an example (http://www.nuklearforums.com/member.php?u=45480).

He's been a bit busy with economic crises, health care, and foreign affairs to log on recently, however.

[ThatPoorMessenger]

You've signed up here. You're now noticed.Damn.
It's a little known fact that the NPF actually contains many of the world's premier political and scientific minds, as well as members of the ever present glitterati. I present an example.Interesting, however, what are glitterati, apart from the campest sounding mafia I have ever encountered?

[Krylo]

Important people. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glitterati)

[Magic_Marker]

Like the wikipedia article says, we basically sit around wearing rainbow suits while discussing the symbolism in the Canterbury Tales.

[Meister]

the ever present glitterati
I like to imagine they named it after our username markup for nuklearpower artists.

[Seil]

Powerful people. (http://www.nuklearforums.com/member.php?u=25036)