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 | DW2
Senior Member
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West Coast, B.C.
1396 Posts |
Posted - 02/18/2004 : 2:54 PM
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After reading the comments under " should you use your real or on-line name when referring to people on the CT site", another area of personal security came to mind. As I have scanned the personal profiles and responses submitted to various subjects I have noticed that some people have included too much personal information. Although this site is mostly used by local hikers, one must keep in mind that the information listed is accessable to anyone around the planet. The areas of concern are:
1. using your full name on profile
2. giving out your home phone numbers or e-mail address on the chat pages
3. submitting photos of non CT members without their approval (I have been able to track a friend's outdoor activities through CT photos for about a year now, without even talking to her. She was not aware that the photos from the trips she has attended with other groups have been posted on the CT site).
Call me over cautious, but I think it is something worth considering.
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Super botonist, hippie chick who cuddles thistles with glee
Langley, BC
Canada
1541 Posts |
Posted - 02/18/2004 : 3:21 PM
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quote:
3. submitting photos of non CT members without their approval (I have been able to track a friend's outdoor activities through CT photos for about a year now, without even talking to her. She was not aware that the photos from the trips she has attended with other groups have been posted on the CT site).
Are these pics that were posted on CT, or linked to from CT, or on a CT member's page? |
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Buntzen roving stealthy beer mule and artist, aspiring weird image findmaster who loves BC
lower mainland
Canada
1647 Posts |
Posted - 02/18/2004 : 3:31 PM
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That's a good point. A person taking the photo could at least ask if it's OK to post. If they're not OK with it, they can get out of the picture if it's going to be posted and back in for others. With digital, it'd be easy once we're back at home to decide which go in the forum or not (if we can remember who requested what). With CT trips, it seems the idea of taking photos out there are to let other CT'rs at home sort of experience what their friends did outside.
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'Keep on keepin on' |
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| DW2
Senior Member
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West Coast, B.C.
1396 Posts |
Posted - 02/18/2004 : 3:33 PM
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| The photos I am referring to are taken by a CT member on a non CT hike or trip and posted on this site when giving a trip report. |
Edited by - DW2 on 02/18/2004 3:34 PM |
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 trigger happy, bear bangin', beer swillin', dirt-lovin', event organizin', hell raisin' REDneck
Maple Ridge (Redneckville), BC
Canada
2615 Posts |
Posted - 02/18/2004 : 3:37 PM
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Ask that certain CT member to take the pics down then. It shouldn't be a big deal.
Also, has the person who has their pics on CT taken offence? If so, have them approach the photographer. Just handle it as adults.
One ought never to turn one's back on a threatened danger and try to run away from it. If you do that, you will double the danger. But if you meet it promptly and without flinching, you will reduce the danger by half.
Sir Winston Churchill
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Why? Because I can! |
Edited by - Hiking_nut on 02/18/2004 3:38 PM |
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Super botonist, hippie chick who cuddles thistles with glee
Langley, BC
Canada
1541 Posts |
Posted - 02/18/2004 : 3:40 PM
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I agree that posting pics of someone else, especially on a non-CT trip, is bad form. Your non-CT friend should bring up the photo issue with the CT member. I trust you've told her by now?
Very few members list their full names in their profiles. |
Edited by - trailflower on 02/18/2004 3:45 PM |
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opinionated-stove huggin'-fleece wearin'-arse burnin' hill virgin
Here
Canada
4643 Posts |
Posted - 02/18/2004 : 3:45 PM
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Now you have us all curious!!!
DW2, I think your concerns are valid. I like to keep most of my CT related email off my personal family email account unless it's been specifically invited. I think it doesn't hurt to ask if someone wants to have their pics posted publically, it shows some respect. Sometimes I have mixed feelings about posting pics of my kids, a definite conflict between concern and pride. We have had cases of our personal info being used for solicitation and I can see how it can be used for worse.
I think the responsability for what we put on our profile still up to us although I think it's a great reminder to be a little carefull about it.
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....."Know the Truth and the Truth shall set you free." |
Edited by - Hiker Boy on 02/18/2004 6:44 PM |
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summerland, bc
Canada
653 Posts |
Posted - 02/18/2004 : 4:17 PM
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| good topic , I for one use my real name because that is how I make my living and have it everyware that I can , With that said my being a part of this site is not to solicit buisness and do not talk shop on this site ,I know thoes two statements contradict each other but I am a complex guy , I guess one has to ask him/her self what info is important to share |
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Super botonist, hippie chick who cuddles thistles with glee
Langley, BC
Canada
1541 Posts |
Posted - 02/18/2004 : 4:32 PM
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| People who have their faces on bus stop benches don't get any privacy. |
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alpine seekin, therma loungin, java brewin, licorice whorin, stealth hikin, all weather trail guru
Pt. Coquitlam, B.C.
