How can i keep my profile private?

[xt21]

Can I hide my profile completely? Or at least my profile available to my accepted friends?

 

Some people are stalking on my geocaching profile, knowing all where i went to in the past. To avoid being tracked further, I stopped entering new logs.

 

I love this game, logging my find is fun, but i want more privacy.

[Pup Patrol]

Can I hide my profile completely? Or at least my profile available to my accepted friends?

 

Some people are stalking on my geocaching profile, knowing all where i went to in the past. To avoid being tracked further, I stopped entering new logs.

 

I love this game, logging my find is fun, but i want more privacy.

 

I've always been baffled as to how knowing where you were in the past could possibly be a threat. How can this qualify as "stalking"? How can someone "track" you by seeing where you were in the past?

 

It's been brought up in the past. There is no way to make your profile completely private.

 

I'm guessing you created this "xt21" account as a sock puppet for posting in the forums, as the account was only created today, and has no caching activity.

 

 

B.

[+T.D.M.22]

Only way to not be seen on the Internet is to not go on the Internet. Now if someone knows the whole story- and I mean the whole story, not just part of it, then someone may be able to help more. That someone is probably Groundspeak. It's their website, so if anyone can help, they can.

[Pup Patrol]

How does one know that there is someone "stalking" their profile? I seriously don't understand what makes someone feel this is happening.

 

 

B.

[xt21]

xt21 is not my main account. I stopped all my main account activities. But i feel sad on I have to stop logging new finds.

 

Until something happened, i was still happily entering finds. But now I would sad i was careless to enter so much information here which is widely available to the public in my main account.

 

Such as Facebook, we have options to set which things to be available to be seen by others. I am hoping have this kind of features.

[Mr.Yuck]

Can I hide my profile completely? Or at least my profile available to my accepted friends?

 

Some people are stalking on my geocaching profile, knowing all where i went to in the past. To avoid being tracked further, I stopped entering new logs.

 

I love this game, logging my find is fun, but i want more privacy.

 

I've always been baffled as to how knowing where you were in the past could possibly be a threat. How can this qualify as "stalking"? How can someone "track" you by seeing where you were in the past?

 

It's been brought up in the past. There is no way to make your profile completely private.

 

 

Yes, it's been brought up in the past (not a lot, but definitely has). I know because this former internet stalking victim posts to the threads almost every time.

 

I was stalked before I even joined Geocaching.com, so nothing to do with that. Where you were in the past? That's what stalkers do, they look up every piece of information available on you from the day you started using the internet, and use it to harass and intimidate you.

 

Yes, there are no privacy settings on this website to speak of (save maybe for your statistics if you're a Premium member), and I doubt it will ever change. The company line seems to be that there's a history behind all Geocaching accounts. They absolutely refuse to delete accounts.

[+cerberus1]

How does one know that there is someone "stalking" their profile? I seriously don't understand what makes someone feel this is happening.

 

 

B.

Not just someone, the OP stated, "some people" which sounds (to me) they're saying there's a few involved.

 

A few people stalking an individual...on a geocaching profile...

- unless there's way more to this story, I find it hard to believe.

[+niraD]

FWIW, there are people who never post Find logs online. Some don't want their finds to be visible to others and post Note logs instead (since others can't search for your Note logs, the way they can search for your Find logs). Some started geocaching before online logs were possible, and just never started logging their finds online.

[+JesandTodd]

You could always keep your logs impersonal and not post any pictures. I can read every log on all my local cachers...still doesn't mean I'll recognize them in line at Target. Or vice versa

 

Or, continue playing the game and not log online

Or, send out your finds with different dates.

 

Or. Stop playing ether game

[+L0ne.R]

FWIW, there are people who never post Find logs online. Some don't want their finds to be visible to others and post Note logs instead (since others can't search for your Note logs, the way they can search for your Find logs). Some started geocaching before online logs were possible, and just never started logging their finds online.

 

Not posting has it's down sides of course, you can't create PQs. You can't do a search and filter out the caches you've already found. If you're premium (and why bother if you aren't going to log finds), you can't give favorite points to caches you would like to recommend to others.

 

Do people who don't log finds use GSAK to figure out what they've found and what they haven't?

[+L0ne.R]

You could always keep your logs impersonal and not post any pictures. I can read every log on all my local cachers...still doesn't mean I'll recognize them in line at Target.

 

After going to a few events I have recognized a few cachers while shopping, working, geocaching etc.

 

One time I bumped into a creepy looking guy while caching. He was caching too. We exchanged trailnames - I recognized the name as a CO with a bit of a control issue, thank gosh I thought to give him a fake trailname. I really didn't want him looking me up. I didn't log my finds that day and when I did, a few days later, I logged a different date. I wish I didn't have to do that, because I like having an accurate record of my finds but I'd rather feel a little safer.

