[Closed] Is it possible to have a private life anymore?

Yes.

http://www.theonion.com/video/google-opt-out-feature-lets-users-protect-privacy,14358/

When I first googled my name in it's early days I didn't exist now my exact name appears 697 times.

If I search for my forum name there's 10,500 results.

So I'm more anonymous in real life...

When I first googled my name in it's early days I didn't exist now my exact name appears 697 times.

My real name brings up 'about 3,600 results' on Google.

Bragging rights mine, methinks! 8)

So, I'm sort of in the public domain, but I can't see what difference it makes. I'm still pretty much anonymous.

Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are not part of my daily life and will not become so. I have a userid for those sites that I wish to take part in that isn't linked to my real world identity.

If you have chosen not to have privacy then you shouldn't complain at it's passing.

I dont use any of those you mention tbh
Do you need help logging out or finding the off button?

Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn are all part of our daily lives

You choose how much information you put out there.
Don't give those places anything that could be used to compromise your identity, only tell them things you don't mind being in the public domain.

I only exist on the internet

If you have chosen not to have privacy then you shouldn't complain at it's passing.

And to take it further the info that is out there can often be misread or misinterpreted leading to all sorts of comedic errors. 😀

Depends on your idea of private, use a bank card it is tracked, drive a car your tracked, carry a mobile and out can be used to locate you.

Yes,
don't subscribe (or do so carefully) to the 'networking' sites
don't use any loyalty/club cards
only make cash transactions
pre-pay mobile, change SIM regularly
don't register any products to your real name/address
don't own/use a licensed vehicle

I actually have only three google hits on my real name and am working on getting those removed as they are staff listings from ex-employers, then I'll be googlenonymous 😀

Facebook [i]is[/i] part of my daily life. Can't say I'm particularly concerned about the privacy. I have all the privacy settings set to Friends Only - so I limit the public exposure (if you go to my FB account you'd just see my name and a photo - that's it).

An interesting point for those who think they avoid this tech by logging out or not having accounts: any site that has a Facebook "Like" button on it is pulling in a script from Facebook. If you are a FB user then FB know that you have visited that site (even if you are "logged out"). If you are not a FB user then FB could still build a picture of your online activity based around your IP address.

Same goes for Google +1 buttons (and they have the advantage of having lots of your other info from searches, GMail, GCal, Maps etc etc)

[i]I only exist on the internet [/i]

and Hora is a very good attempt at passing a Turing test.

don't subscribe (or do so carefully) to the 'networking' sites
don't use any loyalty/club cards
only make cash transactions
pre-pay mobile, change SIM regularly
don't register any products to your real name/address
don't own/use a licensed vehicle

So basically, sit in a cave 90% of the time and throw good money after bad.

Yeah. That's sensible. 😉

[i]Yes,
don't subscribe (or do so carefully) to the 'networking' sites
don't use any loyalty/club cards
only make cash transactions
pre-pay mobile, change SIM regularly
don't register any products to your real name/address
don't own/use a licensed vehicle[/i]

Can I ask why? Are you worried that [i]they're[/i] out to get you?

At the end of the day.... yes... there's a lot of information collected on you. But, though your tin-hat-wearing paranoia will tell you different, the level of evil intent all these organisations can muster is MUST....SELL....HIM....MORE....STUFF.

That's about it

Its hardly Enemy of the State is it?

hilldodger earlier

[img] [/img]

Only friends and family are on my Facebook, and the only thing I do is browse their statuses and engage in the odd argument.

Maybe they can target ads at me that way, maybe not, but I just don't care.

binners - Member
I only exist on the internet

[img] [/img]

I get only a handful of hits with my name on google
All of they race results, nothing else

wwaswas - Member
Yes,
don't subscribe (or do so carefully) to the 'networking' sites
don't use any loyalty/club cards
only make cash transactions
pre-pay mobile, change SIM regularly
don't register any products to your real name/address
don't own/use a licensed vehicle

Can I ask why? Are you worried that they're out to get you?

The list is of ways I imagine you could be less 'visible' not a list of how my life is organised.....

PeterPoddy - Member

So basically, sit in a cave 90% of the time and throw good money after bad.

Yeah. That's sensible

the list was hypothetical, but still not sure what the 'good money after bad' comment means 😕

As for being 'sensible' I guess putting information/pictures 'on the web' about your name, family, home, vehicles, bikes, luxury goods owned and when/where you'll be away on holiday is far more sensible than a few simple ID protection measures.......

......if I were a thief I reckon a few weeks on a bike site to get a 'posting history', then sell a few low cost bargains to get names/addresses, start being a bit 'chatty', get to know some personal details = job's a goodun, a nice list of potential burglary candidates 🙁

As far as Googling names goes, I spend a fair amount of time at Nº1 and even now have two listings on the first page.

and the only thing I do is browse their statuses and engage in the odd argument.

Must find molgrips on FB sounds like fun 😉

Biggest one lately was me correcting them over the use of the word Legos for Lego bricks.

The list is of ways I imagine you could be less 'visible' not a list of how my life is organised.....

You forgot about the CCTV cameras that are almost everywhere people go.

do you not think that a total absence of personal information, from the more common sources listed above, is more suspicious?

dont look up mrmo, never look up

Biggest one lately was me correcting them over the use of the word Legos for Lego bricks.

Legos is totally a valid plural.

typing my user name brings me first on google,but thankfully not when i type my real name in though (no sign of me 🙂 as i don't use facebook/twitter e.t.c not that i have anything to hide anyhoo though 😉

Legos is totally a valid plural.

Only if you are American. Lego is wrong too. It should be all caps: LEGO

"The word LEGO® is a brand name and is very special to all of us in the LEGO Group Companies. We would sincerely like your help in keeping it special. Please always refer to our bricks as 'LEGO Bricks or Toys' and not 'legos.' By doing so, you will be helping to protect and preserve a brand of which we are very proud and that stands for quality the world over. Thank you! Susan Williams, Consumer Services (LEGO)."

We did this to death. Legos is categorically wrong, there is no debate.

I was however able to debate with my sister in law as to whether or not one could refer to a company a plural or singular. I said it could go either way depending on context, since it's a collective noun.