Am I being paranoid about my privacy on this?

Question

I asked a few questions. I got some great answers from some great people. But then I suddenly realized I am talking to complete strangers. So I changed my Avatar name to a coded name- and I took off the option of having people email me. Am I being paranoid? I have noticed that most of you guys use coded names rather than your real names and prefer not to be emailed directly. I realize there are standards to this service but it is better to be safe than sorry. Am I over-reacting?

Answer 1

I would not say you are being paranoid but just being careful. There are those who use this forum as a means to bash, and would probably burn your ID as well if they could. You just learn to be careful after a while. When you have been here for a while, you will recognize the regulars who are good people and straight shooters. Til then, be a little careful.

Answer 2

Honestly, to each his own. I have a 360 page, you can email if you wish, I even use my initials. I don't have any problems, partly I think because I use the advanced features on my laptop. I have a program that can 'weed' out offencive or suspicious mail, not just spam or some such thing. If people want to email or make a comment it won't hurt me. This account is not my primary nor does my profile contain any information that couldn't be obtained through the public domain. Add to this, that given my particular work, it would be very easy for me to find someones IP address and get whatever info I needed, IF, repeat IF, they were anything other than reasonable. I've only ever had a couple of trolls bug me but they learned rather quickly that it's not smart to mess with me so you can imagine I don't get flamed or hassled often.

Answer 3

That depends on how into being contacted by strangers you are. I personally don't want people to e-mail me, but I do have a link to my 360 page on Answers. And even that can get annoying sometimes. I agree with the better safe than sorry philosophy when it comes to this. I definitely wouldn't use my first and last names, and as for e-mail, it depends on if you are interested in making friends through Answers or not.

Answer 4

I think only you can answer this.

I decline emails because it has been proven over and over again that I get targeted by bigots and haters. Perhaps this is because I call them on the carpet for their prejudice.
Last week I opened up my email for at most about 15 minutes to send my email address to one person (who was asking about what to see and do in SF, where I live) and in that short time, I got three flame hatemails.

I use a "code" screen name since it is more interesting than my real name :o), and emblematic of what I try to stand for.

Answer 5

That is an robust contradiction, to be sincere. Like one other poster, I could comprise a quantity of alternative web packages except fb as culprits. But the factor is taken. You signal up for that mess and get information mined continuously, and aid the method together with posting stuff approximately your individual existence. Nothing that is going on the net ever real is going away, not anything. As for casinos...that I'm ok with. I have the option to gamble or no longer in a type of areas, and I get that the ones measures are there to preserve persons from dishonest on their personal estate. The on line casino homeowners are not going to learn my emails or monitor my routine as soon as I return residence (no less than, I desire they do not, LOL!). In quick, the Vegas men are plenty much less prone to eavesdrop on me for no well intent than a few do-gooder bureaucrat.

Answer 6

Code name? I use an alias because I always have; even back in the old BBS days. (ah nostalgia) its not about security (to me) its about cool nick names. Like CB radio names. As for not letting people email them directly, well there are some weirdo’s, but I think the reason most people don’t display there email addresses is because they just don’t bother to put it, or they don’t want spam bots collecting it.

You’re not over reacting, but you might be over thinking it.

Answer 7

Nope, you're dead on. Regarding e-mail, though, I discovered that if you enable e-mail on your profile page, the other person only sees your screen name, not your actual e-mail address (you see it on your profile page, he doesn't). And if you e-mail someone that way, they get an e-mail via Yahoo that only shows your screen name, not your account name or address. And when you write back, you click on the link for that purpose within the e-mail which continues the security. So that's pretty safe. I have an e-mail address listed in my profile that actually goes to my other Yahoo account, but so far no one has used it, I imagine because if you do, it's REAL e-mail, with your actual e-mail address and account name disclosed.

If you're "out" your adult privacy isn't so much of a concern as getting spammed if you disclose your actual address. The bigger worry is kids using their real names and addresses. It's a constant battle to discourage them from doing that.

Answer 8

Now you've piqued my curiosity. I've been looking for someone new to stalk. j/k.


I don't use my real name because of what happened to the shac 7, they're sitting in jail now just for having a web site. There's no such thing as free speech when the government considers anyone who doesn't eat meat to be a "terrorist."

I don't let people email me because I already get more email than I read.

Answer 9

Well you don't have to open emails from people and if the email is bad you can one report the person and the would be kicked off the web site, and two be careful what info you give out

Answer 10

security on the internet is a oxymoron. "privacy statements by companies have so many loopholes that they are legally useless to consumers,. Microsoft has access to everything you do using one of their products, and you agreed to it because you (like all of us) were too lazy to read the EULA.
You can only slow down the invasion of your privacy, not stop it, by using firewalls and encryption codes which are hacked within hours of their creation.
The only way to be safe is not to turn on your computer.
The question is how much are you revealing online, and how important is it to someone to use that information against you.
If they have nothing to gain, you have nothing to fear.