Canada
1772 Posts |
Posted - 02/18/2004 : 4:48 PM
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I guess we do need to remember, that not everybody is as comfortable / complacent, about having their image posted on the internet, as many of us have become over time. I'm definitely not as concerned about my own anonymity as I once was.
Obviously I would remove any photo, that somebody asked me to, and I try not to post particularly bad pictures of people (except Hiking Nut  ) Now if I could just figure out how to not be eating all of the time when someone takes my picture 
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^^ Go Vertical !! ^^ |
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 Big pack hiker who sleeps with bears in tent and falls on slippery logs
Langley, BC
Canada
7677 Posts |
Posted - 02/18/2004 : 8:06 PM
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I had the party who thought he might be the offender contact me. He is going to talk with the people in question and see if it is an issue.
It brings up a good point though. I know I tend to just post pics willy nilly and don't often check.
Come to think of it, I probably have way too much personal info on the net! |
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| DW2
Senior Member
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West Coast, B.C.
1396 Posts |
Posted - 02/19/2004 : 12:58 PM
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Longshadow: my intent was not to single out any one individual or individuals as a wrong doer, but to simply remind us all (by using a situation as an example)that the people we photograph have the right to know that their picture will be posted and viewed on the internet. It is a personal privacy right. If you have a friend who has posted photos of friends without thier knowledge, then this topic has given that person something to consider in the future.
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trigger happy, bear bangin', beer swillin', dirt-lovin', event organizin', hell raisin' REDneck
Maple Ridge (Redneckville), BC
Canada
2615 Posts |
Posted - 02/19/2004 : 7:22 PM
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Thanks Mom !
Maybe I should wear a condom when I post here, so I'm well protected .
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Why? Because I can! |
Edited by - Hiking_nut on 02/19/2004 7:25 PM |
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Vancouver, BC
Canada
256 Posts |
Posted - 02/19/2004 : 8:07 PM
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nut
yes....i would definately advise wearing a condom (or two) when posting on the CT website. Also latex gloves and a chastity belt would be reccomended. one can just never be too cautious these days....you never know what you might catch.
lokie (nurse in training)
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"Well-behaved women rarely make history"
Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
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Makati
Philippines
955 Posts |
Posted - 02/19/2004 : 9:57 PM
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one can just never be too cautious these days....you never know what you might catch.
Upon reviewing this thread I'm becoming just a wee bit concerned about contracting an uncomfortable case of digitechnical paranoia coupled with a social identity complex!
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bushy faced bright pink and orange sporting snow shoveling slacker
Seattle, WA
USA
573 Posts |
Posted - 02/20/2004 : 10:09 AM
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DW2 brings up a good point, and it is partially where I was going with the "What do you want to be called online" thread. Some people, as I alluded to in that thread, and some have here, prefer to keep some degree of anonymity. I personally feel it is a violation of a person's privacy and trust to use their name in a public forum, if they have chosen not to provide it, without their consent. For instance, I personally know the given names of several people on this board. I wouldn't dream of addressing them by those names online unless I've cleared it with them first. I'd expect the same degree of courtesy.
As for the posting of photograph without knowledge/consent, it is a fine line. Changes in technology make it very easy to share pictures and other things with people around the world. Ten years ago, we'd develop our film, put the photos in an album or shoe box, and share them in person. Now, we have websites that host photos for us (and make a profit selling our pictures, damn webshots), our own webspace and online communities where we can talk to people around the world as easily (or sometimes even easier) than talking with co-workers around the water cooler, or in a tavern after work. While many of us may see the advantage of posting our pictures online (hey, I can share my last trip with friends and family all over the place without having to make re-prints and send them out), we forget that with that ease of distribution, there are pitfalls.
- Our photos can be "poached" for uses we don't intend
- We cannot really control who sees them
- People we've photographed may not want to have their photo published for the world to see
Professional photographers who wish to sell photos in which the people are identifiable (i.e. I take a picture of Hiker Boy in which one can tell it's him) must have a signed model release in order to sell that photo. We don't think about that when we take our photos and push them to the web (at least not usually). Courtesy does dictate that one would ask subjects of photos if they mind having a picture of them posted to the web. It doesn't take much more than that, just a simple question. Most people won't mind, so you'll likely remember those who won't want it.
