Some of your post are stored on your computers search engine. If you search something with the same entry your entrys will pop up on the search. If I post on Somewhere in Time and then I search for Somewhere in Time it will be part of my search results. Speedy

I agree 100%.  It is getting so bad and nothing can be kept from the general public eye, and I worry about inadvertently posting about family, using surnames, etc.  This is mostly an issue with me as regards to blogs, but it is also a concern with posts to forums.  As far as I'm concerned, Google has taken every last shred of privacy away from anyone who uses a computer.  And it only gets worse.

gypsy

I agree you have to be very cautious on what you put out there. I am still hoping someone will see how broke I am and send me money Speedy

Just for fun, I'd encourage everyone to Google your name, enclose it in quotes like this "john doe". Even try your avatar name too. You might be very surprised what pops up. For example, RVDude is used by a lot of different people on a very wide variety of sites. Google also provides an "alert" feature (click this) where it'll search the web all day long and when someone uses your alert terms it'll notify you.

Anything I put online with a name in it I'll always use ONLY initials. The family folks know who it is and anyone else reading it (the general public) will still understand the content w/o full names.

I also do a lot of GPS info posting and when I am at a friend's home or any person's "home base" I will never post the exact GPS coordinates for those types of locations. Additionally, I also tend to post my current GPS location coordinates a few days AFTER I leave that location, particularly if I know that I'll be away from the rig often (back country camping, extended hiking/biking trips, etc) while at that location. No need to advertise exactly where my rig is and the fact that no one is/will be home!

Personally, I think trying to hide your name is not necessary. What is someone going to do with my name? Now, additional personal info is a different story - there is NO REASON to post personal info, and I certainly would not do so. However, we do post our email address in a way that can only be found by a human. You do have to be somewhat careful on which sites you post at all, if you expose your credentials. When I posted on RVNet years ago I ended up getting lots of "nutty" people who felt compelled to flame me directly. I don't post there any more - it is not worth the effort, IMO. But aI do post here and at Escapees and on both sites you can find out how to email me directly if you look hard enough. In 9 years I have never had an issue with Escapees, or here....JMO

The beauty of just using initials is that in case you did unintentionally post something - be it a picture or a silly story - about someone who would rather not have that on-line, the use of initials pretty much keeps that person's identity isolated. Everyone has differing tolerances about what they like to see on line or what they would like fellow office workers or friends to be able to search for. I use initials more as a courtesy to those I might write about because I don't know what each person might want to see posted for the universe to query. Initials is not really a security thing, but a courtesy thing.

Imagine an office worker Googling a name - the same name you used in a caption for a picture you just posted. Some folks don't mind everyone being able to see them wearing chicken or flower hats, some folks do. Initials makes it harder to just do a random search by name (the result list for an initials search will be impossibly long) and seeing something like these!

....
Photos courtesy of RV-Dreams June 2008 Rally of the Dude and Sir Seedster.


-- Edited by RVDude on Thursday 16th of April 2009 09:50:56 AM

A friend talked about her daughter by first name, but it was a very unique first name, on what she thought was a private forum. Her ex son-in-law used Google to read the posts and caused all manner of problems. Then the daughter read the posts the same way and got mad at her mother and won't talk to her anymore. Edit: I also wanted to add that another friend has two granddaughters with first names that start with "K" and just uses "K" in his blog to protect them. Even though of us who know them all have trouble figuring out which granddaughter he is referring to in his blog. He now adds "daughter of B" or "daughter of M" to keep them straight in his blog since they have the same last name and initial. Sometimes you do have to be a bit more specific about who you are talking about.

-- Edited by bjoyce on Thursday 16th of April 2009 10:21:08 AM

Well I don't know about Chicken Man but the girl with the hat is a looker! I would search out her identity all day long just to meet her. unidentified stalker

I don't understand this paranoia. I agree with Jack, what is someone going to do with my name and picture? Once you understand that these forums are public spaces and the internet saves everything, just be prudent with what personal information you divulge. But I sure wouldn't see the necessity to go to initials and acronyms. It really is a safe world out there, don't let the b******s scare you.

I'm not really afraid for my personal security.  What I dislike intensely is the fact that some entity out there collects statistics on what I do, scans my emails to attach relevant ads, etc., and that to really protect my computer I would need to install more security than I care to operate with.  Also, I did a google search a few years back on my name, and was shocked at what it came up with.  I agree with the OP that you need to be aware whatever you post will remain available and online to a random searcher for a long time.  Personally I think it's an invasion of privacy, but there is no getting around it.

gypsy

Here's the reason I made the original post:

Miami Herald - March 29, 2009 - 1A Front Insurers shun those taking certain meds

BY JOHN DORSCHNER jdorschner@MiamiHerald.com How health insurers secretly blacklist those with certain ailments. Trying to buy health insurance on your own and have gallstones? You'll automatically be denied coverage. Rheumatoid arthritis? Automatic denial. Severe acne? Probably denied. Do you take metformin, a popular drug for diabetes? Denied. Use the anti-clotting drug Plavix or Seroquel, prescribed for anti-psychotic or sleep problems? Forget about it. This confidential...

I read the entire article... it's been archived now... but the story went on to say that there are data mining companies out there that collect information like this and sell it as a service to health insurers (some big name insurance companies were listed, including one I used to work for).

Who knows how many other businesses/industries use these kinds of services... banking, mortgage lenders, life insurance, potential employers? It could go on and on.

Like I said, don't post private personal info to a public forum..... Now if someone wants to search on my posts of how to install solar or single out an HDT....more power to them.

Okay...I did my name on GOOGLE...here is something eerie....I Am a Dr. in OH who deals with food research, and I have a Law firm.

The eerie part is I (the me "I") loves to cook/grill/bake..etc.., and not just "cook" I mean Bobby Flay THROWDOWN cook! And I have been a 4 time Union representative (the legal thing...)

too funny.......I am thinking of e-mailing myself and seeing what else I like to do.....

Snowman 

Snowman, what would really be funny is if someone inadvertently sent you a check instead of the good doctor!

gypsy

Evidentally, I'm also a pilot for Jet Blue Airlines...private pilot (real time me).....I never knew I was so worldly.........I definitly need to start seeking out my "royalty" checks that are past due.....I wonder what the other person would do if I e-mailed them as them....OHHHHH the fun that we could have with this one...................

Snowman

Forget Googling your name. This might be even more fun!
http://howmanyofme.com

Interesting, but there's only one of me.

gypsy