Privacy reminder - think about what you're willing to disclose

[Bramblethorn]

In the last few days I've seen threads in this forum asking people for:

• Age
• Place of residence/birth (asked at country level but often answered at state level)
• Meaning of username (sometimes ties in with RL name or other identifying details)

I'm not chiding anybody for asking or answering these questions, but just a gentle reminder that this kind of info can add up faster than one realises. I've known more than one poster here who gave enough information to identify their RL name and home/work addresses without realising it.

For anybody who wants to keep their Literotica identity separate from RL, I'd recommend deciding just what info you are and aren't willing to share about yourself and then sticking to those limits. Don't put anything here that you're not willing to share with the most rabid commenters on the site.

Questions like "what's your age, to the nearest decade?" might not seem very revealing on their own. But if somebody new asks that question every year, and you answer it every time, eventually you're going to give away your age to the nearest year.

TLDR: make informed choices about your online privacy, appropriate to your own personal situation, and think ahead about how all the info you give out could identify you.

 

[TheRedChamber]

Good advice.

Also don't feel bad about throwing the odd bit of inconsequential misinformation into the mix either.

I present myself on the AH as a nerdy, overweight, socially-awkward middle-aged male from England. Whereas in real life I'm actually a 21-year old hypersexual pole dancer from Brazil with 46D breasts and luxurious blonde hair.

Damn it.

 

[HordHolm]

Good advice.

Also don't feel bad about throwing the odd bit of inconsequential misinformation into the mix either.

I present myself on the AH as a nerdy, overweight, socially-awkward middle-aged male from England. Whereas in real life I'm actually a 21-year old hypersexual pole dancer from Brazil with 46D breasts and luxurious blonde hair.

Damn it.

Ach! You almost had me, but you're not a redhead...

 

[StillStunned]

with 46D breasts

Quite impressive for a 21-yo man!

 

[jaF0]

I've thought about doing this thread. I'm constantly amazed and appalled at the lack of brains people post all over this site. Not only the stuff mentioned, but pictures of their car, or what they wear. They talk about businesses or tourist sites near their homes along with places they shop or eat. They talk about their job and leave all sorts of information about where they work.

Hell, other than the obvious inferences based words and phrases I use, no here even knows what continent I'm on.

 

[AchtungNight]

If anyone wants to adopt a very annoying and needy gray tabby Maine coon crossbreed cat please let me know. He drives me bonkers continuously and I would love to let him go.

 

[onehitwanda]

I was lucky enough to get my fingers burned while the internet didn't have a memory.

 

[StillStunned]

I was lucky enough to get my fingers burned while the internet didn't have a memory.

Yeah, I've learned never to put my fingers anywhere that's too hot.

 

[Bettytheboo]

Thank you for this thread, I'm mature and I predate the internet age by a considerable margin, but I have been badgered for my phone number by someone. It's a line I wouldn't cross because I have my Grandchildren living with me; let's just say the "gentleman" in question became quite upset with me. I'm not into kiss and tell woman, so I dealt with the issue myself as I'm part of the problem, but please be careful. I have had so much pleasure on here and I've met some very nice men, so please don't tar them with the same brush.

 

[onehitwanda]

Yeah, I've learned never to put my fingers anywhere that's too hot.

It... wasn't my fingers.

 

[StillStunned]

It... wasn't my fingers.

Just stay away from the hot stuff.

(By that measure, about half my stories are safe.)

 

[Stimtheone]

And this is why I am vague. I've been here before corps made it trendy to put all your info online to sell to their advertisers. But also, yeah, there are some people out there who are just looking for ways to fuck with you remotely.

 

[onehitwanda]

And this is why I am vague. I've been here before corps made it trendy to put all your info online to sell to their advertisers. But also, yeah, there are some people out there who are just looking for ways to fuck with you remotely.

I think of it in the same way I think about the security of the systems I build at work. Why on earth would I make it easier for someone to mess with me? People are by-and-large disinterested, but there is a solid 10% or more who will gladly ruin someone else's day because it makes them feel good.

