Another GNer feels they have to leave

When you put it like that Elegran it sounds very scary indeed.

That is the nub of it, Cherrytree59 It is a known fact that nothing on the internet is biodegradable. Everything stays there forever and will come back to bite us on the bum. And it is cumulative - if you posted five years ago that unfortunately your new granddaughter was to be named Anastasia, three years ago that your son had been promoted to head of X company in Y town, a year ago that your DiL had bought a red Porsche and this summer that your granddaughter was about to start at her local nursery and was very taken with the murals of pandas all over the outside walls, the facts would all be there on the net - the daughter Anastasia of the head of X (surname easily found) goes to a nursery in Y town with pandas on the walls, and her mummy is likely to pick her up in a red Porsche. Anyone with evil in their heart could pick her out and know her name.

I deliberately did not post on that particular thread
I didn't know it was going to be lifted by the daily rag.
But I did know that it would be on Google forever and a day.

It seems that every few weeks there are posters who are surprised to learn that whatever they post is visible on the internet to anyone who cares to read it. Established posters frequently warn new ones against posting anything that can identify them, or stuff that they and their families would prefer to be kept private, but somehow it is easily forgotten that if you can read it yourself on the screen then so can everyone else

Surely everyone first joined Gransnet as a stranger because they read the posts online and found them interesting? Nothing has changed - people still find the posts interesting, and strangers can still read them, as can the families and neighbours of posters, and journalists needing copy to fill the hungry pages of their newspapers. That is how all those news snippets that are quoted and discussed in the forum find their way to you.

I believe on Mumsnet you can change your name just for a post? Or that might even be going anonymous - I forget. But if it can be done on what is almost an identical platform I see no reason why it couldn't be done here .

I don't think anything can be done. Short of saying absolutely nothing which could identify ourselves, which makes any conversation almost impossible.
There are forums which have an 'anonymous' feature, which members can use to post sensitive things, but that isn't planned for here. There could be one 'members' area which is made private, but that too, has been dismissed.

We're all anonymous. Whilst I think the DM is guilty of sloppy journalism, it's not as if they're tracking us down.

It does seem to come down to understanding that public really does mean public. Horrible when people feel unexpectedly exposed, but the site does make this apparent.

Some of us are more 'open' than others by choice. I think the rule of thumb has to be not to post anything you yourself couldn't cope with family /friends seeing if there is enough info there to identify you.

Very sad at this outcome a friendly place has become a foe...we will all have to be careful how we post....what a pity am sure lots of posters will leave.

Here is the link to Lara's comment last night.
www.gransnet.com/forums/chat/1241271-Gransnet-thread-in-Daily-Mail-on-line-today?pg=4

Is there no way of copyrighting threads?

Such a shame that people are leaving GN that's the down side of social media I suppose.

Maybe HQ should be a bit more robust with their warnings/advice about this.

I too am now afraid to post anything unless it's innocuous.
I get quite sad when I read that some posters are unhappy and have no friends.
GN is a lifeline and a source of comfort, now members will be afraid to post.
It's so easy to forget that this is a public forum.
It is indeed lazy journalism to screen shot, in fact the person responsible for the DM article has no right to call themselves a reporter.

Laura has commented on the" G'net thread in DM" thread. 21.43 last night. (Don't know how to link).

Anyone can look at threads without signing up and then just take a screenshot. Even I know how to do that.

Lazy journalism.

I recognised a scenario in DM and thought it must just be the same person commenting to the DM. I didn't realise it came directly from GN! Not on!

I saw the comment from this person late last night and was left almost afraid for them as the fear and hurt felt both real and intense. There is an inevitability that we will all be more and more careful about posting.

They won’t comment - lots to do with the bottom line I expect.

After the last thread on this subject I try to be extremely careful about what I say, and keep my posts entirely impersonal. It is a shame but as was said last time it is easy to forget that these posts are open to the world, and not cosy chat over a cup of tea as it sometimes might appear.

Ladies safeguard your family!!,

GNHQ will say it's stated that it's a public forum and that's not going to change so that's the risk you take.
I don't know who's felt the need to leave but am sad that's the case.

I want to know what GNHQ think about this.