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Has anyone on GN got the right to give private information about you?

(592 Posts)

GNHQ have commented on this thread. Read here.

Fleurpepper Mon 12-Dec-22 17:02:28

Surely not. People on GN should have the right to anonimity, unless they choose to divulge any private information, be it about profession, locality, ethnicity, or whatever.

Secondly, should any information given in a PM be fair game to share to other members? Surely not.

welbeck Mon 12-Dec-22 17:06:54

another mystifying post; no idea what this one is about either.
seems to be a day for them.

GrannyGravy13 Mon 12-Dec-22 17:08:57

Not sure you can dictate what folks talk/pm about Fleurpepper

AreWeThereYet Mon 12-Dec-22 17:18:11

Do you mean the admin? Then no, data should be secure. Although they don't really have any anyway unless you've told them.

GN is a bit like the garden fence really. If people choose to chat/gossip about you there's nothing to stop them. They only know what you choose to tell them anyway.

GagaJo Mon 12-Dec-22 17:18:14

It used to go on a lot on here. I've been of the impression over the last year or so that it had died down.

Hetty58 Mon 12-Dec-22 17:18:49

PMs aren't really 'private' messages at all - how can they be? Why divulge any sensitive information to a stranger on a forum? Surely, it's just foolish to rely on the discretion of another, to trust them to keep a secret? They may simply forget that they were supposed to keep it confidential.

VioletSky Mon 12-Dec-22 17:29:45

I've had people PM me to tell me what others have PMed them about me

None of it actually true

I've also had people use personal things gleaned about me as a personal attack

For instance, I was told that I would be a terrible TA who wouldn't be trusted with their grandchildren because of my stance on trans issues (accepting). We don't teach anything about trans people in KS1 and I wouldn't be telling children my opinions about anything lol

I just ignore it or ignore them in general, not good people

Hope you are OK?

Fleurpepper Mon 12-Dec-22 17:37:24

Thanks VS, I am totally fine. However, I do strongly believe that personal info on location, family, profession, ethnicity, etc, etc, should be given by GN members on posts- unless the particular member has chosen to give that information out themselves, and by guessing or sumising.

GG13, I am not talking about pms, although to be quite honest, talking about people behind their back is not on and very rude. However, if someone has extricated private information by pm, and told you that they would 'keep stumm' - do you think they then should divulge, either on posts, or indeed by pms?

I am talking about people constantly giving private information on posts, without the poster having any choice or say in the matter.

Marydoll Mon 12-Dec-22 17:44:47

I think if you post on a public forum, you can't really be sure you will remain anonymous or who is trustworthy, unless you have met them in person.
There are a few Gransnrrers, who have become friends, after meeting them.
Unfotunately, we sometimes give things away, without realising it or if you pour out your heart like I often do.

Fleurpepper Mon 12-Dec-22 17:48:14

If you 'give things away', fair enough. I did not.

Information was asked by PM, with the assurance it would NOT go further. Simple enough, no?

VioletSky Mon 12-Dec-22 17:51:11

Ah sorry I misunderstood

Yes everyone should have the right to anonymity

Sharing pictures of family members especially children is a no no for me

Marydoll Mon 12-Dec-22 17:51:56

I am talking about people constantly giving private information on posts, without the poster having any choice or say in the matter.

I have never seen an examples of this and I"m on GN a lot! Anyone who experiences this, should report it.

GrannyGravy13 Mon 12-Dec-22 17:52:11

I agree with your post MaryDoll

Tizliz Mon 12-Dec-22 17:55:36

Once you post something on the internet or via email, DMs etc you are no longer in control of that information. Don’t post anything you are not happy for the whole world to know, you just do not know what will happen to it.

Hetty58 Mon 12-Dec-22 17:59:14

Oh - I see. I'd never give out private information that I'd been asked to keep secret, certainly not. Still, I just wouldn't trust somebody I don't know, so I still think it's foolish to divulge it in the first place. I believe that, legally, anything written on here becomes the property of Gransnet.

Doodledog Mon 12-Dec-22 18:11:40

I think that GN would have to give the police your IP address, which would identify you, if you were suspected of breaking the law, or being involved in terrorism etc. Otherwise, they won't divulge it, and it would be useless to most of us anyway.

Ditto PMs. Of course they can be passed on, so we have to use discretion in what we disclose and to whom we disclose it, just as in a real life situation. There is no 'right to' anonymity or privacy on here, any more than there is in 'real life', but internet etiquette usually dictates that PMs remain private. I would never disclose anything I'd been asked not to, and wouldn't discuss info about someone's location etc to a third party unless I was certain that the third party also knew it.

GrannyGravy13 Mon 12-Dec-22 18:20:44

Fleurpepper have you spoken/messaged the GN member who you feel has disclosed information about you?

Yammy Mon 12-Dec-22 18:31:35

I think it doesn't matter who or where you say"Don't tell",
someone will break your confidence. We ask people to be like ourselves but some just can't help it and some don't realise they have done it. So keep quiet if you have a secret you don't want people to know.
Even photos of you can appear on facetime etc. without your permission. Old school photos, parties people have been to.

MerylStreep Mon 12-Dec-22 18:33:50

Unless someone has signed the official secret act they can pass on any information they want. It’s not very nice but it’s not against any law.
For my own part I mostly communicate by email with people I trust on GN. I don’t trust PMs.

Blondiescot Mon 12-Dec-22 18:37:48

Tizliz

Once you post something on the internet or via email, DMs etc you are no longer in control of that information. Don’t post anything you are not happy for the whole world to know, you just do not know what will happen to it.

This, in a nutshell. Nothing - and I repeat, nothing - on the internet can be considered as truly private.

Fleurpepper Mon 12-Dec-22 18:46:17

Blondiescot

Tizliz

Once you post something on the internet or via email, DMs etc you are no longer in control of that information. Don’t post anything you are not happy for the whole world to know, you just do not know what will happen to it.

This, in a nutshell. Nothing - and I repeat, nothing - on the internet can be considered as truly private.

Of course, if you have given that information out on open Forum. What about if you have NOT given out that information? That is my point.

BlueBelle Mon 12-Dec-22 18:54:03

I ve no idea what this is about it’s very coded
I ve don’t think I ve ever noticed any personal information given by others but then I guess only the two people involved would know
Isn’t it better to have this out with the person themselves as no one is really sure what you’re meaning

Fleurpepper Mon 12-Dec-22 18:59:37

No, I intentionally do not want this thread to be given detailed info. This is not 'coded'- this is a basic question, about a general principle about behaviour on a Forum like GN.

Lucca Mon 12-Dec-22 19:01:34

Agree Bluebelle. I don’t understand the issue !

MaizieD Mon 12-Dec-22 19:01:40

Fleurpepper

Blondiescot

Tizliz

Once you post something on the internet or via email, DMs etc you are no longer in control of that information. Don’t post anything you are not happy for the whole world to know, you just do not know what will happen to it.

This, in a nutshell. Nothing - and I repeat, nothing - on the internet can be considered as truly private.

Of course, if you have given that information out on open Forum. What about if you have NOT given out that information? That is my point.

It would be very wrong to repeat something on the forum that one had been told in confidence. I would have thought that you could get the moderators to remove the offending post. Though, of course, others may well have seen it and stored up the information for future use. Not everyone on here has a 'senior memory' and some have quite remarkable recall.