Personal Information

[Andiamo1]

Talk about an invasion of privacy! I don't know if they are referring to this forum or not.

News Alert
from The Wall Street Journal

The market for personal data about Internet users is booming, and in the vanguard is the practice of "scraping." Firms offer to harvest online conversations and collect personal details from social-networking sites, résumé sites and online forums where people might discuss their lives. In May, Nielsen Co. scraped private forums where patients discuss illnesses.

The seventh installation in the Wall Street Journal's series on Internet-tracking technology:

[child24angel]

Once your life is out there, it's out there, here or other places
FB, MS, etc.  

I've heard that employers look on FB for a potential employee.

I've also heard of authorities catching people on FB who
are wanted by the law for one reason or another.

I've not heard anything of medical sites but, that doesn't mean
it couldn't happen:(  no place is sacred on the Internet.

Hope you're doing well !
Elaine

[nygirl7]

Data mining is everywhere and yes this site is definitely included as well...notice how the ads pop up in relevance to the posting and area you live in etc.

If you say it on the net then it's public property I guess from now on.

Which is why I dont have an FB this is personal enough information for anyone to have...I don't need people knowing what time I woke up and what I ate for breakfast.  Then celebs tweet all day and then want us to get out of thier business because it's an intrusion of their privacy - uh ok brainiacs...who started this Ashton?

[orphanedhawk]

I've considered having two computers, one for the net, and one for everything else (photos, journals, etc)

Since we are often alone in front of the screen, there is an illusion of privacy, but that is all it is, an illusion.

[mikesimon]

Has anyone thought about trackers?

[nygirl7]

Like the Indians in the old movies?

;)

[Diane12855]

Good One Deb!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My first laugh today.

Thanks!

Diane

[nygirl7]

Something for all facebook people to be aware of...

Facebook 'deleted' photos stay online for months or years
Athima Chansanchai

If you're already scared that any awkward photos taken of you may crop up later on a social network, get this: Even when they're deleted, they may stay accessible for many, many months.

http://technolog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/10/12/5277939-facebook-deleted-photos-stay-online-for-months-or-years

[Trish77]

Andiamo,

Perhaps you could include the links to these articles.  I found the following on tracking.  I wasn't aware of this, actually.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703977004575393173432219064.html

And good to see you, btw.....also good NOT to see you and know that you are out there taking your life back. :)  

Best and warm regards.

Trish

[nygirl7]

You know  I was thinking about this and it seems to me that recently a member or two here have had personal information about themselves leaked onto the forum.  I know a few times people made up different IDs of me to screw with me but that's a totally different thing - so somehow where there is a will there is a way.  I'm just not smart enough to be able to figure it out.

Best advice is if you don't want someone on the internet to know something - never, ever say it if you do it becomes fair game.   It's only the internet in the end but words and copy and paste have power.

[Trish77]

"I know a few times people made up different IDs of me to screw with me but that's a totally different thing - so somehow where there is a will there is a way.  I'm just not smart enough to be able to figure it out. "

Yeah, that's a totally different thing.  That's just simply lowlife guttersnipe behaviour, not internet tracking.  I know someone did similar to me in taking out a fake identity only I do know those behind it.  I've seen others with fake identities not so much leaking personal information on the forum but attempting to impersonate someone and making up fictitious personal information in a feeble attempt to humiliate someone or so they think anyway.  The fact that someone would engage in such behaviour at all AND on a Hep C support forum says all anyone needs to know about these people.  Pretty sophomoric and just downright pathetic.  But hey..some people are just very, very small.

[Trish77]

"Best advice is if you don't want someone on the internet to know something - never, ever say it if you do it becomes fair game.   It's only the internet in the end but words and copy and paste have power. "

Not exactly.  There are limits to what you can do to someone on the internet, Deb.  Just because you said something in an email or on the internet does not mean someone else has the right to do whatever they want with it.  Believe it or not, there are actually laws that can intervene in some cases.  There have been some libel cases in the news over the past year and people have been forced to reveal their real identity because what they said libelled someone.  Such as your fake identity situation if it crossed over into breaking any kind of laws.  Takes awhile to investigate and then to get to laying charges but it can happen.

[mikesimon]

Sometimes I just don't understand what people are talking about.
I guess some people are just very smart - over my head for sure.
Great discussion. I am leaning a lot.

