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- Monday, March 22, 2010 - 0 comments

8 Tips To Keep Your Privacy Online.

'If You Have Something You Don't Want Anyone To Know, Maybe You Shouldn't Be Doing It' - Eric Schmidt, Google CEO - December 3, 2009

You see the problem here, yes? Let me rephrase:

'If there is someone whom doesn't want you do do something, maybe you shouldn't be doing it"

I have been writing long and large in this post about how your private things should stay private, and how the Internet could, in a worst case scenario, turn into the global version of that small town in the mountain where everybody know you've been holding hands with Suzie's sister's best friend (who's got an uncle in England).
There are several solutions to this problem. Some are scarier than the current situation (online unique and certified identity, thus legal right to privacy), some are simply utopias (free open web where everybody is nice and caring), and giving the whole world the middle finger is just too childish.

So, what do you do to protect your real identity online?

1) Use a persona

I am lucky enough to have a very common name, it makes me difficult to find as a person. My nickname though, Danny_Fr, can be found easily.
I can write whatever I want under this pseudo, the most you'll find about me is that I'm somewhere in Jakarta.

2) Hide your face

That I don't do. But you should if you're more concerned about stalkers, or if you're young, female, and pretty (you should also send me your number).
If my name is pretty common around the world, my face though, is pretty unique (see related pic on my blog profile), and I am endowed with a pretty showing Mohawk haircut. Stands out in the crowd.
Luckily none of my ex want me dead.

3) Phone number, address? Forget!

The very last thing you want to do is to deliver your personal data anywhere online. NEVER. do. that.
I once made the mistake to publicly upload my CV on Facebook.
Stalker here I am, call me on my personal line. It took me a tiring while to get rid of it.

4) Split your professional and private life

It's mainly the same as using a persona, but it goes a little further. Use separate phone numbers, addresses and SNS accounts for your work, you can smext and upload your pole dancing photos on your private accounts

5) Several emails are good too

One for you, one for the office, one for the junk. That's also practical.

6) These privacy settings, use them!

Facebook settings: It sounds like a "DUH!". But you'd be surprised by the amount of Facebook profiles delivering funny information about their owners. Have you ever had a person waiting for a while before adding/refusing to add you? I have, and I can see this person's updates on my newsfeed.

Twitter settings: You know your tweets are public, yes? You'd be surprised how applications like Hunch use them to profile you. I am going to use it before hiring my next slav..er.. employee. Protect your tweets.



7) Are you sure you want to reveal your location?

I don't use foursquare. I do not want to. I am where I am, and if you want to know what's my position, kindly ask.
But then again, I deactivated the geo-tagging option in Twitter. I do not like the idea of 280 persons and potentially all their followers knowing where I am.

8) Chose your friends.

Once again, it sounds obvious. But do you really know everybody you befriended on Facebook? Oh, do you really know every single follower of yours, and their followers, who will get your tweet after a RT?
It seems nearly impossible to control your follower and their RT (again, protect your tweets). On Facebook though, it's pretty easy, you might as well do it if it matters for you.

I don't exactly follow all these advices; I'm not a privacy freak and I actually let some information leak just to know how far they can go.
With a little bit of whit, you can find out where I work (good luck), you know how I look, now try finding me and tell me what you found out. I'll treat you for a drink.

Meanwhile I'll be lurking on /b/.

Posted via email from @Danny_Fr

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