Edited November 30, 2013 by L0ne R

[jholly]

 

Do people who don't log finds use GSAK to figure out what they've found and what they haven't?

 

Yes, or Excel.

[Mr.Yuck]

FWIW, there are people who never post Find logs online. Some don't want their finds to be visible to others and post Note logs instead (since others can't search for your Note logs, the way they can search for your Find logs). Some started geocaching before online logs were possible, and just never started logging their finds online.

 

Not posting has it's down sides of course, you can't create PQs. You can't do a search and filter out the caches you've already found. If you're premium (and why bother if you aren't going to log finds), you can't give favorite points to caches you would like to recommend to others.

 

Do people who don't log finds use GSAK to figure out what they've found and what they haven't?

 

I have heard of people (who need to be premium members, of course), putting them on their ignore list after they find them.

[Mr.Yuck]

You could always keep your logs impersonal and not post any pictures. I can read every log on all my local cachers...still doesn't mean I'll recognize them in line at Target. Or vice versa

 

Or, continue playing the game and not log online

Or, send out your finds with different dates.

 

Or. Stop playing ether game

 

No, do not tell a stalking victim to stop using the internet. As I said before, my two stalkers scoured everything I ever posted to the internet, years before I "met" them, and used it to intimidate and harass me.

 

I said it happened before Geocaching, but lets put a Geocaching twist on it. I would have seen something like this posted to usenet:

 

"So, Mr.Yuck. I see you were in Dayton, Ohio last July. What were you doing there? Who is this [name redacted] guy you mention finding a few caches in the Dayton area with? How do you know him? Do you from the Army? Because we all know you've posted to the Groundspeak forums that you were in the Army Reserve for 22 years. Are you two gay? Because I think you're gay. I'm going to tell your wife you have a gay Army buddy in Dayton."

 

Insert the voice of Hannibal Lector speaking that post, and you get the idea.

[+ecanderson]

@Mr. Yuck

If one doesn't want the world to know that one has been in the Army Reserve, then one shouldn't post anywhere public that one has been in the Army Reserve? Likewise any other information that one could use to tie you to anything specific.

The problem is that people don't think first before posting. Apart from where you've cached, there's no reason that playing the game here at Groundspeak should tie you to anything at ALL. Using the same handle here that you use in another forum where you spill your life's history is just plain silly if that's a concern.

Show up at an 'event' with your name badge on, and at least that many people know that 'account x' is associated with 'person x'. If you don't want anyone to associate a real name with your gc.com account, then DON'T MAKE that association for them!

Really - I can't believe now naive people are about what they expose about themselves if they're concerned about privacy.

[+L0ne.R]

FWIW, there are people who never post Find logs online. Some don't want their finds to be visible to others and post Note logs instead (since others can't search for your Note logs, the way they can search for your Find logs). Some started geocaching before online logs were possible, and just never started logging their finds online.

 

Not posting has it's down sides of course, you can't create PQs. You can't do a search and filter out the caches you've already found. If you're premium (and why bother if you aren't going to log finds), you can't give favorite points to caches you would like to recommend to others.

 

Do people who don't log finds use GSAK to figure out what they've found and what they haven't?

 

I have heard of people (who need to be premium members, of course), putting them on their ignore list after they find them.

 

That would be OK, if we could have multiple ignore lists. Personally my ignore list has 406 caches on it. I would want to have a separate ignore list for caches I've found.

 

As a CO I hate the idea of encouraging cachers to not log their finds or not geocache. I want people to find our caches and I want them to log their finds. It's all part of the community aspect of geocache ownership that I like. But I don't think it's my inalienable right to see where xt21 was 6 months ago.

 

 

Edited November 30, 2013 by L0ne R

[Mr.Yuck]

@Mr. Yuck

If one doesn't want the world to know that one has been in the Army Reserve, then one shouldn't post anywhere public that one has been in the Army Reserve? Likewise any other information that one could use to tie you to anything specific.

The problem is that people don't think first before posting. Apart from where you've cached, there's no reason that playing the game here at Groundspeak should tie you to anything at ALL. Using the same handle here that you use in another forum where you spill your life's history is just plain silly if that's a concern.

Show up at an 'event' with your name badge on, and at least that many people know that 'account x' is associated with 'person x'. If you don't want anyone to associate a real name with your gc.com account, then DON'T MAKE that association for them!

Really - I can't believe now naive people are about what they expose about themselves if they're concerned about privacy.

