Features and Protecting Yourself and Your Information on the Internet...

[John D.]

I have received several questions about modifying the LugerForum to include some "new" features â?? specifically a â??memberâ?� listing and e-mail notices from threads you post.

To begin, the LugerForum has always had e-mail notices. If you start a new thread, simply click on the box that states â??Email Notification: emails sent to you whenever someone replies.â?�. Itâ??s not new, and you can find it under where you type your posts.. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Second, Member listings (â??Directoriesâ?�)....

IMNSHO - these are not only stupid, but they are dangerous, especially when the information contained in them is a roadmap to your personal information/life/residence. In short â?? we collect firearms - Lugers specifically - not $0.01 prizes in a â??CrackerJackâ?� box.

Many of you have tens of thousands of dollars invested in your collections, and the Internet is not the place to publicly state your personal information or to declare how long you personally have been collecting. So â?? a public Member directory is not only â??stoooopidâ?�, it is foolhardy, especially given the topic of discussion on any firearms related site â?? and could be an invitation for Internet visitors â??to get to know you betterâ?� â?? BUT these arenâ??t the folks who youâ??d like to get to know betterâ?¦. To make it a requirement for a user to post such private information to gain access to a site, is downright irresponsible â?? especially coupled with information about your collection or collecting experience.

To see if a websites that requires your personal information really is â??for registered members onlyâ?� â?? simply log out of that Forum. Next â?? after logging out, click on the â??membersâ?� link. Does it let you in to read the â??Members names, addresses, location, infoâ?�? If so, beware your private info is available to ANYONE and EVERYONE on the Internet â?? right now. If you can read it - so can anyone (or almost any webbot).

Want to see how private your information is to anyone on the Internet? Go to â??Memberâ?� directories on other Forums â?? and note the last name and the state of almost any personâ??s profile â?? and youâ??ll have instant access to their home address, phone number â?? and with a quick click â?? driving directions to their house courtesy of MapQuest. Want to try for yourself? Using that info (last name & state) open any address lookup website, there are hundreds of them, but here is a quick link to just one: http://www.anywho.com/ and enter that info. Got the street address and phone, now - right? Good â?? now go to http://www.mapquest.com and get the driving directions.

On THIS site (of recent NAPCA newsletter fame [img]smile.gif[/img] â?? I take your personal information and confidentiality seriously. John S. and I have access to both your first name/last name from the Registration information â?? but the public does not - whether "registered" or not. For some time, when you click on a user profile in this site â?? that profile will ONLY show a userâ??s first name â?? certainly not their last name. To supply both, gives the keys for anyone to find personal information about that user (you).

Coupled with other private information regarding you, your collection, city/state/zip, is simply asinine. In truth â?? on the Internet, if you publish that info â?? you might as well include a MapQuest link to your house in your SIG â?? and what hours you are away from home.

In short â?? DONâ??T DO IT. To insist that anyone must provide private information about themselves, location and their firearms collection/interest on a website in a either a public or private â??Memberâ?� listing is not only ludicrous, but shows utter lack of responsibility towards those same website users and â?? complete, total and full-blown ignorance of the Internet itself.

Iâ??m guessing youâ??ve probably figured out this site will NOT have a Member directory that would even ask for such information, much less require it - or even less - POST IT PUBLICLY!!!!.

Yes, I know better. Apparently, others do not.

Even if such a Member directory was promoted as â??available to registered site users onlyâ?� â??is a fallacy and a false sense of â??securityâ?�. If itâ??s on the Internet â?? itâ??s still accessible, just slightly harder to get to (maybe by about 3 seconds).

YMMV.

[John D.]

Hmmmmmmm.............

Seems "someone" just took off their "Member" listings off their Forum.... Wonder why?

Glad to lend a hand with any site....

You are welcome, Jan....

BTW: Don't bother to e-mail me your "thanks", it's really not expected. Besides - "...Because of the peculiar culture of the Luger forum.." (read Automag, Jan's words), I'm just interested in Lugers and collecting - and protecting privacy of those same collectors. You apparently have a different agenda. I certainly don't....