I have a request for Forum users. I really enjoy reading user Profiles. How about you guys that haven’t added information under your Profiles do it to it. I’d really like to see what my fellow model railroaders are all about. I’ve been at it as an HO scale model railroader since 1951 and a Lionel three railer before that dating back to 1945. I grew up in El Paso Texas and worked my way west over many years, we now live in Bakersfield CA. I have lived on both ends of the Southern Pacific Cab Froward and AC-9 southern route.
Since I don’t have, THEM, coming to get me, my profile gives a little story of where I started and where I am now, as far as my model railroading goes.
I agree, some times reading a person’s profile allows me to understand where they are coming from, a little bit better. It gives a personality to the handle. I feel there is something missing, when I go to a profile and find nothing there. Certainly a person must have something to say about themselves! As far as not wanting to share personal information on the internet, how could a few simple statements about what “trips your trigger” reveal that much more that will cause a problem. Most of you are far more exposed than I am, anyway, so come-on tell us about yourself! I too am happy to have private conversations through PMs.
I joined in 2003,I wrote a bio then which ofcourse is no longer pertinent.If you go to my profile it says I have not done this but if you open the profile the old info is there.I delete it write the new info click save and get the old info back.
I see no reason anymore to have something that no longer applies to me in my profile.
Unfortunately, in these days of data harvesting and targeted sales/political/scam pitches, it’s not especially prudent to put personal information on the web. Even the fact that you are a member of this forum helps put together a profile on you. Granted that MR doesn’t deliberately share this info with all who coming looking and has some security protections in place, one only has to follow the news reports of database breakins to realize nothing is fully safe. Add to this the fact that many companies are now making hiring decisions, pricing decisions, etc. based on what is available on you on the Internet (and there are companies who provide a service searching for personal information on the Internet). Couple this with the fact that there is some unknown amount of traffic monitoring by government agencies. It makes sense to try and limit your exposure.
So yes there is information on me in various places on the Internet, but I don’t have to add to it where it serves no useful purpose for me.
Certainly this is your choice. But, if you were really smart about protecting your information you wouldn’t post anything here or anywhere else that information on you; or, your opinions can be used for data farming.
I’m smart enough to know there are ways creeps use info that I think is useless to said creeps, for nefarious purposes. If you want to buy me a beer I’ll tell you all about me. Send me a pm. I don’t need to broadcast it.
Plus if you really want to know about me read through my posts. Then you’ll probably figure out knowing me isn’t all that interesting. [:D]
I don’t think I’ve ever read anyones profile. I enjoy catching the tidbits of peoples lives that sneak into the regular post on occasion, however that’s about it. As far as the model railroading part of their lives, after you’ve been around a while you have a good idea of what the regulars have accomplished over the years. At least I think I do, I tend to remember most of what I’ve read about people on here.
I do wish people would tell us where they are in the world, at least say within a hundred kilometres or so. Or at least what country they are in.
I was born and grew up as a child. I got older. That is all anyone needs to know.
Too many nosy people out there and data miners.
You would be amazed at how much Google knows about us. I see in Google Images many post including photos from messages I have posted here and in other forums.
Many clueless are not aware the Google is probably the biggest data miner.
I sorry guys, I didn’t mean to start a war. I only started this thread for model railroaders that don’t mind stating how or what they like about the “Greatest Hobby in the World”. I didn’t think anybody would take offence about saying what they like about the hobby. I consider model railroading fun and a great hobby. If you don’t want to put what makes you happy that’s OK. I did not expect negative input, that was not why I ask you to add your comments about the hobby in your Profile.
I really didn’t think about anyone using the information that I got my first train when I was 8 years old or that I was an HO convert at 14 years old. I really don’t care if someone knows that I model the Southern Pacific Lines of the mid 1950s. To each his own, if you don’t want to add something to your profile then don’t . . . . I really didn’t expect to read about anything other than the hobby of model railroading on the MR Forum.
I believe wholeheartedly that your intentions were commendable and that we as members of this MR forum are a community and as such we should feel secure in knowing that most, if not all, our fellow members are trustworthy and responsible citizens.
Now for the downside:
As mentioned in previous posts, data miners (Google) and unscrupulous internet lurkers can turn the most innocuous information into all sorts of nasty greif for the unwitting victim. Some forums have you post your age and even your birth date, others require your full legal name to be displayed, etc. and it doesn’t take much of a hacker to put all this together and the end result can be to make you regret you ever even had an internet connection.
One such case recently came to mind, that of Brandon Bostian the Amtrak engineer on the tragic wreck last month at Frankford Junction. Within hours of the wreck, his photo was plastered all over the media outlets and many of the photos were, I believe, made to paint Mr. Bostian as, you know, one of those “train nuts”.
My first thought was, Gosh! I’ll bet he sure regrets having all those personal photos out there available for anyone to “grab” —especially the unscrupulous media. Just Google Brandon Bostian Amtrak>images and you’ll see what I mean.
Some stories even made mention of his postings which, I believe, were from the Train Orders forum where he had mentioned some concerns that he percieved may have been safety related.
I understand too, that some people from the ever-prying media had approached Mr. Bostian’s contacts on social media asking for more photos and trying to dig up further “dirty laundry” on the unfortunate man always looking for that “gotcha” zinger!
Most of us will never have the unblinking eye of the media focused on us the way they did to him, but… why risk the exposure? And, in the blink of an eye you could be t
Also Googled myself. If a hacker can get anything out of that, he won’t have much. No SSAN, no account numbers, no links to interesting or scandalous people, no social sites (I don’t join them, and disregard other people’s invitations) and no photos - anywhere. He’ll have to settle for my (supposedly unlisted) landline number.
As one of my science fiction characters says in answer to personal questions, “That’s for me to know, and others to wonder.”
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - writing about 3626)