This Site's Hidden Member Info...

[rmbittner]

I will say this: I just did a quick random check of some other pipe-related forums. In every single case, I had to be registered member -- and logged in -- in order to access anyone's profile pages. Unless cookies are bridging that gap here -- I did sign out here before trying this -- that DOESN'T seem to be the case here. In addition, I had no trouble doing a simple Google search for some unusual names/terms and had no trouble clicking through to get to the posts here.
I think this is something the admins should look into. If it's my cookies, that's one thing. (Don't have time to clear them out and try this again right now.) But if it's NOT my cookies, then it means much (all?) of the content here is accessible to anyone who wants to find it. I can understand that being desirable with the articles and such. But it might make sense to tighten things down a bit when it comes to the Forum and the Personal Profile pages.
Bob

 

[smokeybear]

You guys just need the chip cards like us Canadians have to protect you stuff, but then we go and make something like tap and pay which defeats the very purpose of the chip in the first place. lol
Random This Guy Eh!
any way who cares i know where your from and what you smoke big deal, the only one who is getting hurt by this is Harris cause now we know what he actually smokes and what he just posts here to misdirect us lol.

 

[roadqueen]

I personally don't find my name, country, state and city to be "too much information". It's not like we have our mailing addresses and phone numbers on there.
Pipe smokers aren't supposed to be the hand-wringing type. :wink:

 

[teufelhund]

The first rule of the internet is never post anything that you deem sensitive. I don't really regard any of the information here as pertinent, but even if it were or even protected; that doesn't mean it's safe. Always exercise caution. I passed on a great website for tobacco because they used DL# to verify age and state of residence for purchases. I didn't like that I had to provide that; hence I don't use the site. That whole Target fiasco should be evidence enough; only you can control what information is out there. Sadly once it's out; it's out forever.

 

[warren]

Folks! We are on computers here, surely one of least secure and most intrusive of all inventions. There really is no security on a computer if the person mining is the least bit competent. You can't leave the grid by logging onto the grid.
If you are uncomfortable with others knowing the most basic of information you really shouldn't ever, ever log on to a computer, join a site, purchase on-line, have a loan, own a registered vehicle, pay taxes, and the list goes on and on.

 

[woodsroad]

I'm a bit astounded that there are people here who are alarmed and disturbed that user profiles are public. This is information that you freely gave away when you signed up for this site.
Didn't you read the Terms of Service that you agreed to when you registered for this site?

 

[kcghost]

There's no hand-wringing in pipe smoking! :D

 

[johnnyiii]

It could be worse .. this could be "target"

 

[captainsousie]

But I guess I would find it unsettling if people posted deceptively false information in their personal profiles here. By "deceptively false," I mean fake names that are meant to be taken as real names, or stating that they lived in one state when they actually lived in another. This "unsettles" me because, for me, it lessens the sense of trust I feel for this community

Heck with that, I'm not losing my job for the "community". If I post a few things in my profile that would put reasonable doubt in the mind of my employer as to whether it is me or not, that is my (prudent) choice. If you trust me less over it, I guess I'll just have to live with that.
Sorry if this sounds too gruff but who are any of us to tell another what information they need to provide to us? This is, after all, an online forum and I can be whoever I want to be online.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UE6iAjEv9dQ

 

[dochudson]

thanks.. I lurked around here a couple of years before actually joining. that information would have come in handy.

 

[cosmicfolklore]

Ha ha +1 johnnyiii
I have a friend who refuses to buy a computer, pays all bills that arrive by mail with checks, and still uses an answering machine on a landline as his only phone. He is also the wealthiest guy in town. And, the only guy who has money that seems truly happy. We get all of this technology so that people can see us and keep in touch with us, and we freak out that people can see us, LOL. It makes no sense to dump all the money that we do into all of this technology to then worry about it. If a criminal wants to track me down, he'd have an easier task of it by following me home from the grocery store than using the interwebs.

 

[admin]

Ok. I've had enough of the melodramatics.
This is all info you filled in voluntarily, and can change voluntarily. It's been that way for 5-years.
Pour a double-short drink and pack a pipe.
Jesus Christ.