Inspired by Dislifer; "Why do you post your child's picture on the internet?"

[coolmom99]

I'm wondering what "God's law" refers to and how posting my kids photo and finding us are related to him enforcing "God's law".

I may be wrong but I don't think that the poster was saying that posting the picture was the reason for him enforcing "God's Law". I understood it to mean that he was angry about something else and because they had posted a picture he could therefore find out who they are.

People keep saying that there are many other places that kids could be in danger of pedophiles as if that is a reason for it being ok to post their pictures on line. Why would you want to increase that risk? There are many ways for someone to find out who you are.

 

[mamaprincess]

I must admit I am scared to do it. With hackers and weirdo's I can't seem to feel safe enough to do it. I don't want any weirdo fixating on my family. Yes I know the majority of us are decent people but there are a few that aren't and I can't take even the remotest chance with my girls.

I would never however, bash anyone for posting pics. I'm sure they've accessed the risks and feel safe. I'm just more paranoid than some are. I have enjoyed the pics of families on vacation. I know the chance of some one seeing your child then finding a way to get into your computer to get personal info is extremely remote but if it can be done, I have to think about that as a possible outcome.

 

[DawnCt1]

I recently booked our award seats to Hawaii and I had a small window of opportunity and a small window of flexibility with regard to the dates. I had some concerns about the process which I posted on flyertalk. Fortunately someone PM'd me in that forum and gave me his cell phone number because the information and access to a specific telephone number was invaluable in booking the flights. I am glad that he took a risk to help me and that I was trusting enough to accept the information, call him (caller id) and get the help I needed.

 

[dcentity2000]

I'd always be a little scared that some stranger would be getting some kinda thrill out of looking at them. I'd imagine that I'd also be proud of them and would naturally want to share them with the world.



Rich::

 

[mamaprincess]

I recently booked our award seats to Hawaii and I had a small window of opportunity and a small window of flexibility with regard to the dates. I had some concerns about the process which I posted on flyertalk. Fortunately someone PM'd me in that forum and gave me his cell phone number because the information and access to a specific telephone number was invaluable in booking the flights. I am glad that he took a risk to help me and that I was trusting enough to accept the information, call him (caller id) and get the help I needed.

strangely, I have taken risks that are probably more dangerous such as exchanging phone #'s with a mom for cindy resses. I took that chance. I also am on a gift exchange clearly that is very chancey. I guess we all have our areas of paranoia and areas where we don't feel quite as vulnerable. I guess sharing pics with so many people makes me feel more vulnerable even though it isn't as dangerous as sharing personal info.

 

[grlpwrd]

I am a member of another forum and things got really ugly when they switched to an optional fee-based membership with those members having access to their own "premium" boards.

The majority of the members were moms who knew each other online for a long time. We traded stories, good and bad, we spoke about our kids and families, and we traded coupons. I have heard a few stories how some of them harassed each other and some even to the point of threatening their kids and families so things of this nature are not unlikely as we may think. There was even slander and hatred posted on a site (a bad name site ****edcompany.com) which only compounded the problem because people were free to post whatever they wanted as it was an unmoderated board there. At one point IIRC a member's personal info (name/address/phone) was splashed all over there which compromised her and her family's safety. To think this was a community of moms!

At a fitness site I belong a fellow member was fired from her job at a dating service because some of the things she posted angered some and they knew where she worked because she was free with that kind of info. She badmouthed her employer and her boss read her comments.

I have posted my kids pics, but only an older one from 1998 and my baby's pic is not updated and I don't plan to ever place my pic online either. I think guarding your personal info is more of a priority because someone could use it against you, even to the point of harm. I even use a PO box for every type of correspondence, especially with my ebay transactions.

Like I always say things you do or say online may come back to haunt you.

ETA: My 14yo and 10yo dd's started blogs and inserted the names of their schools. I have mommy veto power so I edited it before they published it and we reviewed the rules of online safety. I have since made online safety a subject to concentrate on with our Girl Scout troop.

 

[bicker]

If your identity, location, etc isn't easily accessible, is it really risking a physical danger to a child?

Most photos on the Internet are traceable back to the person who posted it, typically a parent. How would you feel if your child becomes a victim because of some animosity some mentally unstable person holds towards you as the parent (perhaps even an animosity to goes back to before the child was even born -- have you always been thought-of beneficiently by every person you've ever had contact with)? What possible justification can there be for taking the risk? What possible benefit could override that caution?

When I first started coming to this Disboard, the first time my DH saw me visiting this site, he leaned over my shoulder looking at the posts & all he said was "I don't want any pictures of our kids posted online"....for these same reasons.

Smart man.

The only "horrible stories" about the internet and children actually being assaulted are instances where the molester has started a dialogue in a chat room or via email.

Not true.

 

[DawnCt1]

Most photos on the Internet are traceable back to the person who posted it, typically a parent. How would you feel if your child becomes a victim because of some animosity some mentally unstable person holds towards you as the parent (perhaps even an animosity to goes back to before the child was even born -- have you always been thought-of beneficiently by every person you've ever had contact with)? What possible justification can there be for taking the risk? What possible benefit could override that caution?

.

You have made some very good points. I guess I just have trouble wrapping my mind around anyone who would have that much anger over opinions posted here that they would go to the trouble of doing that. I know that they certainly could exist however. There a a couple of posters on this board that I would not want to have easy access to me or my family and others posters, who if they had that, wouldn't bother me a bit.