 

I guess my point is no one ever expects to be stalked in the future. My stalkers (this was early 2003) seriously read every word I ever posted to the internet. They were some serious kooks, I tell you. This was all under a different name, I came up with different ones since. I'm not deterred, and post just as I did before the incident. I don't ever expect to be stalked again. But when it happens, and chances are it won't happen to most people, it is some seriously creepy stuff.

 

I digress though. This is the Geocaching.com website sub forum. Are there ever going to be privacy settings around here? As noted in the OP, Facebook has them. Why shouldn't someone be able to make their finds private, like their statistics?

[+JesandTodd]

You could always keep your logs impersonal and not post any pictures. I can read every log on all my local cachers...still doesn't mean I'll recognize them in line at Target. Or vice versa

 

Or, continue playing the game and not log online

Or, send out your finds with different dates.

 

Or. Stop playing ether game

 

No, do not tell a stalking victim to stop using the internet. As I said before, my two stalkers scoured everything I ever posted to the internet, years before I "met" them, and used it to intimidate and harass me.

 

I said it happened before Geocaching, but lets put a Geocaching twist on it. I would have seen something like this posted to usenet:

 

"So, Mr.Yuck. I see you were in Dayton, Ohio last July. What were you doing there? Who is this [name redacted] guy you mention finding a few caches in the Dayton area with? How do you know him? Do you from the Army? Because we all know you've posted to the Groundspeak forums that you were in the Army Reserve for 22 years. Are you two gay? Because I think you're gay. I'm going to tell your wife you have a gay Army buddy in Dayton."

 

Insert the voice of Hannibal Lector speaking that post, and you get the idea.

 

Ok.

Well...I've never been stalked. I assume, if anyone was interested, it would be quite easy. I've posted pics of myself, and I tend to log my finds live. I'd be an easier target than I'd hope.

 

*So,that being said, I dont want to tell any previous (or future) victim of stalking what to do.*

 

But....if I were so fearful of stalkers....I would most definitely play the game differently. I wouldn't [care] about my "accurate find count". I'd log my finds intentionally out of order (I already do this when I find puzzle. I'll log any nearby caches later). I wouldn't post any pics of myself, and I'd write incredibally dispassionate logs.

 

There are ways to do things....but if I were seriously worried about my safety...then yes. I'd avoid geocaching and the internet.

Edited December 1, 2013 by Keystone
Removed potty language.

[+DonB]

xt21 is not my main account. I stopped all my main account activities. But i feel sad on I have to stop logging new finds.

 

Until something happened, i was still happily entering finds. But now I would sad i was careless to enter so much information here which is widely available to the public in my main account.

 

Such as Facebook, we have options to set which things to be available to be seen by others. I am hoping have this kind of features.

Unless there's some incident you're not mentioning I think you worry too much about posting on Groundspeak. Every website collects information about you. If you have a credit card they collect information about you and share it with other companies. The government collects information about you and tells you not to give anyone your Social Security number but it seems you can't do business with anyone without giving them your SS number. I don't care what Facebook tells you I don't think they're any different then any other website. The bottom line is everyone shares your information with everyone else. How do you think all of the telemarketers get your phone number even if it's unlisted. I get probably one or two calls daily on my home phone and even on my cell phone and I never give that number to anyone except friends.

[xt21]

Thanks everyone for the input.

 

There are no ways for geocaching hide the profile at least for now. There is an option to show or hide statistics. It would be good great if that simple part can be extended to other part of the profile.

 

Hope everyone more aware of privacy, not until you may realize the importance!

[+L0ne.R]

xt21 is not my main account. I stopped all my main account activities. But i feel sad on I have to stop logging new finds.

 

Until something happened, i was still happily entering finds. But now I would sad i was careless to enter so much information here which is widely available to the public in my main account.

 

Such as Facebook, we have options to set which things to be available to be seen by others. I am hoping have this kind of features.

Unless there's some incident you're not mentioning I think you worry too much about posting on Groundspeak. Every website collects information about you. If you have a credit card they collect information about you and share it with other companies. The government collects information about you and tells you not to give anyone your Social Security number but it seems you can't do business with anyone without giving them your SS number. I don't care what Facebook tells you I don't think they're any different then any other website. The bottom line is everyone shares your information with everyone else. How do you think all of the telemarketers get your phone number even if it's unlisted. I get probably one or two calls daily on my home phone and even on my cell phone and I never give that number to anyone except friends.

 

But geocaching hands it to everyone in a neat chronological format.

 

 

 

 

Why is it that the majority feel that everyone should have access to a list of, for example, DonB and xt21's past whereabouts?

