Attention Everyone!!!

[Lotus Blossom]

Hello Everyone,

I am really concerned about our security and personal privacy right now. A client of mine has informed me that somehow his contacts and fellow hobbyists somehow mysteriously appeared as his friends on his facebook account!!! So he now knows my real name all my info my families info. thank god I can trust him because if I didn't i would flip out. Having that happen and expose our personal lives and info with others without my say so is not cool. So I figured maybe it was cause he used the same email address on both so it somehow linked together. I dont know but I just wanted to alert you all. thank you for your time and please be extra careful you dont want your personal stuff in the hands of a wierdo.

[Chica Chaser]

I keep advocating to keep any and ALL hobby activity off of FB, Twitter, etc.
Both men and women.

[royamcr]

One thing that can happen is if you have some hobby friends on yahoo messenger or AIM. Facebook can search those contacts and make links to Real names on Facebook. There are tons of other types of accounts it can do this with also.

[allofamber]

it's all being linked up through your contact list on your cell phone....do you log into facebook off your cell phone? have you posted anything from your cell phone on your face book? that's how it's linking up. you have to use separate phones, in this industry....

[conquer_it_all]

Use separate phones people. It is of the utmost importance. If you login to facebook on one phone, DO NOT make contact to with any providers or hobbyists on that same phone. Facebook is notorious for linking this to that and that to this.

[AimeeAims]

Facebook recommended a hobby friend to me out of the blue. My facebook is private (pictures, wall, and info, and you cannot search by my name) From what I see, there is no link from him to me as I use separate email addresses and do not give out my real life name. Facebook is sneaky!

[daratu1]

One reason why I just ditched Facebook.

I've heard it in other forums, and I'm sure it's been stated here:
Different phones. Get a cheapo prepaid cell with cash from Walmart, seven eleven, radioshack, or wherever. You don't have to activate with a real name, and you can choose an out of state area code if you like.

Different email. As we have been shown in the news recently, many in the hobby seem to use their work or personal email accounts for registering on places like eccie.net. They then use those same email accounts to email any of the ladies they are trying to see.

Facebook links everything. It's actually part of their mission statement: to have a completely open internet. No anonymity there.

So, take it for what it's worth. Hobby related communications go through a dedicated phone and email address. And power off the non hobby device when traveling to meet a lady.

[DEPmic05]

This is one of the things I dislike about some of the social networks. The way things can be automatically linked, seeing the conversations and comments other people are making.

It happened to me through Yahoo. I was invited to link with one of my contacts, and not knowing any better I did. At that point, my contacts started being linked together. I have no interest in "everything open, no secrets". Who I'm in contact with is my business and none of my other contacts need to know unless I choose to tell them.

Another time, a friend of mine was trying to break up with a guy she had a fling with. It was getting ugly. As it so happened, she was linked with him through Yahoo and since I was linked with her, I got to see all of his comments to her. I let her know, she cut the link with him and his comments disappeared. This was something she did not want her siblings or friends to see.

In the end, the thing that frustrates me is the way these links can be set up without you realizing it. I prefer that things happen because I want them to, not automatically because it's a default setting. I dislike not being able to choose.

So far, I've avoided any awkward situations, but stories like this continue to give me pause.

[dfwninja]

Social networks try their best to do their jobs, network with who you socialize with. They link yahoo, twitter, myspace, facebook, facepage, mybook, mycrazyexgirlfriend, or whatever to each other, so they can advertize themselves to your friends. and it's legal because it's in their "terms of service" bla bla.

the only way to keep from bumping into problems it to have at least two whole separate identities. Have a different phone number, email, and whatever else you need to hobby, and make sure they have nothing to do with the other you. it's called a virtual identity.

Companies are paying huge dollars to very intelligent people to find info on you to use to sell you and your circle as much as they can. keeping things marked private only keeps them from me and random people. it doesn't keep stuff from the company you give your info to. it just takes one accidental click to link your FB and your Google, and bam, everyone who has ever spammed you is now your FB buddy.

The funniest problem I had once, I installed a Logictek webcam to my pc. it asked to import people from my email. I wanted to get connected to my mom and brother for a conferance call type thing, so that seemed to make it easier. When I did it, all of a sudden tons of webcams popped up that my wifey sure was not appreciating. They were camsex spam emails I got that were trying to connect to my new cam. HAHA. I had to show her the spam to get out of hot water. It was funny.

[daratu1]

Originally Posted by dfwninja

Social networks try their best to do their jobs, network with who you socialize with. They link yahoo, twitter, myspace, facebook, facepage, mybook, mycrazyexgirlfriend, or whatever to each other, so they can advertize themselves to your friends. and it's legal because it's in their "terms of service" bla bla.

the only way to keep from bumping into problems it to have at least two whole separate identities. Have a different phone number, email, and whatever else you need to hobby, and make sure they have nothing to do with the other you. it's called a virtual identity.

I agree. But I'm a paranoid geek so I personally would recommend a virtual identity for online, then one for hobby, and then real world. I've read too many articles and know too much about online presense to want my real world id to be linked to anything I do online. Wired magazine (and online) covered virtual identities as well as managing your online presense. I'd recommend checking it out just for info.

[jframe2]

I am a geek, but not paranoid.... just knowledgeable.

Not only should you watch out on the technology (phone and internet) to keep your civilian and hobby lives separate, but you should also watch out how the other party (providers watch clients and clients watch providers) handles their technology.

I become very sensitive when I learn that a provider uses a smartphone to run her business. I make gentle queries to try and gain a sense of her abilities and understanding of what the dangers are of using a smartphone.

I have quit seeing two providers because they did not have a clue! And could not understand the implications of inter-weaving their business world and civilian world through the use of the smart-phone.

Just my 2 cents worth.

[ErectionDemolitionSpclst]

Originally Posted by daratu1

I agree. But I'm a paranoid geek so I personally would recommend a virtual identity for online, then one for hobby, and then real world. I've read too many articles and know too much about online presense to want my real world id to be linked to anything I do online. Wired magazine (and online) covered virtual identities as well as managing your online presense. I'd recommend checking it out just for info.

3 Identities then...Whoa, hard to keep track of stuff as it is and talk about multiple personalities...LOL. More than 100% agree about doing such, though. Very smart indeed!

[daratu1]

Originally Posted by ErectionDemolitionSpclst

3 Identities then...Whoa, hard to keep track of stuff as it is and talk about multiple personalities...LOL. More than 100% agree about doing such, though. Very smart indeed!

LOL. Thanks EDS. It is a challenge but I feel better knowing I am in control of what can be found on me online. At least once I started doing this.

Jframe, I 100% agree. I am wary of girls I see with a smartphone. But the last one could keep up with me on it so I felt safe. I am curious how many use smartphones and how many of them use a google voice number for their business.

[Sensia]

disable your public search function in your privacy settings and also disable the apps and games functions that do all the linking.

[thx]

Too much malware out there that will happily grab stuff off your FB profile, and or put fake postings to an infected site to catch new accounts.