 

[bicker]

Again, I won't go into the details, but our family's experience had nothing to do with anyone participating in an online forum. The photos in question were posted on a regular personal web page.

 

[C.Ann]

In this day and age of high technology, photos can be digitally altered and appear on porn sites.. 'Nuff said..

 

[Hillbeans]

I'm just going to make a point here and it may be slightly O/T. I send my pictures out through Snapfish for developing. Who is to say someone won't "intercept" them via my e-mail or someone who works for Snapfish is a pedophile? I just can't understand why people have to make other people feel bad for posting a family picture.

Anything anyone posts on a public forum is fair game - pictures, dates of travel, etc. Maybe Dislifer won't post her kids pictures, but after doing a one second search on her posts, I know the date she's flying, the city she's flying out of, the flight time and airline she's on and what hotel she's staying at. Just because people don't post pictures of their kids doesn't mean they don't give out TMI.

 

[marlasmom]

C.Ann = Yep. But I have met people at WDW and had a couple to my house. Doesn't bother me a bit.

 

[DawnCt1]

I'm just going to make a point here and it may be slightly O/T. I send my pictures out through Snapfish for developing. Who is to say someone won't "intercept" them via my e-mail or someone who works for Snapfish is a pedophile? I just can't understand why people have to make other people feel bad for posting a family picture.

Anything anyone posts on a public forum is fair game - pictures, dates of travel, etc. Maybe Dislifer won't post her kids pictures, but after doing a one second search on her posts, I know the date she's flying, the city she's flying out of, the flight time and airline she's on and what hotel she's staying at. Just because people don't post pictures of their kids doesn't mean they don't give out TMI.

You have made an excellent point as well. One can take their film into the local CVS or Ritz Camera for developing, and there is access to photos that could be abused in those locations as also. If there is a will, there is a way.

 

[Hillbeans]

You have made an excellent point as well. One can take their film into the local CVS or Ritz Camera for developing, and there is access to photos that could be abused in those locations as also. If there is a will, there is a way.

Exactly - and i've probably divulged too much about my identity at some point or another on the DIS however I guess that's the chance I take for posting on this board - as do all of us. Someone also made a point on the other board that ANYONE can take pictures of our kids anytime we leave the house. No one lives in a bubble.

 

[robinb]

Obviouly, I have no problem posting my DD's picture (or my own sometimes) on the internet. Then again, I am not the paranoid type .

 

[ChrisnSteph]

I'm the poster who got "bashed". I'm not going to defend why I put my dd's picture in my siggy. It's a decision I made, like many, many others here. I'm not sure why the poster, who had 125 posts, picked yesterday to call me on it, in a thread that nothing to do with the topic.

One thing I don't think is wise however, is in planning a trip, stating what dates you'll be there, which hotel and room you'll be staying in, AND pictures of your entire family. Even then, the chance is slim to none that someone would actually track you down there.

I'm not going to live in fear of everything. I've read up n the dangers of the internet, and I haven't read anything yet where a child was tracked down soley by a picture the parents had on their internet siggy. Now I'm sure there's a case or two, somewhere, I just haven't heard of one. I hear more about the predators who track down older kids that are actually surfing the internet themselves. My dd is has more of a threat to her by riding her bike to school, having her photo in the school yearbook, the local newspaper and being in sports - how those group sports photos? I'm not going to stress and worry about my siggy photo.

 

[Sparx]

I am good with technology, and I can tell you the chances of being tracked down on a picture and a 'location' are slim to none, one might say close to impossible. Do you know how many children are in the world? if a pedophile saw a picture of ONE why would he/she travel and hunt for that one child when they could just go to the park and find one? It doesn't make sense. I know the thread the op is talking about, and I read the post that was refered to. I have to agree, most people are sane and safe people, but then you get these thundering loons that act like this. My pictures are up here, several in fact. I don't see why we have to cower in fear of something that no one can prove is going to happen. Is there a chance? Yes. There is also a chance you will get in a car wreck every time you drive. are you going to stop driving now? no. JMO.

 

[mamaprincess]

I am good with technology, and I can tell you the chances of being tracked down on a picture and a 'location' are slim to none, one might say close to impossible. Do you know how many children are in the world? if a pedophile saw a picture of ONE why would he/she travel and hunt for that one child when they could just go to the park and find one? It doesn't make sense. I know the thread the op is talking about, and I read the post that was refered to. I have to agree, most people are sane and safe people, but then you get these thundering loons that act like this. My pictures are up here, several in fact. I don't see why we have to cower in fear of something that no one can prove is going to happen. Is there a chance? Yes. There is also a chance you will get in a car wreck every time you drive. are you going to stop driving now? no. JMO.

Good points. We all have our areas of concern everyone here has stated valid points I think. We all just have to do what we feel is right and then hope for the best.

 

[lulugirl]

Those of us who choose NOT to share photo's of our children are not paranoid.
Those who DO share photo's are not careless.
We all have different comfort levels.
I don't understand why someone would be bashed over this? (I'm not familiar w/ the the other thread that has been mentioned)

 

[bicker]

the chances of being tracked down on a picture and a 'location' are slim to none, one might say close to impossible.

Even if they're already looking for/at YOU?

Be safe.