A scary idea.....

[DLBDS]

This idea came to me recently and I thought it was kinda scary....Have you ever thought about singling someone out on the DISboards, following them around and seeing how much information you can gather about them? I've never done it but I thought it up so someone must be doing it. Imagine it. We divulge bits and pieces about ourselves within just about every post we make. It wouldn't be too difficult to find out things such as the town of residence, job, age, gender, marital status, hobbies, favorite things, pet peeves, pets, children (and their names/ages), family members etc etc etc....even when and where we'll be on vacation!

Then again, maybe I've just had too much idle time of late. Still, it's a scary thought to think someone could be putting together a dossier on you based on what they found on the DIS.

 

[Pop Daddy]

Its called stalking, we do it all the time

 

[disneynutt1225]

 

[Jillpie]

well, we may divulge some personal information, but rarely does anyone divulge their last names. Not too much you can do without that. You may know we have two lab dogs, but you can't find out too much more without knowing my town and last name, two things I never give out here. I often cringe when people do. I have given my address to a chosen trusted few Disers, but not too many. You can't be too careful.

 

[mommasita]

Its called stalking, we do it all the time

 

[tevagirl]

They'd be bored to death following me around.

 

[Aidensmom]

I am sure there are people that do just that, but I think you are more at risk of any type of harm from just walking around in real life than from someone who may try to stalk you on the internet.

 

[Pop Daddy]

They'd be bored to death following me around.

I know, I have

 

[Disney Doll]

You know, years ago I had a friend who suspected her husband was cheating on her. Turns out she was right, but that's another story.

Anyhow, this was in the days before the Internet was as prevalent as it is now(mid to late 80's) and you would be amazed to know the amount of info I found out just by knowing where to look and how to play dumb.

For example, we were looking for the street the woman lived on. So I called the telephone information. Asked for Betty Smith on Main Street in Anytown. The operator goes "I have a Betty Smith on Park Street in Anytown, but not onoe on Main Street". Thank you...you just told me exactly what I needed to know! We were able to find Betty Smith's house on Park Street in Anytown by driving up and down the street frequently until we saw her husband's car parked there.

And I am an amateur. Imagine what a professional can do!

 

[tevagirl]

I know, I have

Hey!

 

[disneynutt1225]

I am sure there are people that do just that, but I think you are more at risk of any type of harm from just walking around in real life than from someone who may try to stalk you on the internet.

Exactly. I think if anyone decided to stalk me they'd go away on their own pretty quickly out of sheer boredom.

 

[DISUNC]

They'd be bored to death following me around.

There is only one thing worse then reading my posts....Its WATCHING me type my posts!!!

 

[DISUNC]

I know, I have

But if someone here stalks you, At least I hope they report back to us...What you really do with all the sleeves from your shirts!

 

[C.Ann]

It can all be done via the internet - without ever having to physically go to your neighborhood.. People do it all the time.. There are people right here on the DIS (and other message boards) who know quite a bit about the posters here - people they have never met - and what they can't find, they make up.. They're either amateur detectives or people who simply don't have anything else to do with their time..

Unless it were a pedophile stalking children, I wouldn't worry too much about it.. It takes up their time and gives them something to talk about - no real harm done..

 

[jfulcer]

I'm not worried. No one will ever figure my last name out.

 

[Pop Daddy]

But if someone here stalks you, At least I hope they report back to us...What you really do with all the sleeves from your shirts!

they become coats for weiner dogs

 

[DLBDS]

well, we may divulge some personal information, but rarely does anyone divulge their last names. Not too much you can do without that. You may know we have two lab dogs, but you can't find out too much more without knowing my town and last name, two things I never give out here. I often cringe when people do. I have given my address to a chosen trusted few Disers, but not too many. You can't be too careful.

You may not give it out but a determined person could figure it out based on other information you've provided on the DIS. For instance, say you plan a WDW trip. During that visit, you plan a 'meet and greet' with your fellow DISers traveling during the same time. Stalker knows you're going to be there ('cause you said so on the DIS) and plans to attend. You meet. You introduce yourself. You may not realize you've provided your last name. Maybe it's second nature to give your full name when you meet someone? Anyway, my point is a determined person could find out your last name. I admit, this example was a little extreme but it made the point. I'm not 'worried' about someone stalking me. Like I said, I thought about doing it. Just to see what I could gather. (Maybe it's the investigator in me?) And it got me to thinking about what an unstable person could/would do with the information they were able to garner. Don't worry folks....I have neither the time nor a real desire to do something like this.

 

[diznygirl]

they become coats for weiner dogs

It't true....

 

[Piecey]

The coats for weiner dogs thing is hilarious!!

There was a thread about DIS Stalkers not too long ago-- it was meant to be funny, though.. I think?

I had to take out all my trip info, go back and make sure I didn't post ADR information or anything because my real-life stalker is on the DIS now and I didn't want him knowing stuff...

So I guess I completely understand where you're coming from, except he already knows my personal info and I'm just trying to keep where I'll be secret.

 

[Poohnatic]

If they wanna follow around a married, overweight 40 year old with two kids, one with special needs-have at it!

I was singled out on a thread a while back for naming my town and school info. Did it bother me? Yep. Will I stop being me as a result? Nope. I'm an open book IRL, so the thought of not being 'me' here is strange.

Sometimes, I feel that being open is helpful. Walk a mile in my shoes, if you will. By sharing some info about my life, it might help someone else in the same situation.

Heck, classmates is worse than here. I looked up some former classmates and coworkers, and they have this search feature on the bottom giving name, age and town. Freaky, though it has me in some places I've never been.

Suzanne