Please look after your privacy, we can't do it for you!

Former_MSE_Andrea

Hi everyone

As part of an investigation into various posts/posters on this board we're aware some of you have been sharing details and photos of each other on other forums/facebook etc.

We can't do anything to help you if you get into problems with people there. It's why we ask on here that you don't share personal details with people you meet on the forum. Anyone can say anything on this forum, and on other forums/sites, so please be very, very careful who you share information and photos of yourself and your family with.

This does not mean any one, particular poster is being highlighted. The investigation is still ongoing.

On another note, also arising from this, please remember, using the spam button on MSE posts that are not spam will result in action being taken as the team feels appropriate. However long you've been posting on here we can't let anyone get away with using forum tools against other site users.

Andrea

HariboJunkie

I too wish people would be more careful. It's not unusual to see somone post their name, photo, hometown and place of employment over the course of a few posts. Add into the mix the information that you live alone and it really becomes risky.

I hope your post makes more people safety aware.

tealady

Thanks for the warning. Although I live in a big city I try not to post stuff that could identify me nor would I arrange to meed other MSE'rs. I'm sure that most are lovely peeps but you don't know who they know IYSWIM.

ailuro2

Thanks for the reminder - there are some newbies who pop on trying to swop things or sell things but I think most folks on the family board stick to the rules. Some of the other boards seem to ignore the rules a bit more though.

I don't even use my real name on Facebook, I am always amazed that while most of us are pretty security conscious online when it comes to Facebook some of us will happily type in our name, DOB, where we're living, where we go on holiday etc. and then forget to use the friends only privacy option.;)

ladybirdintheuk

Thanks for the reminder Andrea - I think we all forget sometimes that the people replying to our posts aren't the only ones reading.

I have to say Tealady that I will happily meet with other MSEers (and people from other bits of the internet), but I do have a few personal rules about only meeting people somewhere really public, and making sure that everyone else I've ever met knows where I'm going and who I'm meating there I would never go meet someone on my own at their house or something. But each to their own, and I realise that it isn't something MSE would//should be seen to be encouraging. Not everyone is as sensible (or probably trusting and naieve) as me.

SugarSpun

I wonder if this should be a sticky post?

None of us are likely to make a public Facebook status update saying, Hello burglars, I am off on my holidays for two weeks, we have two laptops and an X-Box and there's a key under the back doormat. But we'd give out all that information over several posts on here without really thinking of it as passing on information. If someone here were to go back over one person's posts and collect that information they'd have a lot of random bits of information about that person's lifestyle/preferences/habits. If the person being "examined" had also linked to a Facebook picture, the "examiner" would then have access to the public FB profile which would include real name and might include location. Aside from the "examiner" having a lot of time on his hands, you'd have to wonder why someone had done that and what they intended to do with the information - and this is why we need to be careful of such things.

Although having said that, it's still the responsibility of the hypothetical "examiner" not to do sinister or illegal things with the information he's acquired. Just because the information is there doesn't mean it's ok to collect, take or use it. If I left my bike unlocked outside it would still be illegal for someone to steal it.

LJM

ive recently had people posting pictures up of my daughter on facebook which made me very angry and cross, i dont post private info or pics of my children on anywhere as i feel it is private, some poor children have their life history on a facebook page. so thanks for the info i am always very careful or try to be about what i say or write.

SugarSpun

LJM I had a second cousin of mine print out pictures of my daughter she'd seen on Facebook and show customers at her work (she works at a supermarket checkout :eek:) I blocked her from seeing any more.

pollypenny

I am always surprised at the people who use a photo of their children as their avatar.

LJM

my god thats awful i just hate it when they dont ask, especially when you dont know for a start whos looking at the pics

SusanC_2

SugarSpun wrote: »

None of us are likely to make a public Facebook status update saying, Hello burglars, I am off on my holidays for two weeks, we have two laptops and an X-Box and there's a key under the back doormat. But we'd give out all that information over several posts on here without really thinking of it as passing on information. If someone here were to go back over one person's posts and collect that information they'd have a lot of random bits of information about that person's lifestyle/preferences/habits. If the person being "examined" had also linked to a Facebook picture, the "examiner" would then have access to the public FB profile which would include real name and might include location. Aside from the "examiner" having a lot of time on his hands, you'd have to wonder why someone had done that and what they intended to do with the information - and this is why we need to be careful of such things.

Although having said that, it's still the responsibility of the hypothetical "examiner" not to do sinister or illegal things with the information he's acquired. Just because the information is there doesn't mean it's ok to collect, take or use it. If I left my bike unlocked outside it would still be illegal for someone to steal it.

I would also hope that any "examiner" who collated details about people through MSE and then started posting the collated information would be banned from MSE. Just as I would expect anyone I already knew in real life who started posting my details on MSE to be banned.