Edited December 2, 2013 by L0ne R

[+ecanderson]

Well, it does make fascinating reading when someone claims to have been in opposite sides of the world at the same time. Or even opposite sides of the country, for that matter. We have issues in Colorado with that regarding one caching group in particular.

[+L0ne.R]

Well, it does make fascinating reading when someone claims to have been in opposite sides of the world at the same time. Or even opposite sides of the country, for that matter. We have issues in Colorado with that regarding one caching group in particular.

 

As a CO, I don't really care if someone's going to collect bogus smileys. If I did I would check our logbooks against the online logs and delete finds that do not appear in the physical logbook (and wait for the drama to ensue). But I do care that someone isn't going to log their find when they find one of our caches because, for example, the young lady doesn't want her ex-boyfriend watching her account. Why can't she keep her name and her stats and enjoy geocaching like you and I do? And contribute to the social aspect of the game by telling me about her adventure and whether she enjoyed the work we put into our cache hide.

 

I envision at least a couple of privacy settings:

• the trailname appears in the cache's online log but when I click through to the profile the "(All Geocache Finds)" link would be greyed out (not clickable)
  • I might use this setting, and be more open about my trailname with co-workers who ask about geocaching. I like my co-workers but really don't want to share my geocaching whereabouts with them unless I volunteer it.

  [*]the trailname does not appear publicly on the online log, but is there for the cache owner to see

  • example, the trailname says "undisclosed" to the general public but as the owner of the cache I see the trailname, but I cannot see their list of finds

[Mr.Yuck]

Well, it does make fascinating reading when someone claims to have been in opposite sides of the world at the same time. Or even opposite sides of the country, for that matter. We have issues in Colorado with that regarding one caching group in particular.

 

As a CO, I don't really care if someone's going to collect bogus smileys. If I did I would check our logbooks against the online logs and delete finds that do not appear in the physical logbook (and wait for the drama to ensue). But I do care that someone isn't going to log their find when they find one of our caches because, for example, the young lady doesn't want her ex-boyfriend watching her account. Why can't she keep her name and her stats and enjoy geocaching like you and I do? And contribute to the social aspect of the game by telling me about her adventure and whether she enjoyed the work we put into our cache hide.

 

I envision at least a couple of privacy settings:

• the trailname appears in the cache's online log but when I click through to the profile the "(All Geocache Finds)" link would be greyed out (not clickable)
  • I might use this setting, and be more open about my trailname with co-workers who ask about geocaching. I like my co-workers but really don't want to share my geocaching whereabouts with them unless I volunteer it.

  [*]the trailname does not appear publicly on the online log, but is there for the cache owner to see

  • example, the trailname says "undisclosed" to the general public but as the owner of the cache I see the trailname, but I cannot see their list of finds

 

Have you, a prominent Letterboxer, mentioned the fact you can make your finds private on AtlasQuest.com yet? If you didn't I guess I just did for you.

 

But there is a precedent out there, in a very similar game. I'm just sayin'.

[+L0ne.R]

Well, it does make fascinating reading when someone claims to have been in opposite sides of the world at the same time. Or even opposite sides of the country, for that matter. We have issues in Colorado with that regarding one caching group in particular.

 

As a CO, I don't really care if someone's going to collect bogus smileys. If I did I would check our logbooks against the online logs and delete finds that do not appear in the physical logbook (and wait for the drama to ensue). But I do care that someone isn't going to log their find when they find one of our caches because, for example, the young lady doesn't want her ex-boyfriend watching her account. Why can't she keep her name and her stats and enjoy geocaching like you and I do? And contribute to the social aspect of the game by telling me about her adventure and whether she enjoyed the work we put into our cache hide.

 

I envision at least a couple of privacy settings:

• the trailname appears in the cache's online log but when I click through to the profile the "(All Geocache Finds)" link would be greyed out (not clickable)
  • I might use this setting, and be more open about my trailname with co-workers who ask about geocaching. I like my co-workers but really don't want to share my geocaching whereabouts with them unless I volunteer it.

  [*]the trailname does not appear publicly on the online log, but is there for the cache owner to see

  • example, the trailname says "undisclosed" to the general public but as the owner of the cache I see the trailname, but I cannot see their list of finds

 

Have you, a prominent Letterboxer, mentioned the fact you can make your finds private on AtlasQuest.com yet? If you didn't I guess I just did for you.

 

But there is a precedent out there, in a very similar game. I'm just sayin'.