For myself, I hike with people I met online fairly often. I assume that there's a good chance that my picture will end up at least in someone's webshots album, and maybe a trip report on a forum. I don't generally have a problem with that.
As for what people post on their profile, it is up to them. I think in this day and age, we have learned enough to know of the risks of revealing too much of our own identities online. Those who do so most likely know the risks and do so with that in mind. Although, and I can't remember how it works when one registers, maybe some sort of age check where if someone is unerage, they cannot provide certain information (e-mail, messenger handles etc.) in their profile, or at least have it programatically blocked unless the parent consents to its release. To the credit of Club Tread, it is nice e-mail addresses are masked when entered into the profile form, and you have to be a registered member, signed in, to send to that person. Would be nice if ICQ, MSN, Yahoo! and AIM handles were masked simlarly when you look at the profile.
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A trip is about the journey as much, if not more than about the destination. What is the joy in reaching your destination if you've ignored everything along the way?
Alex Lowe said it best: "The best climber is the one having the most fun."
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Fleece thong wearin, Buntzen Lurkin, mystic poet mountain man and international spokesman of the friends of the white squirrel society
Port Moody, B.C.
Canada
5938 Posts |
Posted - 02/20/2004 : 11:44 AM
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In my opinion this is getting blown of proportion. Folks we are not posting that much personal information here. I wonder just what you are afraid of. I agree identity theft is a concern in our modern age but we are not posting S.I.N. numbers, bank account numbers, visa numbers ….. If your full name is posted I can find your address and phone number (provided you are listed in the phone book) so? Don’t post your full name it’s that simple. Would that leave you open to a stalker? I suppose it would. If you hand out your real email (home address) you are bound to get some spam. By now everyone should have enough common sense to know that. I can see that if you had small kids you might have a genuine concern for their safety but I think the odds are very small that you have anything to worry about. These types of creeps look for easy pickings.
I did have many of the same fears as a number of you when I started my web site. I posted my pictures so I was worried about pilferage and that may be in fact happening. If I find some one has used one of my photos for monetary gain I will pursue the matter. Fact is I had had several emails from people asking permission to use them for wallpaper and such. This really surprised me to see such consideration from complete strangers. To that end I even did up a wallpaper page of my favourites to share. They may not be good or professional quality buy I like them and have had some nice compliments.
Was I uneasy about posting my own picture? … short answer is yes . Then I thought why the heck not. I still do not have my home address on the page and as for spam it varies from 5 a month to as many as 30 . So what, that is what hotmail accounts are for. If I want to chat with someone I send them my other address. Have I been stalked? Only once, by a very scary lady. Do you remember the movie Basic Instinct, you get the picture. I agreed to meet her for a hike. BIG mistake! I put a stop to her very quickly.
The cool part is being on a trail and having some stranger saying “hey your that web guy” or better yet hey aren’t you “The Hiker “ from Club Tread. The down side is stopping at McDonalds and having some one out of the blue saying if you hike and promote fitness what the heck are you doing here? 
If you are opposed to having your picture posted by all means tell the photographer it is your privilege and right. Photographers should ask but I guess by now it should be a given that the paparazzi on Club Tread is rampant. Be aware if you phone in sick to go hiking your boss may see your shining face posted on a hike that day so let everyone know ahead of time. Several times I have taken shots of strangers and always asked for permission. Most have been flattered some have said no way. I don’t see it as a problem.
One more thing about the web, when I did my site I thought I was leaving myself open for tons of criticism. Well four years and 45,000 visitors later I have only had 2 people flame my work. No strangers at my door in the middle of the night, no weird phone calls, no junk mail at my home. True I have been hit on by a few lonely ladies and one lonely guy ( all emailed ) but that is about it. I’m glad this subject came up to make people aware of what they are doing and also I forgot to contact a few of you about this very thing.My deepest apologies for screwing up that one, you should have my email by now.
One thing to keep in mind as Jim said before we get a huge amount of visitors (Hits) so if there is something you don't want people on the w.w.w. to see or find out don't post it.
My take is that there are vast amounts of armchair travelers out there and maybe from seeing our shared antics, trail reports, and photos they’ll get off the sofa and get on the trails, with us or solo or with their own friends.
Are my views simplistic, maybe, I suppose paranoia has its place in this day and age.
Let common sense be your guide.
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Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.
