Personal Details On The Net

[Mr Walker]

As a person living in a country area, there are few caches to find. I am doing my bit by hiding some, but one of the ancillary joys of geocaching is keeping track of other cachers who hide or find caches in my area, also TB'S etc. Some people/teams have quite extensive web sites dedicated to their activities but most people have very little about themselves or their geocaching activities on the page set aside for this. I wrote a fair bit about myself, and try to keep my activities updated. My query is, do others feel this is bad form, uncool or just not a good idea on the web? I can see where living in a rural, and very safe part of Australia, may colour my perceptions.

[+New England n00b]

My only concerns are economic - if someone grabs my credit card number and does bad things with it.

 

Personally, I choose not to reveal much, as it is just the way I am (private), rather than some sense of 'black-helicopter' paranoia.

 

That, and when I open my big mouth, I'd like to not be assailed at any geocaching event I might attend...

[+briansnat]

I'd leave personal stuff like phone numbers and addresses off and probably the names of your kids, but general stuff like where you live and what your interests are I don't see as a big deal. Most of us are hiding behind a pseudonym anyway.

 

If someone is hell bent on finding out who you are, they probably could no matter how little you put in your profile. I guess the only way to be 100% safe is not to register on websites, or create any user profiles, but people can track you down other ways. If someone is that obsessed you have problems, but the chances are pretty slim.

Edited December 7, 2004 by briansnat

[+Kewaneh & Shark]

Telling other about yourself is in no way bad form. If you feel comfortable telling about yourself, tell it. Only you will know how much is too much. I've put a lot onto my profile page (admittedly, probably too much) but I figure if someone doesn't want to read it, they don't have to. I personally like to read the profiles of other cachers. I worry more about people who are secretive want to be anonymous.

 

- Kewaneh

[+Renegade Knight]

My profile is pretty much blank. However my posts and logs fill in a lot of gaps should anyone care to read.

 

Everyone has their own style. It's your life, your story, your profile, and your choice on how much, how little, and how to share it.

[HWyatt]

I think it also may depend on your sex. There has been so much made about stalking in the US that many women are relunctant to put out too much info. Whether it is justified, who knows.

And then if you have ever been "bombed" by a disgruntled internet user....or had some one find you, to harass you, on every newsgroup you go to (not me, but it happened to a friend) then you will try to hide your identity.

 

Plus with the invasive nature of our government and it's need to go Big Brother on us, many Americans are really trying to keep their private life private....It's not our fellow citizens who concern us, but Donald Rumsfeld.

 

So, there are probably a variety of reasons. I always like to read about people, but have kept my profile essentially blank.

 

HWyatt

[+Markwell]

What's funny is the more your hobbies have to do with internet related stuff, the more of your information is readily out there already. I mentioned it a while ago, but I Googled myself and found a whole lot of information about me. Googled my older brother, and found virtually nothing.

[rescue557]

I have an entire website about myself. I've had all sorts of info posted to the net since 1998, and so far have had absolutely no problems at all.

 

Well, except for this past summer when someone dropped off 5 traffic cones on my lawn as a prank. Otherwise, it's all good.

[+Trafcon]

As someone who deals with such stuff I can only avise not to put anything personal such as true names phone numbers credit card info (DUH) or anything of that nature on the web. Hobbies likes and dislikes etc. are fine. Just no personal stuff. Even in private chat areas.

[rescue557]

As someone who deals with such stuff I can only avise not to put anything personal such as true names phone numbers credit card info (DUH) or anything of that nature on the web. Hobbies likes and dislikes etc. are fine. Just no personal stuff. Even in private chat areas.

True names, phone numbers, etc., can all be found on line. Credit card numbers, social security numbers, etc., are a no-no!

[+carleenp]

I have never hid my name or general personal facts about myself. Any hobby I enjoy I am social in so I am known locally. I don't find the internet much different. Obviously I don't share financial information and I don't post my email address to avoid the spam bots. But otherwise, I am pretty darn easy to find.

 

I have never run into any problems. If I did, I would not suddenly become secretive. I would handle it the same way that I would if a person I knew locally began behaving wrongly. I would discuss the matter with the person and/or call the police if the behavior was threatening or illegal.

 

At the same time, if others prefer to be more secretive, that is their right and is OK with me. Generally I think it is just differences in preference and personality. I tend to be pretty out-going and social so having a home page and a bunch of stuff in my profile matches my personality.

[+bradandangela.com]

It's not that hard to find out about us...

 

There is so much information readily available. I could hide my last name but anyone with any internet savy could find out who registered my domain name and get my address and phone number from there... or they could just look in the phone book.

 

I'm a lot more sensitive about my social security number, etc.

[+flask]

you only have to do a limited amount of homework to know where i live, how i make my living, and what all my hobbies are.

 

if you read my logs and my posts, you know what kind of car i drive, what kind of bikes i ride, the brand of long underwear i prefer, and that i live on a golf course.

 

a little digging will reveal that i turned 40 today. a LOT of digging wll reveal my last name, my bicycle racing results, my place of employment, and where i like to get cinnamon buns in the morning.

 

it's harder to get my home phone number. i'm listed under a name that doesn't exist. it costs you money to be unlisted, but it's free to be listed under a name that isn't yours.

 

it doesn't matter if you call me anyway, because unless i'm expecting your call, i don't answer the phone.

 

i've been stalked before. it sucks. i also find that at some point people just start to know who you are if you write anything at all in your logs or show up to events. might as well live.

[dampeoples]

I put it all out front, mostly on my website.

I think nobody cares enough to bother other folks, and it's worked for me so far. having my addy and telephone number isn't much anyway, it's in the phone book.

[+Alan2]

I told my master not to publish my picture....there could be dognappers out there. And he/she might not like caching as much as I do.

 

....Buddy.

[+MisterNixter]

Since our business, website, books, and speaking engagements put us in the public view anyway, I don't withhold much. Anyone who wants to know about me can just log onto our website and get just about anything, except our personal telephone number, which we don't even share with our subscribers. In today's information age, not much is really secret anymore.

[+Morgan's Marauders]

a little digging will reveal that i turned 40 today

Ohhhhhhhh, how are you doing? I get to undergo this very same ritual in 26 days... Just trying to get mentally prepared...

 

(which is really had to do because I seem to have lost my mind!)

 

Oh wait, can't be off-topic, .... Um, now I guess everyone knows my birthdate. Should I be brave enough to post my address? I might get some B-day cards.... really could use a new gpsr...

 

Anyway, back to the regularly scheduled mayhem...

 

Momma Marauder

[+robert]

Ohhhhhhhh, how are you doing?  I get to undergo this very same ritual in 26 days...  Just trying to get mentally prepared...

happy "coming soon" birthday, morgan's marauders We met at an event this year, though I've been to so many I can't remember which one! (probably western maryland in september.... I think )

Edited December 16, 2004 by robert