Friday Blog Question: Online privacy or the lack thereof

Seems the longer we live with on line around us, the more comfortable we get giving a little more access to ourselves. As examples, LinkedIn wants my e-mail address and password to find contacts I can add; Paypal wants my credit information; Insane ex-girlfriends ignore restraining orders by asking, “how’s it goin’ these days?” on Facebook. Then earlier this month came the story of a phishing attack on Twitter. It got shut down, but did a fair amount of damage because… people just didn’t question giving their information to a site they’d never seen before. After we’ve given our Twitter logins to so many other sites that requested it, (Twitter Karma, Friendfeed, YouTube, or anything that wants to auto post for you,) we seem to have stopped being cautious. I’m not saying we should all trash our computers, go back to using land line telephones, and operate the occasional ham radio. But… Are people getting too comfortable being on line? Are we getting lax about our own security? Do you ever buy used items from ebay, Craigslist, or AZCentral.com? Have you had any horror stories? Or do you swear by all of it, whether or not there’s a security risk to you?

In the beginning ... you know ten to fifteen years ago … when you went online it was anonymous. Web surfing and interaction without repercussion was a great idea that got the flow of information and ideas started in cyberspace. That was then … Nowadays, people are required to give out info to gain access to the cherished places on the Net like facebook, twitter, LinkedIn, etc. However, people seem to have not realized that with giving up that information comes the loss of anonymity. Suddenly, we are able to find out who is posting on that blog, or who just tweeted about a bad business deal. And now, more than ever, people are looking. Read this great article by Gabriel Sherman for an example of the issues created with online activity without the thought of repercussions or responsibility. Brian Alig

I think you need to be careful but not go overboard. People forget that if you give a person your credit card info over the phone, they could scam you too. It’s not just the internet and the big bad phishing schemes – they are just the easiest scapegoat at this point. Amy Rushia

I do think we’re a little too comfortable giving our information online, but the whole phishing scam thing doesn’t scare me nearly as much. That problem is mostly resolved simply by using good password policies. Don’t use the same password on every social networking site. Don’t use the same password that you use for your bank’s web site. Basically, don’t be an idiot. Use some common sense. Joseph Jaramillo

People try to see the world through rose colored glasses. The fact is, there are spammers and scam artists online. Protecting yourself, in most cases, only requires common sense. I only buy things online from sites that are respectable, and I always do research on sites that are fairly new. Doing a simple search for the company name can bring up all sorts of results. I buy most of my Suns and Dbacks tickets on eBay (it’s cheaper and you can find really good deals), and I sold items on Craigslist when I moved with no issue. If I had to pick one or the other, I would definitely go with eBay. Here are my rules: • Never meet someone in an empty parking lot alone at night. • On eBay, you can see a seller’s feedback and number of previous sales. I don’t buy from someone who has little or no previous sales and a low Feedback percentage. • Buy local. Shipping only complicates things, especially with tickets. Ellen Stevens

I think the sense of privacy is out the window. It’s a little uncomfortable for those of us who grew up with it and much less valued by those who didn’t. So trust rests on that continuum. Until you get burned or know someone who did, most people will embrace ignorance. Roger Hurni

I personally am cautious of just about everything when it comes to personal identity. It took me many years to accept using online banking for paying my bills, but I still refuse to deposit checks in an ATM (though if my bank would do what Chase is currently doing by printing a copy of your check on the receipt – I would consider it.) I tend to trust only a handful of sites when it comes to credit card info or social security numbers – but I am not as concerned with social sites. My issue these days is trying remember which password I entered for each of these many sites I have accounts for. However, I do have fears for my future children and their access to online based on the horror stories I have heard. There is just almost too much out there to keep track of (or monitor for that matter). Debby Hrach

About the Author: Eric Reid

I am the Social Media Services Manager for Off Madison Ave. I've been with the company since 2006, when I was hired to do SEO, and link building in particular. When social networking sites started cropping up, at first I started using them to create backlinks - but they weren't the best for that, given all of the "nofollow" attributes. However, I did see the potential for all of the direct referral traffic they represent. Since then I've been actively pursuing both tactics for clients: Links that can help them for search, and social postings that get them involved in the conversation. It's about the coolest job you could ever get. ;)