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Big pack hiker who sleeps with bears in tent and falls on slippery logs
Langley, BC
Canada
7677 Posts |
Posted - 02/20/2004 : 7:03 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by The Hiker
In my opinion this is getting blown of proportion.
I agree with you... Think you can get carried away.
quote:
I did have many of the same fears as a number of you when I started my web site. I posted my pictures so I was worried about pilferage and that may be in fact happening. If I find some one has used one of my photos for monetary gain I will pursue the matter. Fact is I had had several emails from people asking permission to use them for wallpaper and such. This really surprised me to see such consideration from complete strangers. To that end I even did up a wallpaper page of my favourites to share. They may not be good or professional quality buy I like them and have had some nice compliments.
I thought about it originally as well, but then thought - who cares. Really. If someone is going to take my photo, then let them have it. And if you use the photo upload system of the site, it actually compresses and sizes the file. So it wouldn't look very good in print nor would it look good at any higher resolution.
I actually am quite surprised about how many people have asked me for use of my photos. I get requests nearly every month. Just in the past week I actually had someone wanting to use one of mine for the cover of a murder mystery novel that is coming out this fall. I told them they were welcome to use it and even sent them the high resolution file. My personal opinion is if I was a professional photographer who made my living from it, then I would care. But since I do it for leisure, its not really that much of an issue.
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If you are opposed to having your picture posted by all means tell the photographer it is your privilege and right. Photographers should ask but I guess by now it should be a given that the paparazzi on Club Tread is rampant.
Yeah, its pretty much a given now. I think you could easily ask the person to take it down if it were an issue. Also, anyone can message me to take a photo down and I will if it is about them.
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Well four years and 45,000 visitors later I have only had 2 people flame my work.
Sorry man, it wasn't personal. hehehe
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One thing to keep in mind as Jim said before we get a huge amount of visitors (Hits) so if there is something you don't want people on the w.w.w. to see or find out don't post it.
My take is that there are vast amounts of armchair travelers out there and maybe from seeing our shared antics, trail reports, and photos they’ll get off the sofa and get on the trails, with us or solo or with their own friends.
Are my views simplistic, maybe, I suppose paranoia has its place in this day and age.
Let common sense be your guide.
Well put.
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camera hauling, deli packing, stove exploder who bushwhacks ridges to false summits
South West corner of, BC
Canada
1557 Posts |
Posted - 02/20/2004 : 7:25 PM
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I understand the feeling of internet security, and not wanting to share persoanl info etc. etc. etc.
However, what info of yourselves is already being whored out, by a credit card company, or the charity you donated to, or the draw prize you signed up for?
Every time I use my crdit card, boom! Spam left right and centre.
Every time my folks give something to charity, there's two or three phone calls a night, asking for their share.
I can't even use ICQ without interuptions. I know my profile. There's nothing there that hasn't already made someone else some peice of profit, or can already be found out by other means. Big Deal.
Come on guys. We are out there to enjoy ourselves. We don't get much so let's make the most of it. 
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"Don't worry about anything; and you'll be ready for it." -Vidura |
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right wingin', rock climbin', photo takin', computer geek
North Van, BC
Canada
742 Posts |
Posted - 02/20/2004 : 10:04 PM
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| One thing I do wish people would use more often in their profile is the picture/photo function. Many times I've clicked on a user's profile to get a picture of them, only to be greeted with zip, zero, zilch! I know Jim and Jimbo progammed in a feature to enable users to upload pictures of themselves, and I think this is one of the best, unused features on the site. |
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| Q
Senior Member
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chocolate lovin, Bailey's slurpin, cold feet hatin', veggie eatin', true Cancerian water lovin', CT smilin', boulder dodgin', nosummitosis survivor
1594 Posts |
Posted - 02/21/2004 : 2:18 PM
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I think if people don't want to have their photo(s) viewed by others then avoid standing in front of the camera. If you are a dangerous offender wishing to remain anonymous or in a witness protection plan I can understand your concern but really..... it's a photo. That's it.
Remember what age we live in. On average, a person going about daily activities is filmed about (I can't remember the exact number) 21 times in that day. I believe it's more.
Every bank, every mall, street corners, building lobbies,corner stores etc. etc. etc. are fitted with video cameras. If you really don't want to be seen you will have to stay home, or go out in disguise.
I had a friend in Australia who was attacked, roughed up and his camera taken and the film ripped out because he was taking photos at a pub. The perpetrator was in the background.
Absolutely crazy.
My $0.02  |
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personal profile and info
