Forum security

[Grady Clay]

Let’s discuss our Forum security.

Recently a Poster contacted me with the fact that someone called his unlisted land-line phone about a post.
The call was of concern, possibly threatening.
Of course, I recommended he contact the Moderators (Wayne being one) and the police.

In this world of way-to-easy interconnectivity, how should we (Pelican Forum) respond to uninvited contact?

What are the rules?
How do we enforce them?
Should we encourage possible criminal prosecution if abused?
What protections should we have (either way)?

Being a ‘public’ forum, anyone can post.
Some forums require knowing a valid IP address for everyone.
Some much more.
Where should we be?
How can this help (not hinder) Wayne’s business?


I’m not proposing any change, just discussion.


This Forum is the best I have ever experienced.
We all have made life-long friends here.
That should not be diminished in the least.

Best,
Grady

[dad911]

I use the forum from multiple IP addresses, so I hope it isn't crippled in that manor.

Frankly, it's probably the poster's fault (not the forums) for publishing his unlisted phone number. My number is only given out on rare occasion, and after a few emails go back and forth (mart items, for example)

[vulcan300]

If the phone number was shared in a publicly accessible thread then there is nothing to stop anyone from using it to contact the poster. The answer to forum security is simple; don't post any info you don't want to share. This goes for threads and your profile.

Another thing that will help maintain your privacy is the use of a unique handle on the site. If you use the same handle everywhere Google makes it very easy to find what you've posted in many different places.

J

[paulgtr]

if you keep your number unlisted, posting it to a publicly accessed website is not a smart move. a guide line of do's and don'ts for your own protection could be an idea. common sense things that can be forgotten in the relaxed atmosphere that is cultivated here.

[Joe Bob]

Personally, it's not the responsibility of the of the forum to police such situations. They haven't done it in the past and are certainly not going to do it in the future.

If the management does so because someone is special, then it should be done for all....it ain't gonna happen.

[sailchef]

With all the social media sites like Facebook, Myspace, Youtube, the dating sites like
E-harmony, Match.com. , the networking sites like Classmates.com and hundreds of other public forums out there, it will only be a short while before there is no private information at all. Period. And no one will be able to avoid it.

If you think fancy passwords, firewalls, moderators, or any other type of internet cops will be stopping it ( during this century anyway) then you have really lost touch with reality.

If you don't want people to know your business, your name, where you live or what's in your bank account then don't put it on-line.

You have only yourself to blame if you think that you are 100% protected. There is a whole new breed of bad guy out there. And they do it from their home, just like most of us are logging on to Pelican from home.

And that web cam staring at you right now........are you sure its not on?

Having said all that, I do empathize with those that have been wronged.

[peon77]

it is the information age, not the privacy age. google yourself sometime, it is concerning to me how easy it is to get whatever info you may desire, but that is the age we live in.

[RSTarga]

hey. if it happen to the gov, it can happen to anyone. don't put anything on the web that you want kept private. like that tatoo for example.

[McLovin]

Originally Posted by Grady Clay

Let’s discuss our Forum security.

Recently a Poster contacted me with the fact that someone called his unlisted land-line phone about a post.
The call was of concern, possibly threatening.

Grady,

that's not a security issue. he obviously knowingly disclosed the number. a security issue would be something like if the site required info to register, which was supposed to remain confidential, and someone cracked the site and got the info.

like said by many above, you have to be careful with personal info (real name, address, etc) on the Net.

if the world were full of gentlemen like you, there'd be no need for concern. unfortunately, that's not the case in the modern era.

[porschenut]

There is no such thing as forum security. Everyone is responsible for their own security. Anytime you establish a presence on the internet, any and all information you post becomes vulnerable to anyone who wants to use it for any purpose they like.

[Mothy]

One thing I have seen in some threads is where someone will post a question like 'Does anyone have a contact number for xxxx?' It might be for another member who has not posted for a while or for someone who can provide a service related to our cars.

People then respond with the number or a street address because they have it from another source. Now the number is in the public domain but the owner had nothing to do with putting it there.

We should all be mindfull before posting other peoples information.

Tim

[Canada Kev]

Assume that all information you put out there will be publicly available. My Facebook profile lists my birthday as April 1 (oddly appropriate some might say) and my occupation as professional lawnmower racer. Nothing of importance is actually listed or correct.

Not using the same handle on every diferent forum is a pretty good idea. And just put a piece of tape over the webcam...

[Hugh R]

It ain't the forum, it's the internet. I have an app on my Iphone called "beenverified". I put in my name and state and it gave me my address, who lives in my house, that my brother lives 3 doors down, who lives in his house. Did the same thing with my BIL and it gave me the same info and that in 1968 he was arrested and fined $12 at 16 y/o for fishing without a license in his home state of Tennessee.

[ossiblue]

Originally Posted by McLovin

Grady,

that's not a security issue. he obviously knowingly disclosed the number. a security issue would be something like if the site required info to register, which was supposed to remain confidential, and someone cracked the site and got the info.

like said by many above, you have to be careful with personal info (real name, address, etc) on the Net.

if the world were full of gentlemen like you, there'd be no need for concern. unfortunately, that's not the case in the modern era.

Originally Posted by Mothy

One thing I have seen in some threads is where someone will post a question like 'Does anyone have a contact number for xxxx?' It might be for another member who has not posted for a while or for someone who can provide a service related to our cars.

People then respond with the number or a street address because they have it from another source. Now the number is in the public domain but the owner had nothing to do with putting it there.

We should all be mindfull before posting other peoples information.

Tim

+1.

These two posts sum it up. If we're all a bit more cautious with personal information about anyone, incidents like the one Grady posted might never happen.

[KTL]

It is what it is. This forum is expressly about interaction and sometimes off-line discussions need to take place. Some people are care free about their contact info- email addys, telephone numbers, addresses. That of course opens the door to reclaiming this information via search.

Simple answer is provide a posting guideline in the forum as a sticky topic that remains as a top-of-the-list post. However I don't know that this forum has much questionable behavior that warrants this? Plus if people don't take the time to read the forum guidelines, which honestly most people likely don't do (similar to the acceptance of the fine print when you sign up for a forum or when you download new software. etc.) so there's not much that can be done about it.

I've had people contact me out of the blue because I appear to be somewhat knowledgable about....... a few things???? I don't sweat it because nowadays in the age of information, people don't always think about coming across as invading one's privacy. Like I said, if you're willing to participate in a public forum then many people take that as you being approachable, even off-line. That being said, there's lines that are sometimes precariously crossed. Some people treat phone numbers like its a place of business and of course that's not always the case.