I like not being a target. I like having a small, neat, quiet life. I'm not going to change the world, but it's never a nice experience for the stone that jolts a wagon out of a rut.

 

[jsmiam]

Thanks bramble, always good advice. I and a few others have participated in attempts at reminding folks about this too, but usually buried as one post in a long thread about something else. A dedicated post about this is an excellent idea. Good thinking!

Pet names loved ones names and pictures too. Even innocuous pictures of household objects, etc., if it’s a picture you happened to post elsewhere as your real world identity, is risky too.

This thread may evolve into more privacy areas and risk vectors too. But being in a thread dedicated to it, that’s a good thing. Photo metadata next!

 

[Kumquatqueen]

Good idea, bramble. A fair few users in the UK have posted info about local towns, possibly assuming this wouldn't mean much to anyone, but actually narrowing down their location to a few hundred yards. Add a couple mentions of jobs or speaking at local council meetings, and there's an identity.

Multiple kind beta readers have read docs of mine that I've sent to some innocuous email address, but they've been returned from an email address that's firstname.surname@gmail.com or similar. One guy said not to worry, that's not his real name, but I don't know about the others. Or if he was lying. Another one to watch out for, given Gmail is so incredibly helpful!

 

[Rustyoznail]

Something else to watch - metadata in any file you send for review /editing. If it was created by MS-Word, there's a good chance you or your company's name is there.

 

[Candy_Kane54]

Something else to watch - metadata in any file you send for review /editing. If it was created by MS-Word, there's a good chance you or your company's name is there.

That's why I stopped submitting files for publishing and use the text box to copy and paste my stories into it.

 

[jsmiam]

I very accidentally caused the name of an editor to be exposed (just to me), through a shared word online doc.

What happened was, they were logged in to their own Microsoft online account so my shared to anyone who has the URL document showed their display name in the track changes log. (It previously didn’t pester people to log in (this was a few years back). I was caught off guard (once) when they changed how it worked. Going untracked is harder and harder.

 

[Bramblethorn]

Thanks bramble, always good advice. I and a few others have participated in attempts at reminding folks about this too, but usually buried as one post in a long thread about something else. A dedicated post about this is an excellent idea. Good thinking!

Pet names loved ones names and pictures too. Even innocuous pictures of household objects, etc., if it’s a picture you happened to post elsewhere as your real world identity, is risky too.

Even if you didn't post it elsewhere, photos of a home/workplace exterior or interior can be surprisingly revealing. Bellingcat has some fascinating (if often grim) material on geolocating photos:

https://www.bellingcat.com/resource...s-with-bellingcats-openstreetmap-search-tool/

 

[StillStunned]

My solution is to be so uninteresting that no-one would bother to track me down. It's worked so far.

 

[samhasstories]

My solution is to be so uninteresting that no-one would bother to track me down. It's worked so far.

Same. In addition to scrubbing all my posts for any personal information, I cut out all hints at personality and sense of humor. And, of course, any and all references to what a physical specimen I am.

 

[ShelbyDawn57]

Quite impressive for a 21-yo man!

Yeah, I've got those, too. I keep them in their box as they really hurt my back.

 

[MrHereWriting]

I've thought about doing this thread. I'm constantly amazed and appalled at the lack of brains people post all over this site. Not only the stuff mentioned, but pictures of their car, or what they wear. They talk about businesses or tourist sites near their homes along with places they shop or eat. They talk about their job and leave all sorts of information about where they work.

Hell, other than the obvious inferences based words and phrases I use, no here even knows what continent I'm on.

You're on one side of the spectrum, and then there are those who....

 

[Devinter]

My solution is to be so uninteresting that no-one would bother to track me down. It's worked so far.

That's what I want you to think. At least until you check the bushes outside.

 

[StillStunned]

That's what I want you to think. At least until you check the bushes outside.

While you're out there, can I convince you to do some weeding?