Are you ever shocked at what people post on FT or am I the only one?

[Jamie D]

I am trying to figure out if I am just ultra conservative or if other people feel this way. I enjoy looking at the Gen Par board because quite honestly, it makes me laugh. I am not saying that in a mean way-there are a few posters who are truly funny and I like reading their threads/replies.

My husband was looking at it with me yesterday and he was just SHOCKED to see the thread about credit scores. Not too long ago people were listing their interest rates/prices paid for houses and so on. He said he would be just livid if I posted his personal financial information online. There was also the lady a few months ago who had a tax question and posted all the info of his paystub online.

What I can't figure out is why people post such private and intimate information-or am I just totally out of it and this is not private? I wouldn't dare tell my parents/sisters or anyone my credit score and 41 people freely posted theirs. This thread is not about credit scores, I am just more or less wondering if other people are shocked or surprised at the type of info posted.

What I would worry about is you never know what kind of nutjob is reading these boards. They could be systematically tracking information down about people because it is all there-short of a Social Security Number for some people.

I rarely post pics of my kids and I think a handful of people know which state I live in. Maybe I have watched too many Lifetime movies, but I am very cautious what I share on here. I think what gave me the ultimate FT privacy scare was what happened to Marci a few years ago. Those of you who were around in 2001-2002 know what I am talking about. Even in my thread the other day about college I was evasive about what one I was talking about and such.

Anywhoo....just curious if other people feel this way! -Jamie

[MIliyMoy]

No I am with you its is funny how some disclose so much personal informaiton. I try to keep as much information about me and my DH private.

[bigdipper]

Well as you can see by my signature and the amount of pictures I post, I'm pretty naive or trusting. Not sure which, maybe a bit of both. But I would certainly never post any super personal or financial information on here. That's just dumb. I wouldn't even share that with too many real life people.

I'm not overly concerned about someone spying on me from across the world, because I don't share anything that I think shouldn't be shared. I have no idea about the FT privacy scare a few years ago, but I'm not paranoid about this. Everyone has their own comfort level about what they reveal and I think I'm somewhere in the middle.

**Leslie, that is a crazy story and I agree, perhaps that person should have kept her "distress" to herself considering the kind of company she has on an Infertility bb.

[HuntersMom0129]

I'm in agreement w/ Annette - I do share quite a bit, but I do know where to draw the line.....no financial info, etc....

[joyfulmama]

I sometimes wonder if people use the bb kind of like our grandmothers used to sit around the table in each other's homes and coffee klatch with their friends or other family members. The posters might be missing RL friends due to so many wives and mothers who now work, or perhaps their family and friends have moved farther away from them due to job transfers, or what not. Our society is now very mobile, and there seems to be a lot of lonely people who might be too trusting or too naive in this savy, electronic age. To share sensitive information for virtual strangers to read can bring out the predators. Better to be safe, than sorry...

Anna
Mama to precious Mark
3-1/2 years old
Domestic, Semi-Open Adoption

[BC-pepper]

Oh no, I posted on both the credit score thread and the gender thread that Leslie mentioned. It didn't bother me to post my credit score, but maybe I should delete my post! I would never post my dh's salary. In a way I did once on a thread about your home's worth vs. salary... I think that thread was deleted or I removed my post.

Kelly

[Pebbles]

I have become more causios in the past year about what I post. I think I am getting more paranoid in my old age.

[babypink]

I think it is scary. I know what happened to Marci thus I have yet to post a pic of my kids and I don't reply to personal type post but an nosey and do read. But if people want to do that it is up to them. You just never know who is reading.

[Jamie D]

Marci was a gal who was looking to adopt. On a different adoption board, she shared that her husband had gotten into a situation and she was wondering whether or not to tell the agency. But because in the past she shared what adoption agency she used, someone anonomously(sp?) called up the agency to report this before Marci and her DH could tell them.

Well, the agency unceremoniously dumped them, kept their money and they were strung out emotionally and financially from this mess. That is a large reason why I don't share what state we adopted from, who we used and so on. But I know that whole event was an eye opener for a lot of us!

[Deana Barbieri]

I did a google search on my name a few days ago and the first thing that came up was this web site and saying send Deana a personal message. I was freaked and am thinking of changing my name. I try to be very careful about what I tell people, I will say what state but I don't think I have ever given the city, and I never tell DH's name. I have given out my email address but it's so close to my screen name that I felt it was okay.

Deana