I wish I had added to the end of my comment to Rocky…“somewhere there needs to be a line drawn in the sand at what constitutes invasion of privacy”.
Greg Elmassian said:
Well Shawn, what’s wrong with putting Pocono Mt, New Jersey as your address? That’s what the web “thinks”. No harm no foul.
I put my city, and if the bad guys can use that to find my house, more power to them.
And you can now put “Shawn V” as your displayed name, which is even more secure than you have now.
Just suggestions to promote the infinite harmony of the site, clearly no one wants you to leave because of your address.
Greg
I guess there is nothing wrong with putting down Pocono Mt. Hey by the way were you a quarterback in High school?
BD, Sincere thanks for the provided leeway(http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)
Since I live about 10 miles outside the city I listed, which is my post office address, I ain’t too worried.
The Equifax hackers have all your important information now, worrying about what someone may glean from this site is a waste of effort !
I just did a search on my name, and, at least on the first page found zero references to Large Scale Central. A few obituaries, but I’m pretty sure I woke up still not dead again today.
Even if I narrow the search to Virginia, there aren’t very many hits on the actual me.
Net result (MY conclusion): I don’t think too many folks are going to LSC to dig up information on folks…
Gary Buchanan, FOG, DRS, DSS, DCS said:
The Equifax hackers have all your important information now, worrying about what someone may glean from this site is a waste of effort !
My .02…I have to agree with Gary B. and Bruce on the security point. Equifax already has your pertinent information. In my case for instance, back in the early to mid-eighties I wrote a few articles for both Live Steam magazine and Modeltec magazine. I was quoted by the author of a history book on the 9th Infantry Division in Vietnam. When I google my name, all of these articles appear. And this was long before internet forums as we know them today. Naturally my postings on LSC and MLS show up too. I don’t believe that posting on LSC or MLS or G Scale Central, etc. is going to cause you any “bodily” harm. The professional hackers can find you. As an aside…have you ever been asked for your phone number when you go to a franchise barber or go to a CVS pharmacy? They have your home address, telephone number, all previous work phone numbers! So much for security. Don’t even need Social Security numbers anymore!
All too funny, to me, I was worried about a low life train junkie stealing my trains !
Priorities men!
Trains will get you through times of no money, better than money will get you through times of no Trains!*
*with Thanks to Fat Freddy.
I saw LSC and the others (mls and lysol) as gateways to my misfortune, not hacking scum.
After a couple of years I had the lockable car barn (that has yet to see a lock…) I gave up the nick.
I have been Boomer for five decades. It is not just a pseudonym here. I was given this name at the tender age of 4 by my Grandmother who was mocking me for throwing a tantrum (yeah I know somethings never change). It stuck and everyone from my family and friends to my teachers and employers have called me Boomer.
Once it caught on my Grandmother stopped calling me Boomer and used my first name usually with a few choice expletives. I was 12 before I realized that my first name was not “That GXX DXXXX Kid”. Now only Dave Marconi calls me by my first name. Not sure if he thinks he is being clever or if he thinks he is my Grandmother…which would be weird on a whole new level, but I am sort of getting a vibe on that second choice.
I have followed Bruce’s example and searched Boomer Keel on the internet. Like him I am all over LSC but unfortunately I am not the only Boomer Keel found on the inter-webs…
Here is one with his own web page… https://plus.google.com/103326578406275359238
and of course U-Tube… https://www.youtube.com/user/boomerkeel/videos?gl=LU&view=0&hl=fr
All of which means when the CIA, Lego Secret Police or train thieves come looking for me, they will find him.
Thanks everyone you have made this poor dog’s life a living hell. I hope you are happy.
(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)<- because some people don’t know when I am joking.
Boomer Keel said:
Once it caught on my Grandmother stopped calling me Boomer and used my first name usually with a few choice expletives. I was 12 before I realized that my first name was not “That GXX DXXXX Kid”. Now only Dave Marconi calls me by my first name. Not sure if he thinks he is being clever or if he thinks he is my Grandmother…which would be weird on a whole new level, but I am sort of getting a vibe on that second choice.
(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)<- because some people don’t know when I am joking.
snip
And if I ever slip and let people know your name is Sue they’ll understand (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)
If it puts comfort in anybody, the only time I have ever had any of my trains stole (a lot of HO), it was not at my house but at a train show. Somebody, during show operation, literally reached under the layout and pulled 2 tubs out that were filled with my trains and walked out with them. Including 2 custom painted locomotives I just picked up that day! Nobody saw a thing!
Chris
Bob McCown said:
This new rule has generated a bunch of discussion and questions. The main reason I implemented it is that I want to know who is on my site, whether or not you generally go by a nickname or not. After a bit of diving into software configuration options, and some profile template hacking, I have a solution that will only make a couple of you grumpy.
I’ve added a field to the profile screen: “Real Name”. This option is required, but the results are not visible on your profile to anyone but me. I’ve also loosened the restriction on the “last name” field, so those of you that have a single site name dont need to use a . in the last name field.
So, I’ve modified this new rule to be “I must know your real name and email address.”
Please, don’t abuse this. gavel
Thank you!
Bob! What happened? Latest new member “Adverse Camber”…
We are getting deluged by lots of new members with not only NOT a real name, but often they don’t even sign their name.
MLS is dying, hardly any posts, and even more people will come here.
Could we at least have a REAL first name? This cannot be such a huge deal.
PLEASE…
Greg Elmassian - real name
Bob McCown said:
Effective immediately, I’m implementing something I should have done a long time ago. Starting today, I will not allow nickname-only profile names. You must use your real name. You can append a nickname to your last name (Such as “Bob McCown (Head Honcho)”) but that’s it. We all should know who you are, and where you are located. One week from today I will be disabling accounts I find that are nickname only. At that time, I will also disable the ability to change your profile name once created.
Bob is not here on weekdays …
Right, did not ask for or expect an immediate response, see one of my “friends” banged my reputation too, nice…
just underscores how anonymity breeds trouble.
Greg
You hit the nail on the head, Greg…
Fred Mills
I know my post will start a flame war, but I believe that the forum is just that, where we are free to express our opinions, but in a courteous manner, and there is no need to make personal attacks, etc.
Unfortunately anonymity allows people to say things that they would never say to a person’s face or in public.
From the many forums I am on (about 20 I guess) I see a clear difference in courtesy where real names are used. I know that some people here have threatened to quit if they cannot use their “handle”, and clearly Bob has accommodated them, but these particular individuals are ALREADY known to Bob and the community.
What I am asking is new members, and clearly there are some “trolls” who just join to sell stuff and cause trouble.
Many other forums require real names, it’s not the end of the world. Your life won’t get hacked by using your real name in a forum as small as this, worry about Walmart, Target, Equifax, Experian, your bank, your utility company, where you order online. This is true, I use my real name everywhere, and even my enemies have not “hacked” me. I use complex passwords, and change them, I don’t go to dangerous web sites and I keep my AV and anti-malware updated.
Anyway, I meant to add 2 cents and wound up with a buck… sorry …
Greg
Greg Elmassian said:
I know my post will start a flame war, …
i think, you should have left the sleeping dogs alone.
but, as the ignition already happened… happy flaming!
I was at the doctors, just got back online, I haven’t dinged anybody negatively in years. That’s silly.
No dog here, just responding to the post addressed to Bob the Commuter…
Sorry John, did not mean you specifically, just got a ding within seconds of posting, but the “dinger” did not have the stones to post a rebuttal.
If I really cared there’s a way to figure it out pretty well, but it’s definitely not worth the effort.
Hope you and the doctor went well, I know it’s no fun.
Greg