Do you worry about being indentified on Gransnet?

I sometimes wonder if I know someone on here whose chosen name and comments fit someone I am related to. Not game to ask. Forever a mystery.

Well I sometimes put up in correct information. It really doesn’t usually matter to the rest of the posters what age I am, what star sign I am where I live, so sometimes I’m older or younger than.
If there is someone on here that wants to find out anything about me they may get confused.
I don’t think that anyone that knows me is on here except one poster who I suspect knows people that I might know.
She might suspect the same? Never been a problem but I think I might find out who she is if I was so inclined. I’m not inclined and neither should I think that many of you are?

However just recently there has been a lot in the media about protecting yourself on line so don’t be surprised if I live in Cumbria, Devon, Knightsbridge and I’m 36 with a baby or 60 with a bladder problem,

Sorry should have checked my post.

Well done Pamela! on your attempts at disguise. Unless AI writes for you, you might be recognised by your writing style. 😂

Are you my RL friend?

If you read my post, and there are a few grammatical error, that is the real me. If you read my post and the post is in perfect English, that is not the real me, that is me using Co-pilot editor.

To stop being paranoid, you need to think like a crook.

In my case, I never attend any GN meeting, I never disclose the town or county where I live. I am not on Facebook or Instagram.

If a scammer managed to hack GN system and retrieve my email, there is no trace of my email on the internet. So, there is little chance of linking the online me on GN to the real me, unless you know me personally.

Guess what happened the other day. Some scammers managed to hack into the mobile app of my husband’s bank and send a message to my mobile phone. They also have access to my mobile phone and landline number.

The usual message 'We have frozen your debit card, call this number to unfreeze it'

I just delete the message and decline the calls.

No, I don’t worry as I don’t post pics of pets/ garden/ view from window and so on.
Or mention holidays or anything very personal.

I think everyone is getting a bit paranoid. The world isn't full of people trying to 'get' you.

Grammaretto

Well done Pamela! on your attempts at disguise. Unless AI writes for you, you might be recognised by your writing style. 😂

Are you my RL friend?

You are quite correct but my friends in RL don’t know what my writing style is😂
No , you aren’t, not saying who is but she mentions things and places that are near to me.
Re. The window photos - someone in Japan was killed by a stalker who worked out where she lived by a photo she posted from her balcony. I had a quick look at that thread but I think most posters were careful not to give too much away.
There are some real nutters out there!

kittylester

I think everyone is getting a bit paranoid. The world isn't full of people trying to 'get' you.

No, of course not. But it could be embarrassing if someone identified a poster and kept reading what the poster thought were private thoughts.

IMO it would be good manners to tell someone if you thought you'd 'outed' them, to allow them to change their name and maintain their anonymity, but not everyone would do so - in fact, the more mannerless/malicious the person, the less likely they would be to come clean, I think.

kittylester

I think everyone is getting a bit paranoid. The world isn't full of people trying to 'get' you.

I quite agree. I do not worry about it.

The world has already got our data. Those of us online.
In my opinion.

Though I looked up something once, and it was right about me, 4/5.
I was pleased about that.

kittylester

I think everyone is getting a bit paranoid. The world isn't full of people trying to 'get' you.

🎼Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not after you 🎶

fancythat

The world has already got our data. Those of us online.
In my opinion.

Though I looked up something once, and it was right about me, 4/5.
I was pleased about that.

Data mining is not remotely the same as your neighbour seeing you complain about her reluctance to take the bins out, or your daughter seeing you call her selfish, or a colleague seeing you moaning about how she uses all the coffee or whatever.

Data don't really matter. Actual comments really do.

Doodledog many posts above I voiced the same concern.

Gransnet is open to the world and its dog. Some posts are so revealing and ultimately identifying and some posters make quite derogatory remarks about family, friends and colleagues.

Remember Gransnet is not a cosy club open to a select few. And remarks made remain available forever.

Yes, that point has been made many times but many people don’t bother to read threads beyond the first post, so it’s worth repeating.

Also, many posters decry Facebook and other social media, but GN copies threads to FB so anyone who is on there can see them, and make comments outside of here. You may not see them if you don’t have an account but your words travel further than here.

I’ve just sent a long (ish) reply to this and on checking, it’s disappeared into the ether! Annoying! Not writing it out again, but just to say, yes, I am concerned about identity being revealed. The attraction of GN is for me the anonymity of it. I don’t reveal too much personal info as I like the fact that no-one knows who I am. I’m a private person, but I find many of the threads on here very interesting and want to comment, with complete anonymity. It can be a “release” for me to post and I want to do so with no-one knowing who I am.

No I don’t.

nanna8

I sometimes wonder if I know someone on here whose chosen name and comments fit someone I am related to. Not game to ask. Forever a mystery.

Well, if it's me, feel free to send me a PM. Though I don't have any relatives in your country.