What's with all the personal info threads?

[Xithras]

Seriously. Off hand, over the last few months I've seen separate threads, spaced out over weeks and weeks, asking the following questions:

What year were you born?
What's your hometown?
What state do you live in?
What's your house number?
What's your street name?
What's your university mascot/what college did you go to?
Where did you go to high school?
What's your first name?
What's your middle name?
What's your last name?
What are your parents names?
What are your grandparents names?
...plus many others inquiring about everything from income to marital status.

Am I the only one concerned that someone could troll the archives of this board, put these responses together, and come up with some rather detailed personal profiles on some users here? :shrug: I've never posted to any of these threads (except the hometown one) for just this reason, and I'm always shocked that so many people here are so ready to publicly divulge their personal information on a board that we KNOW is lurked by fundies, freepers, and other right wing malcontents.

[ForrestGump]

1. Well,

1947
Greenbow, Alabama
That's in Alabama
1
Rural route 5
Alabama, the one that isn't the Crimson Tide
Greebow High
Forrest
Nathan
Gump
Mr & Mrs Gump
Grammaw an' grampaw

And the key's under the mat.

[Blue-Jay]

3. Great! What's for dinner?

I'm a little bit hungry.

[ForrestGump]

8. Dr Pepper! And, of course, shrimp kebabs, shrimp creole, shrimp gumbo,

pan fried, deep fried, stir fried. There's pineapple shrimp and lemon shrimp, coconut shrimp, pepper shrimp, shrimp soup, shrimp stew, shrimp salad, shrimp and potatoes, shrimp burger, shrimp sandwich...that's...that's about it.

[Misunderestimator]

2. Pick and choose what to respond to...

For me, it's a question of whether you're willing to give up personal information in order to form a more familiar relationship with others, or you are too paranoid that the Ashcrofts of the world will use it against you... For me, I refuse to be controlled by the Ashcrofts of the world... that simple.

And... by the way, I haven't seen any threads asking for a first, middle or last name. Maybe I missed something. (I wouldn't have responded in any case.)

[Xithras]

5. Here they are:

What's your first name, or variations on the theme:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=737526
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=867527
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=1146487
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=1207898

What's your middle name?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=741862

What's your last name?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=741924

[Misunderestimator]

6. Well, damn... then I guess I'm with you on that. n/t

[sundog]

9. Agreed,

if you spend your whole life being paranoid, then you've already given "them" power. That's what they want right?

If we didn't want to take risks, then none of us would be here in the first place.

I don't want to live my whole life is a size 10 shoe box...

If some freeper would be so hateful as to track me down, I'd take it as a compliment- must mean I'm doing something right...

karma always works itself out anyway...

PS - Misunderestimator -- did you recover from that traumatic "must tear myself away" thread last week?

[Misunderestimator]

10. LOL... Yes... I finally tore myself away.

It was very traumatic. :)

[sundog]

12. just so long as your eyes didn't start to bleed...

:crazy:

[terrya]

4. I think I've mentioned everything except my dick size on here.

So, to all the freepers out there...this is Terry Andrews' life! :-)

[ForrestGump]

13. Someone's going to ask the question, so it might as well be me...

Is "Terry" short for "Terrence," or for something else?

[ConcernedCanuk]

7. Two things - one - I ain't worried, nuthing to hide

.
.
.

and I don't live in the U S of A !!

:bounce:

<sub>so they can stick that Patriot Act - well - you know where

:silly:</sub>

[AspenRose]

11. Hi, Agent Mike!

:hi:

Just in case you're developing a dossier, or something.

[Xithras]

20. Personally, I'm more worried about freepers than feds

I'm not paranoid that the FBI is going to kick down my door because I made a post about not liking the president on some Internet messageboard, but c'mon, would you want this guy to know where you lived?

[Westegg]

14. Exactly. Which is why I always lie. ALWAYS.

[Kat45]

15. I've been noticing that myself.

And I've been thinking those same thoughts. That's why I didn't reply to those threads.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

16. I think people need to use their heads when responding

One can google a person's first name along with a minimal amount of information and if they are impetuous or have a reason, they can find you easily...they can know when you work..what you have if you've posted info on it...or they can stalk you if they have intentions to do so.

It's worth considering before you give out too much info.

[ForrestGump]

17. Nothing shocks me, Annie Moore

You're right about Google:

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

18. wow! you found me

[SarahB]

19. Don't respond!

Seriously, don't. Except for less than a handful of people here, everyone else knows only my first name, what I look like, and my state. That's it and that's enough as far as I'm concerned on a public forum. That's all it's going to be too especially as a woman. :scared: