How much personal information?

**piney** · 07-10-2011, 08:18 PM

I don't post my ss,phone, numbers address or even the town i live in.just the state.

**wanderlusting** · 07-11-2011, 04:40 AM

I only post things I don't mind everyone knowing- but DH and I are pretty open people anyways.

I make sure that pictures don't have DH in uniform, no house pics and no license plate showing on car pics.

**christinahudler** · 07-12-2011, 08:52 AM

I used to give out just about anything and everything on social sites and forums. Recently I had someone from my job go online to look up my name (as some employers *do*) and he ended up finding everything from a couple of my past addresses and phone numbers to photos of my rear-end that my ex-husband had put online while we were together. I not only contacted the site those pictures were from and had them immediately deleted, but I spent a few hours after that online trying to find every past username I could (10 years of usernames lol) and get things deleted.

The good thing is that all of the things he found were under my nickname that I have went by since I was 15 that I'm no longer going by paired with my last name from my previous marriage. So he looked up "Nickname PreviousLastName" and I now go by "FirstName MarriedLastName". So all the information he found can't be linked to me anymore unless someone happens to know my previous surname and nickname...which I am not readily giving to people.

Long story short, I'm not extremely cautious about what I post online and try to keep a lot of information off of things like public forums. I have a little more out there on my Facebook, but I also have things on extreme "lock down" and I only have real life friends/family added.

**Shelli_wnj** · 07-12-2011, 11:56 AM

I guess maybe I could be more cautious. I go by a nickname, and use a general area as my address, no phone number. But I use a picture sometimes. I don't usually use my kids names, but I do say how many kids, my financial situation, my home life generally on my blog, etc. I think mabye I could be more cautious... But as a previous poster stated, I don't want to live in fear, either.

**bumplett** · 07-14-2011, 01:34 PM

Not too paranoid, but I try to use common sense.

I'll share pics, generic information about life/family/money, but no specific addresses or names.

I don't mind sharing my kids ages & hobbies, but I'm not going to put their real names and location of their day camp online. it's just common sense.

kwim?

**just-me-in-tn** · 07-16-2011, 12:31 AM

On places like facebook, I'm pretty open as to what I post but that is because I have my account locked up pretty tight and nobody can see it but friends.

On places like this.........I just don't use my name or post my exact location. No details of who I am, but I'll openly talk about anything. If someone who knows me comes on here, they could probably figure out who I was just based on things, but someone who doesn't know me would never be able to track me down.

**2ndGenGranola** · 07-16-2011, 06:24 AM

I don't kid myself by thinking I'm private by not posting this or that. All kinds of info go out about you when you make a post anywhere. How do you think cops find perverts from message boards? Some IP addresses will take them right to your front door. I try not to make it too easy for novices but I'm realistic too.

**PennyWise** · 07-17-2011, 10:36 AM

I'm not a paranoid person, I basically share everything except my SS number.
I'm a business owner, and run my business out of my home, so my name, number and address are pretty much common knowledge.

**krbshappy71** · 07-18-2011, 08:52 AM

Ask away, I'll probably answer. I've been online long enough to not care anymore. I've been hacked once and it was my own fault, left myself logged into a public computer. That's it in 14 years, no credit card fraud, no stalkers that weren't my own doing, LOL! Real-life humans are scarier in my opinion than online ones. That being said, I'm probably too open and friendly in real life as well. *shrug*

About the only reason I keep real names out of my posts is to respect the privacy of those people, not because I don't want people to know who I am.

**peanut** · 07-18-2011, 10:12 PM

Interesting question. I tend to be a so-so person on privacy as well. FB is locked down and family and friends IRL only.

Here at the Village...well...things are different. I've been here long enough that it would be hard for people not to know a fair bit about me, even if I just posted tidbits. I've sacrificed some privacy to teach/encourage people. BUT I also do not give location to anyone unless I've 'known' them on the boards for a long time (well over a year) and they are a long time contributor in a positive vein.

I also use a pseudonym. I used to sign my name to all my posts, but stopped that. I'm just plain 'peanut' now. I certainly don't openly post my address, phone number or SIN (same as US SS#). Though if anyone read all my posts (and that would be a lot!) they would be able to pinpoint my location I think. Or figure out how to contact me.

My DDs think I give out too much information online. But I've been online since 1995 and not had a problem. I don't give too much history, so it's hard for the 'bad guys' to connect the dots.

I would be more concerned about my blog giving away too much information. And I've covered my butt there by not using anyone's real name but my own. Same as on FV, no real names. By not using real names I feel freer to discuss personal health issues that might help someone else. But even there, I've cut down on that considerably!