if this happened to you?
Sitting behind my computer a few mornings ago, I was doing the share of reading that I do on a daily basis, sipping my coffee, minding my own, when an instant message appeared on my screen. Call it second nature, I responded as I usually do. My friends have my screenname as well as those who i choose to chat online with.
Now, quick flash to a few weeks ago, I opted to change my address from AOL, because as anyone who is familiar with the service can to tell you, it sucks to have them, for numerous reasons.
Aside from constantly getting booted off line, the incessant spam, the porno addresses in the mail, the lousy chat rooms, and the fact that they keep track of where you go so as to sell the info to other buyers, I realized that there really was no point in paying $21.99 a month when I could get what I need for free from other providers and keep my privacy. Privacy being the focus here.
Now as to why i had AOL in the first place, I am relatively new to the web. I figured, why not? Its free access for 700 hours during the trial-month, worth checking out. Trial runs out, I learn my lesson, I choose to move on. So I did what i had to do, I changed my service gave my address to my friends and all was well until the other morning.
At first i thought nothing of it, I was not being harassed nor threatend. Or so I thought at the time. Afterwards though, I realized that I had never given this person my new address nor had I given them my old address either, at least not directly. We had never chatted privately. Not in a chat room, nor instant message nor had we exchanged mail. We do not even have friends in common.
Aside from each others posting on a thread similar to this one, that is about as much contact as this person and I have shared. As I look back I never changed my address on the boards that i post. So if you click on that icon on the left by my name you will not reach me, that address has not been working for quite a while. . .
So here i am wondering WHY someone would invest the time to search me out. Could there have been an agenda behind the "call"? What else about me are they looking up?
These questions followed me for a day or two so i decided to post and see what this board would say
How would you feel and would you question it? And how would you react if your privacy was invaded this way?
thanks in advance
Chuck