The free gift, that gave me so much pleasure.

Lahlah65

Genuine question here for PG. Obviously scraping email addresses is a very common practice, but I was not aware that email content can be scraped, and I’m not quite sure how, if the email is properly protected with secure passwords etc?
I think the potential risks of posting pictures of children on social media are well known, but I had assumed that it was quite safe to send email images? Is this not the case?

Yes scraping is very common, for this reason I have an email address that does not contain my name that I use to subscribe/shop etc.
My other email address that does contain my name I only use for correspondence with NHS, legal, banking etcetera.

The email content is safe so long as the password is strong.
I always use Gmail, if anyone tries to sign into your account you get sent a notice immediately, you can then report it and change your password.

The email address I set up for my granddaughter has never been used to shop or subscribe and has a very high strength password so is safe.

Genuine question here for PG. Obviously scraping email addresses is a very common practice, but I was not aware that email content can be scraped, and I’m not quite sure how, if the email is properly protected with secure passwords etc?
I think the potential risks of posting pictures of children on social media are well known, but I had assumed that it was quite safe to send email images? Is this not the case?

I am very surprised you can open an e mail account for someone else. Know yours was well meaning but the implications of doing so are worrying,

It’s a very nice idea if you know what you are doing but those who point out the dangers of thr internet to young people are right too. My own DD and her DH are like Rottweilers when it comes to protecting the images and privacy of the DGC. And given the awful stories we hear and read (bullying, stolen identities, children driven to suicide, blackmail, inappropriate selling , porn etc.) they are right to be.

PaynesGrey offered some useful advice. I was advised years ago (late 90s) not to use my full name in my email address. I've changed provider several times since then but have kept the same handle. Not a good idea to use a child's full name - so easy to search. When signing up, no need to give accurate dob. They might want the year (for age requirements) but do change the other dates. I think the idea behind the OP's suggestion is lovely but I would use WhatsApp - it's encrypted and nowhere near as likely to be spammed. Plus, easier to keep the photos in one place and keep adding. Her parents will install spam filters etc I'm sure. Another tip - don't use a photo which can identify you on email profiles. It can be used to search for information. This is well meant and not intended to be negative.

Lovely idea ❤️

We bought a newspaper for each of our own children the day they were born and a copy of the number one song in the charts at the time. DD was born the day after Nelson Mandela's release from prison so that front page was quite momentous. The song was Sinead O'Connor's 'Nothing compares to you' - very appropriate.
I can't remember much about the news on my son's birth day nor the number one song but the song that had just fallen to number 2 after a record time at no.1 was Bryan Adams's '(Everything I do) I do it for you' so we got that as well.
I know where they were kept in our old house - we even had them wrapped in special acid free paper to protect the newspapers - but sadly since moving here 22 years ago I don't know where they are. I guess I'll eventually come across them when I declutter the loft! Something to surprise them with!

There are some lovely ideas here - especially for those of us who live a distance from their GCs. Ours are teenagers now, oh how I wish I'd seen this around eighteen years ago!

Too late for me, but not for others. Great! GN does it again.

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She didn't post that she was handing the account to the Grand-daughter. For all you/we know she is dealing with the parents.
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My own version of this was similar but also very different: every time I saw the GC I took photos and then wrote them a letter about what we/they had done. From very young they loved getting these leters and after a decade or so I had them made into a book and had several copies printed.

grannybuy

I’ve given all DGC an album of pictures that I’ve taken since their birth, but your idea sounds better.

I think that’s lovely grannybuy. Something just between the two of you.

I’ve given all DGC an album of pictures that I’ve taken since their birth, but your idea sounds better.

Something I did for our first DGD was to buy every newspaper I could find on the day she was born . She is a teenager now so I have handed them over to her . I was telling a friend about this and she said she did the same for every one of her DGC . Moving house a few years ago the movers did all the packing came across this pile of newpapers and used them to wrap her china . All were lost .

I think it is a novel idea Sago. Used judiciously I’m sure it’ll be a fantastic treasure trove of memories to pass to an early teen. In fact I’ve just shared your idea with a friend who has a toddler to see if their family might like to do this.

Was a timely warning PaynesGrey. The OP might be tech savvy but not everybody is.

I am another one who did not appreciate the dangers PG described. Thank you for listing them . My family does not have prodigious internet connections and I may well have fallen into the trap.

Good warning information from PaynesGrey.
I appreciated it.
Thank you PG.

That’s a brilliant idea and far more practical than writing endless letters, using a journal, having photographs etc. All those wonderful memories and milestones lovingly accumulated electronically! I hope she loves it Sago!

I guessed that you or someone else would want to shoot the messenger.

Good that you have tech aware people in your family. Equally, they will know the dangers that AI data-scraping and bots present. Others may not.

There really is no need for sarcasm towards somone who is just pointing out the potential dangers of doing this kind of thing and handing over an email account to a child who is too young to have one unless is is supervised - not something you mentioned in your opening post.

As all our data becomes more and more vulnerable and open to abuse, Greenfinch's album method is the way to go for anyone wanting to preserve memories in this way.

Wow!

Catastrophising at its worst!

As her father works for one of Silicone Valleys most innovative tech companies
and her mother is ex Google I am sure they have a little knowledge of how to keep their children safe online.

They have always known that I had secured her email address on birth.

They have the password and I have now deleted the account from my devices.

I hope you will now relax knowing I’m not some kind of feckless half wit.

That is a fantastic idea.
When my first grandchildren (twins) were born I was given a Grandmother’s Journal and as they lived with us for their first two years I was able to relate some of the day to day minutiae of their lives, often silly little things. Afterwards I wrote in it about twice a year until they were about ten. I included recipes of their favourite foods and things we used to cook together. There’s photos and newspaper cuttings pertaining to them, some of their artwork, examples of how they interacted with each other,and even a short summary of my own life. They are eighteen now and there are no pages left in the journal so I will be handing it over soon.

Sorry, to rain on your parade but you need to be very careful with this.

What do you mean exactly - hand over? She’s too young to have an email account of her own unless it’s supervised by an adult. Most providers have a minimum age of 13. Will you continue to manage it?

Did you have her parents consent to do this in the first place?

With all that historic photographic data, it will be a magnet for AI data scraping tools and paedophile ring bots.

What a great idea. Have found that older children are fascinated by their baby days etc., is free but priceless.

Oh that is a really lovely idea. I’m sure your granddaughter will be delighted.

What a lovely idea 😍

If I am lucky enough to have grandchildren I might copy it. Thanks for sharing.