Security Issues...... Bad Habits

[Bruce]

Jake's small pee pee, er, I mean his birthday post, allbeit a false alarm, brings up a security point. Although just a small point in a much larger situation.It is my position that you should NEVER, unless filing out a legal document such as a credit app, use your real birthday anywhere on the internet. While this forum does not ask for last names, it does ask for 1st names and birth dates. So I suggest you put in a close (if you want) but false birth date. Here and everywhere else... including those who go to porno sites and ask for a birth date to 'verify' you are over 18.Computers never forget. ID theft geeks troll 24/7 looking for tid bits of information to enter into a data base that cross references and then spits out 'you' when matches are made.Ebay has had a huge issue with 'data miners' and we all know about what happens when you put out a craigslist ad..... all are small pieces put into a data base that is never cleaned, never forgets..... always churning....Facebook, myspace, and others are all accessible 24/7 to the trolls. High tech programs called 'web crawlers' are working all the time looking for bits of YOUR information.This forum stops new members from posting BECAUSE of so many new members are false members, joining just for spam reasons. Using search engines, the 'average' person can google anyone and then add information to it, or use it backwards to weed out the wrong information, narrowing it down to the person you are looking for. Using a 1st name, state and occupation, especially if it is a licensed occupation and therefore it may have an internet based searchable database. Having a birthday makes it that much easier. And so far, no money is spent! If you want actually spend money, there there are paid sites that will add information to what you already have or are looking for.Sooner or later, you get ID theft issues. And there is 'bad' and 'not so bad' kinds of ID theft. Most of the time we hear horror stories of credit cards and mortgages as well as false tax returns in the name of the person who had their ID stolen. However, up until recently, there were many thousands of stolen IDs used by illegals or people hiding, which allowed them to work. As long as (no longer true) they did not file for a tax refund, they went undetected for many years. So, I suggest you get into the good habit of posting as little ID related information on any internet venue. Post all the posts you want, but not the personal details.

Edited January 1, 2012 by Bruce

[Jollygoodfellow]

While this forum does not ask for last names, it does ask for 1st names and birth dates.

Just to clarifie that statement, the forum does not ask for first names, it asks for a display name and a user name which both can be anything at all. Birthday dates are not compulsory here either.