Slow Mike

[nygirl7]

Just because you said something in an email or on the internet does not mean someone else has the right to do whatever they want with it. "

Unfortunately, wth all the cyber bullying going on that I hear of in the news lately - little girls killing themselves because of information/pictures getting around/people finding out for example that man was gay and then he killed himself when the vid went viral........it seems it is almost a moot point that a person should or shouldn't do something.  If they are smart enough to get the information, they will use it.

Once something is out there - it's out there for good.  Kids need to learn to be careful with what they are doing (adults too!)

[nygirl7]

PS I'm not going to accuse anyone of doing anything in here because I am in fact the one who was paranoid enough to believe that someone on this forum was completely made up.......and I was uh wrong ;)

PS Michael you are light years ahead of us hwo could you be learning from us?  ;-P

[mikesimon]

There is a lot of very valuable information and insight in this thread. Since this issue is so complex the extensive elaboration is very instructive. This libel concept is simply fascinating. Who would have known?

Thanks again,
Mike

[Trinity4]

You really see it all online!  I know there are people on the internet who secretly feel they're not as good as others - people who feel they are poor little inadequate nobodies.  I guess that is what causes them to do things that will make them feel important.  So they make claims of having information nobody else has.  To me its hard to believe anybody would decide that out of all the people in the world with internet access, they know who is posting what.  And pretend that they have access to information that is, any rational person would agree, nobody could know.

[nygirl7]

How do you even know I am really me?  Maybe I'm some guy at 'Debs' job who has access to her facebook account and I'm really some sicko who makes up crap like how many kids and a whole fake story.  Who would really know?  Maybe I am really Steven Tyler after all - certainly that would take me out of the poor little inadequate group and lump me into something relevent anyways :)

Sadly though, those freakazoids will always exist on the internet (not Steven - just to be clear there).

Since I don't work at the FBI or CIA or something or claim to have a relative who does...I will never know who is legit and who is not so it's best to just act like they all are not.  Much safer.

[GSDgirl]

Along those lines, I don't like the people that show up out of nowhere, know just about everything (or think they do)..stir the pot, cause trouble and pooff they're gone.

[mikesimon]

I agree with you 100%.

Mike

[nygirl7]

Or that ask the same question 69 times assuming that the answer will finally be different if they don't give up. Like we'll just cave and say oh yeah positive doesn't really mean positive it means wow good luck!

[Trish77]

"There is a lot of very valuable information and insight in this thread. Since this issue is so complex the extensive elaboration is very instructive. This libel concept is simply fascinating. Who would have known?"

Clearly not a lawyer, obviously.
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http://www.cbc.ca/canada/new-brunswick/story/2010/07/12/nb-moncton-court-anonymous-commenter-disclosure-554.html

Robert Currie, a law professor at Dalhousie University in Halifax, said the Moncton court case illustrates that privacy on the internet has its limits.

Currie said he's seeing a diminishing appetite on the part of websites and internet providers to protect people who anonymously post.

"If you defame somebody on the internet, the courts can compel anybody who has your [identity] to reveal it and a civil action can be brought against you for defamation," Currie said.

Currie said people should think twice before posting anything on the internet and more people are using the courts to compel media companies to hand over the names of anonymous commenters.

....................................

"On the internet, there is very little privacy, although people feel like they have a great deal of privacy because when you're sitting at your computer, it feels very anonymous," Currie said.

"And yet, you can always be identified, unless you're very, very skillful."

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/new-brunswick/story/2010/07/12/nb-moncton-court-anonymous-commenter-disclosure-554.html#ixzz12TQcSRMx
-----------------------------------
http://www.lawyersweekly.ca/index.php?section=article&articleid=1010

"Still, ISPs can link IP addresses to customers, says Dimock, and anyone assuming they can hide their identity forever while posting defamatory statements on the Internet is mistaken.

“No one is truly anonymous,” says Dimock. "

Etc...etc....etc.

[mikesimon]

Thanks so much trish. You've been really helpful.
You're just wonderful to spend so much time guiding us through this intricate subject.
Thanks again.
Mike

[mikesimon]

Thank you too Dimock.

Mike

[Trinity4]

Truth is a complete defense to defamation, and opinion cannot be defamation.