 

It's been in effect since 2009 on Atlas Quest. New accounts automatically have a private find list. You can make it public if you want to. Most people do. I rarely see an "undisclosed" on the find list of letterboxes, i.e. very few people use the privacy options but some do and I expect that to be the same on GC. It hasn't been a problem on AQ. I was one of the people in the forums that argued that it was important on a social perspective to see the finds list, but Ryan Carpenter made sense when he said:

 

"But you know, after this whole experience, I find myself rather disturbed at how upset some people got not being able to see find dates or to sort finds by date on other people's logbooks. There's absolutely no reason in the world any of that is important, but it bothers me that it's SOOO important to some people to have the ability to 'spy' on other people's activities. I never really cared before one way or another about who could see my finds or finds on my boxes, but after this whole incident, I find it kind of creepy that people want to see this information so badly. Why? To what purpose? So I've decided not to show the finds or attempts in my own logbook anymore. It just feels like too many people are stalking others through logbook entries, and honestly, I find that kind of creepy. Even if it is an innocent stalking, I'll take a pass for now on." (2009)

 

and

 

I don't really care when people found boxes and never looked at that information anyway. I might want to know if someone found a particular box or not, but I've never cared when the box was found. But apparently, a lot of people consider that information essential. A few of the e-mails I got asking me to put it back included examples of why they 'needed' the information just brought it to a level I considered creepy. "I want to know the last box this person found, but now I can't!" Yeah, so? Why do you need to know it? "Because I do!" Why don't you ask the person that? "I shouldn't have to!"

and

I don't really care if the majority of people thought this was okay. The majority of people on this site voted to not allow people hide their finds at all, which I think is wrong.... If I lose business because I did what I felt was right rather than what the majority opinion is, I can live with that....If the majority of people on [this site] had their way, you wouldn't even have the option to hide your finds, feathered cap [premium membership] or not. In fact, there would likely be very few options at all, since the majority could push through anything with absolutely no consideration at all for the minority.

Edited December 1, 2013 by L0ne R

[+geodarts]

I keep my stats private because it is really nobody's business to know whether the grids are filled or my average finds per day. I would make souvenirs private for the similar reasons and have never understood why Groundspeak does not provide this option. I always feel my privacy is invaded every time Groundspeak makes a public gift for something I do not want. But I have never felt quite the same about logs, perhaps because they have been displayed in the profile from the time I began to cache.

 

Still, perhaps we have all learned more about the value of privacy since this site was founded. I changed my trail name and no longer use my surname. There are certain pictures I no longer post. I do not share my trail name with certain people. It would not be that hard to figure out who I am from the information in the profile, but I want it to be my choice. Earthcaches no longer require photos for just this reason. Those concerns should be extended to other areas of this site.

 

I do not consider the "don't post online if you don't want it made public" advice to be much of an answer (or any answer) to concerns raised about logging on this site. I would rather err on the side of caution and support those who wish to guard their privacy.

 

If displaying logs is important to determine if there has been armchair logging, I cannot think of any reason why someone needs to know anything more than the last three or seven days. It would be disturbing if someone really cared where I cached a year ago or what trackable icons I have logged.

 

And I think that if someone, such as the OP, demonstrates that they are being stalked, then added security and privacy should be granted without question. Groundspeak should make their customer's well being their first priority. The game has changed. Privacy issues have changed. It is time for them to reassess privacy.

Edited December 1, 2013 by geodarts

[+tozainamboku]

FWIW, there are people who never post Find logs online. Some don't want their finds to be visible to others and post Note logs instead (since others can't search for your Note logs, the way they can search for your Find logs). Some started geocaching before online logs were possible, and just never started logging their finds online.

 

Not posting has it's down sides of course, you can't create PQs. You can't do a search and filter out the caches you've already found. If you're premium (and why bother if you aren't going to log finds), you can't give favorite points to caches you would like to recommend to others.

 

Do people who don't log finds use GSAK to figure out what they've found and what they haven't?

 

I have heard of people (who need to be premium members, of course), putting them on their ignore list after they find them.

Or you don't bother to keep track at all. What happens? You click goto on your GPSr and find it takes you to a familiar looking location. You remember you found a cache here two or three years ago, but can't seem to recall exactly how it was hidden. After a few minutes of searching you find the cache. Maybe it is the one you found before, or perhaps its a new cache someone hid in the same location. You sign the log book and move on.

 

I have never heard anyone called a cheater in this forum for signing the physical logbook twice.

Edited December 1, 2013 by tozainamboku

[Jayme H]

Thanks for the thoughtful discussion on this topic, guys. While I can't promise anything, I do want to let you know that this is an area that we are looking into. We care about the community and want everybody to feel safe on our site.

 

If anyone is experiencing harassment via the site please write in to us via the Help Center and let us know. Harassment is against our Terms of Use and will not be tolerated.