Too much info ?

[riptides]

...Being a victim of Internet crime or crime derived from my posts on the INET is way down the list of my crime worries....

At least it is on your list and radar scope. I was once involved in a case where someone had really done a great job of trashing anothers identity. Stealing an Identity is easy compared to the work required to trash a person.

Most people have not thought of harrasment or horrible things happening to their net identities that then follow them to the real world.

 

[polo1665]

Too hard to do on the Internet ? Isn't that what hackers do all night for fun and profit , monetary theft and identity theft ?

Nice one Soundboy .

I "could" give you my full name and address. They (the hackers) could pick anyone out of the phone book if that's all it took. If I am dumb enough to post my SSN, bank account, or credit card numbers, then I am asking for trouble.

To me there are other issues that make it worthwhile to keep alot of your personal info under wraps.

1. There are alot of "different" people out there. The internet and this sight are open to anyone who cares to peruse it. I don't want anyone showing up at my front door uninvited, whether I can defend myself or not. I am not always home when my loved ones are.

2. If I were a gun owner, especially if I were an assault rifle owner, I don't think that I would be apt to post it repeatedly if my name and location were readily available. One day you may no longer be able to keep these things legally. If that happens and they start to collect them, these kind of sites will give them a head start.

3. It would be extremely difficult to blow smoke up everyones butt if they knew everything about you. On the other side of the computer screen I can come across as a reasonably intelligent fellow.
Heck, as far as you know I live in an apartment in downtown Detroit, never even seen a tractor much less owned one.
Of course I am sure that that sort of thing doesn't go on here.

Mark

 

[jdbower]

Just remember that people who troll the Internet looking for things to steal generally prefer to steal stuff they can take over the Internet - so don't park your tractor too close to your cable modem lest it gets sucked in! For stealing physical objects you have to look at your neighbors. First, it's your neighbors who will be doing the stealing (not necessarily the guy who lives next door, but someone local), someone in Houston who sees that your tractor isn't locked up isn't going to drive to Boise to take it. Second, do you really have anything that's worth a lot more than your neighbors? Sure, I've got stuff that's more valuable to me, but in general if you've got a $50k tractor your neighbor probably has one too. And if they don't then they've probably got a boat or a car that evens things out. Is it wise to post your full address, your schedule, and your bank account number online? No. Is it bad to share any information? Of course not. When I post on Facebook that I'm headed out of town it's possible a thief may see the information and be able to act on it, but I know my neighbor will see it and she'll make sure there aren't any moving vans in the driveway while I'm gone.

The Internet's only as scary as you make it, a little common sense goes a long way. I find it's much more useful to encourage people to only write stuff they wouldn't mind their mother, wife, or kids reading than to worry that someone will be able to track me down and steal my precious ceramic cookers.

 

[MossRoad]

Well, if someone wants to gather all that information on the internet, locate my home, travel across the country (or world) break into my house while I am at work and steal the beans that are left in my Y2K stash, there isn't much I can do to stop them from trying. I do agree that some of us TBN members post a tad too much information regarding their gun collections, gold bullion in the basement, etc..., but you can pick up that information from your co-workers at work hanging around the coffee machine.

Everyone works, so all criminals know you have to leave the house sometime. Most homes in America have guns. Some more than others. Most homes in America have consumer electronics, again, some more than others. Most homes in America have power tools and lawn care equipment, some (TBN members ) more than others. Heck, if I want to know who lives in a fancy house I can go to the tax office and find out who owns it. Or I can go to the library and look in a reverse directory, search the address, find the name of the person that lives there and probably find their occupation. I can go on google earth and look in their back yard. I can drive by several times a day and determine their comings and goings. I can toss a brick through their window and see if the cops show up to determine if they have an alarm system. I can steal their trash, or their mail. All kinds of stuff we can learn about people, internet or not.

I don'f flash wads of cash or drive a fancy car or wear expensive clothes to attract attention to myself. But I do talk to people about my kids, job, house, etc... on the internet just like I would in a conversation in a public place like a market, mall, etc...

 

[SPYDERLK]

Well, theres always somebody here on the farm, and we have guns, and dogs that herald everybody until they recognize them.
larry

 

[polo1665]

Well, theres always somebody here on the farm, and we have guns, and dogs that herald everybody until they recognize them.
larry

Well, there goes your name off the list. Hope your happy, times as tough as they are, and you go defending yourself and stuff.

Mark

 

[polo1665]

I don'f flash wads of cash or drive a fancy car or wear expensive clothes to attract attention to myself. But I do talk to people about my kids, job, house, etc... on the internet just like I would in a conversation in a public place like a market, mall, etc...

I believe that there is a slight difference in a conversation being overheard by a couple people at the mall, and posting information that is readily available to millions of people at any time. Don't get me wrong. I am not paranoid in the least, and agree with the gist of your post, but there is a difference IMO.

Mark

 

[deerefan]

i do some business online, but other than the little info TBN has, there is not much to find. i refuse to have a myspace/facebook page, that is an open invitation for someone to find out too much.

 

[riptides]

i do some business online, but other than the little info TBN has, there is not much to find. i refuse to have a myspace/facebook page, that is an open invitation for someone to find out too much.

The friend of a friend can be my friend.

Really depends on how you use those social networks.

 

[jdbower]

I believe that there is a slight difference in a conversation being overheard by a couple people at the mall, and posting information that is readily available to millions of people at any time.

I agree, and that's why I never talk about stuff at the mall. You see at the mall every single person there is not only within driving distance of my house but they could follow me home if they wanted - it only takes one bad apple. On TBN of the millions of potential viewers chances are no one even knows where I live beyond city, state and there are probably only about three people who see the post who are within a reasonable drive from me.