Something occurred to me yesterday and I just wanted to share it with you guys
and get your input. I have been fairly open about posting pictures of myself here
because I really know that people in my life would not recognize me with makeup on,
I look that different.

But then it occurred to me that those pictures will in a fairly short period of time
be what I look like(or hopefully much better) on a daily basis. I'm kinda dumb
sometimes and I never thought about that side of it. I don't know how stealth I'll
be or if I'll even care I have pictures here but it made me think I need to be
more careful.

But my question is, has anyone found that to be a problem, where someone has found
a picture of you? Or is Susan's pretty much a stop only if you are TG/TS?

Amanda

Exactly the reason I don't post pictures. (that and the net is the only place I don't look like a girl, so I prefer not having a face in cyberspace).

TG or no - peeps have fetishes or they get curious and look stuff up. Especially after this Tom Beattie thing. Probably a lot of peeps typing 'transsexual' into their search engines. This is one of the first sites to come up.
Posting things in the 'Just for Us' board screens out the curious passers-by, cause you have to have at least 15 posts to view it.
Not fool-proof of course, but if you're going to post personal stuff, put it there.

On closed forums(forum is not visible to non-members) with a more guarded membership, you're probably pretty safe posting pictures or personally identifiable information.
But it's safest to never assume that the internet is an anonymous place.

I with Nero on this one, out side of here no one knows (well a very small population). I'm also wondering if people who have posted pictures do they ever worry about 5 - 10 years down the road, sure the pictures might be gone from Susan's, but the internet is like the perfect archiving tool. If you put it on the internet it's going to be around for ever.

I don't really mind, I have nothing to hide and it's not like i'll ever be in a position where i'll have to defend my credibility.

If you are afraid of being ID'ed then by all means don't put your picture or your name on the internet. It can be found by someone. I don't really care if they ID me, cause if they want to know something about me they can ask me as I will tell them. I'm happy to be alive and I'm happy to be me. I'm not ashamed of what I had to go through to be who I am today. No secrets here, done with the secrets. I am no longer in the closet.
Sheila

I have nothing to hide and am quite happy to post my picture...

Ditto for what Sheila said.

No more secrets

Beni

Quotedo they ever worry about 5 - 10 years down the road, sure the pictures might be gone from Susan's

Yea.. I guess that's it... I worry that in the future I could be embarrassed if I'm stealth. I have no
idea if I will be... just thinking ahead.

Amanda

I host my pictures on sites where I can delete them. So if for whatever reason I worry about having a pic online I can delete it and all images linked on boards won't be viewable.

Why should I care who sees my pictures?  I'm not hiding anything, including my real name.

I typically avoid posting any pictures, real names, or pretty much anything else that I deem "too personal".  Things have a way of coming back to haunt, and as much as it feels like we are anonymous on the net, the truth is we are not, and we are becoming less so every day.  These days, ISPs and governments and corporations of all sorts are snooping through what's on the net, personally identifiable information gets leaked when sites get hacked or site owners decide to sell your information, and yes, as others have said, there's a lot of really freaky people out there that may be just "curious", or may be a little "too curious".

I guess it's an individual thing: weigh the balance and decide how much information you want to divulge and how much of it you think could come back to bite you later.  It's best to err on the side of caution...

Thanks Sis... I think I tend to agree with what you said. I guess I never even
thought about stalkers and "freaky people" as you called them. Has anyone had
a problem with that?

Amanda

Quote from: Nero on April 18, 2008, 05:41:28 PM
Exactly the reason I don't post pictures. (that and the net is the only place I don't look like a girl, so I prefer not having a face in cyberspace).

And you made me put up my picture!  I'm going to kick your ass.   


You better eat more bacon, I don't want to miss.

Posted on: April 18, 2008, 11:32:21 PM

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Quote from: Sister Seagull on April 18, 2008, 11:21:56 PM
These days, ISPs and governments and corporations of all sorts are snooping through what's on the net, personally identifiable information gets leaked when sites get hacked or site owners decide to sell your information, and yes, as others have said, there's a lot of really freaky people out there that may be just "curious", or may be a little "too curious".

ISPs and governments and corporations can all bite me.

Quote from: AlwaysAmanda on April 18, 2008, 11:26:26 PM
Thanks Sis... I think I tend to agree with what you said. I guess I never even
thought about stalkers and "freaky people" as you called them. Has anyone had
a problem with that?

Amanda

Again, I'm going to be cautious and not give away details, but the short and sweet answer: yes.  And it's not fun... in fact, it's downright creepy.  It's one of the reasons I'm so cautious now...

QuoteOr is Susan's pretty much a stop only if you are TG/TS?

No, some people just find it by accident like I did. But I don't think the pictures are the problem. I think real names are a risk. But you have to consider your own future plans. If you think you might be trying to conceal your status at some time in the future then let prudence be your guide. Always opt for safety.

QuoteAgain, I'm going to be cautious and not give away details, but the short and sweet answer: yes.  And it's not fun... in fact, it's downright creepy.  It's one of the reasons I'm so cautious now...

Great... one more thing to look forward too... LOL

QuoteAnd you made me put up my picture!  I'm going to kick your ass.   

I'd like to see that... the ass kicking... not your picture LOL.

Amanda

Quote
Great... one more thing to look forward too... LOL

Ok, I don't mean to scare you away from anything   These things don't happen that often.  It's really just a matter of common sense: be careful what you post. 

Now... back to my dinner

I am a very private person and having been stalked by an young army guy for over a year does make you more careful, and now the internet brings them a little closer if they can contact you in real life.
I am currently moving and I have the neighbour from hell here and I would hate for him to find out anymore about me than he already knows/or thinks he knows!  Believe me, once they get the binoculars out, shine torches through your bedroom window and watch your every move, just imagine what they will do with internet images and info.  It's not nice. 

I very rarely post pictures of myself online. If I do they are typically like my avatar, just a little more light and distortion than a regular picture or I take them down after like 48 hours. I only post them in "Just For Us"  sections and only on Susan's and Livejournal (where my posts are locked so only people I accept as friends can see). Why?

It doesn't have anything to do with creating a false persona of myself or anything other than protecting myself. There are many, many ways of tracking someone down and finding out where they live. I purposely keep my online information private including the city and specific area I live in, my friends' real names, details about my family, etc. I don't think anyone specific is after me, but I have friends that have had stalkers and just people who want to prove that they can mess with you. I don't want that. So, as much as I'd like to post a bunch of pictures and details, I just don't. Why risk it?

Some people say "hey, if it's going to happen, it's going to happen. They'll find you." Um, no they won't. I don't have this tied to my real name and there's just not much of a way to track me down. I don't know what I'll be doing a year from now, five years from now, I don't need the aggravation of posting stuff that somehow, someway comes back to haunt me somehow. I like going to sleep feeling safe and secure

Amanda, I would recommend just being careful. Most people don't think about it until it's too late to do anything about it, you know? Meghan