Birthday Display

[admin]

After a forum member brought up a concern about the public display of birthday information, I've spent time reconsidering the issue.

I have decided to disable the birthday display.

In today's world, where even simple information can be a step toward identity theft, we need to be err on the side of caution. Birth date, in particular, is often part of what is used to secure health information.

I regret any inconvenience this change causes.

[ChrisNeilan]

Understood...

[Ed in Tampa]

I could not imagine anyone giving their birthday date. It is a key piece of information needed for identity thief.

[dusty]

Paranoia has set in even here on the forum.

If one does not want his/her birth date to be known, he/she could simply not provide that data.

This sort of information is available in so many different places. Over the years, you have put it there. Every credit application, every job application, every government document, applications to put your kids in school and the list could go on forever. Listing your birth date on the forum where it does not get connected to your SSAN, Address, Telephone # and where it gets tied to a fictitious user name is hardly going to get linked to ID Theft. If you want to know just how vulnerable you are, go checking on the internet for information about yourself and your loved ones.

For a starter: Google just..... your name,your home town

Now go to the your County Treasurer's web site and see how much information you can get there. Start with Property Tax Records.

[jsburger]

Paranoia has set in even here on the forum.

If one does not want his/her birth date to be known, he/she could simply not provide that data.

This sort of information is available in so many different places. Over the years, you have put it there. Every credit application, every job application, every government document, applications to put your kids in school and the list could go on forever. Listing your birth date on the forum where it does not get connected to your SSAN, Address, Telephone # and where it gets tied to a fictitious user name is hardly going to get linked to ID Theft. If you want to know just how vulnerable you are, go checking on the internet for information about yourself and your loved ones.

For a starter: Google just..... your name,your home town

Now go to the your County Treasurer's web site and see how much information you can get there. Start with Property Tax Records.

I absolutely couldn't agree with you more. As you said, if you don't want your birth date known don't enter it.

[dusty]

If we knew who the bad people were, those people who wanted to do bad things with the information that they can collect, then we could protest ourselves. BUT, we don't. Those nice people to whom we gave all that information to when they helped check us into the hospital emergency room, well guess what, one of them just might be the identity thief.

There are many examples just like this. Situations where you voluntarily give up your name, address, telephone #, birthday, SSAN, medicare number, insurance policy #, etc. If you are inclined to be paranoid about this, you may have reason but there is little or nothing you can do about it.

Shopsmith forum members knowing my birth date certainly is not cause for me to be concerned.

[reible]

I don't have my birthday listed here but it is a personal thing. I have no special fears about it either.

It is nice to see birthday wishes here, gives it a feel of a smaller more intimate group of friends wishing each other well, a nice feeling from the forum.

If it has to go it has to go but we can be thankful that we had it for a while.

Of course now with the birthday wishes that have already been posted any given evil person wanting to data mine that information has only to search past posts to find out the information.... so much for security on that.

For example:

http://www.shopsmith.com/ss_forum/commu ... t7684.html


Ed

[jsburger]

First of all, don't get me wrong, I think identity theft occurs however...

With all the data breaches that have occurred in the last year and reported all over the media with millions of people effected has anyone seen a media report of anyone harmed buy this? There may be some but certainly not enough to attract the media.

[benush26]

Sorry, but it was me.

It was not paranoia or fear of identity theft but emotional privacy.

After searching this site, I could not find where my birthdate was listed, but wanted to see if there was such a place, I would remove it but could not so I sent a PM to the Admin.

I do not celebrate my birthday nor do I let any one else. Yes it would take years of therapy to explain it. I've left forums that insist on sending me a birthday wish even after I have repeatedly expressly asked the admins and moderators not to. I just wanted to find a way to make certain I could stay a member of this forum and yet not have anyone know my birthday. Not that I am so vain as to expect birthday wishes, but I did not even want a possibility of a computer generated email.

I'm not anti-birthday, just not willing to celebrate mine. If someone wants to celebrate theirs I'm am all for it and will honestly and earnestly wish them the best.

I am sorry that my actions have caused a problem for the whole group. I will request that the Admin rescind his "no birthdays" policy.

Be well,
Ben

[dusty]

No harm done, Ben.

It seems that I owe you an apology and I do certainly apologize. I had no intention of inflicting emotional distress on anyone.