Poster country flags and privacy (page 8)

hamsterbait

I have been going through old posts. An evil goblin could patch it together. VOLUNTARY.

Other means of tracing me are either illegal, or expensive.

One last kiss: no, the scammer would ensure the proxy was eg a us proxy and so the flag would be the us flag on all posts, that would be the entire point. People regularly do it to use the us netflix or apple store. It is very simple to do.

Simon

Suppose I was a snooping elder from Iceland. I go to Jwn. If I see someone with the Iceland flag, you bet I would go over his posting history with a comb. Ah, so he wrote two years ago he failed with his hairsalon, that sounds like bjork.. the point is the flag indicate which posters are interesting and worth examining.

If bjork was so concerned about his identity then he shouldn't be posting very specific things that already identify him and is a fool to imagine that lack-of-country-context is some magical protection. The snooping elder can already say "hey, bjork also had a hair salon that failed two years ago hmmn, I'm going to challenge him on it!"

In either case, bjork is not identified unless he identifies himself by confirming and saying "yes, that's me". Assuming that there are many many thousands of people who have failing hair salons at any point in time.

Now maybe bjork was not stupid and only said "business" instead of "hair salon" but snooping elders is so low that he decides to register an account so he can get the truth. Does it help or harm bjork if it's easier for snoopy elder to pretend to be from the UK and there is nothing to show otherwise? Would it be better if it showed that he was from Iceland too OR that he was using proxies to mask his identity? Either way, if he gets a PM saying "hey, I had a business fail around that time too - what sort of business was yours?" what information can he base his choice of how to response on?

One Last Kiss

Thanks bohm, I was talking non-proxy using scammers, though if they see the site lists location by default surely they'd then use one anyway...hmmm

sowhatnow

if at all possible allow the poster to choose. that way everyone is happy

Simon

So if I came across a member who showed a UK flag then checked their post history, each post would display a different flag? Or do I have to rely on my iffy memory to stop and think 'hold on, sparlock4eva was showing as USA last Tuesday!' ?

Either. We build up trust with people we 'know' and regularly seeing where they are from is part of this. If it's someone we're unfamiliar with we may check their history. BTW: I'l try and come up with al alternative to 'hover' for mobile.

no, the scammer would ensure the proxy was eg a us proxy and so the flag would be the us flag on all posts, that would be the entire point. People regularly do it to use the us netflix or apple store. It is very simple to do.

Now, if it's so simple - what are we to make of people who claim it would be the end of their world if their country was shown but who chose not to do this? If I am at risk and my identity is so precious then it's up to me to protect it. If I'm posting something that identifies me then I must, otherwise I don't post things that identify me.

Other means of tracing me are either illegal, or expensive.

Don't forget the trivial "include a tracking image in some content".

bohm

Simon: bjork might have reasoned that globally many people fail with a hair salon and anyway nobody would browse the hundred thousand topics to piece together who he was - but now that Brother nosy knows he is one of the few people from Iceland brother nosy from Iceland is doing just that.

I also feel it would set off bells if someone wrote that message but we might disagree.

hamsterbait

IF a BJORK was so concerned about his identity then he shouldn't be posting very specific things that already identify him. I am not talking date of birth DNA - It would be an absolute WEASEL not to know the kinds of details sea re talking about.

And is a FOOL to imagine that lack of country context..."

You DID NOT TELL us when we signed up that you would allow information LATER that might allow our being identified.

bohm

Simon you are correct I could use a proxy on Jwn to show I was from the UK but did you not exactly argue we should use our true information a few pages back? If you feel the answer to eg my concern is to deliberately give false information, why not give the option to just hide the flag?

hamsterbait

OPTIONAL

let's all go to beddiebies now...

Poster country flags and privacy

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