Join the forum!

[andyviv]

So far have been happy that I joined womenrv.com, lots of good advice, but friend advised me that this is a very very unsecure site. Yes, you need to join to make a post, but just click “join the forum!” and you can see what everyone has ever posted. And just by name that I joined as, already knows lots of personal information about me. This didn’t take much effort to find out.
Seems to be a great group of women, but concerned too much information is so freely available. Need to change my sign on name asap, if possible. Truly nefarious people can find out everything, but shouldn’t make that info so accessible.

[Bethers]

We don't post anything we don't care if the world sees. Your email address, etc can't be seen. It's the same for most any forum... Rv net, etc.

[andyviv]

[quote="Bethers"]We don't post anything we don't care if the world sees. Your email address, etc can't be seen. It's the same for most any forum...
Womenrv.com— So far this is an informational and great group to be part of and have already shared a lot of me and received a lot of great info, but recently been told I have shared too much in an unsecured website—open to all the world to see. I am not computer savvy so didn’t immediately recognize that joining a group like this exposes me, perhaps others aren’t aware of this either!

That being said, since I do want to continue with this group, what are the safeguards for this website and members?

[Bethers]

The only things people can see are your username and posts. We don't take credit card or bank info. If you say anything you don't want the possibility of anyone seeing, simply don't say it. Talking about which rv's we like or dislike, dumping, etc, well I don't see how that can harm you. If you feel differently, this isn't the place for you. You made your own password and no one can see it. That is as easy or difficult as you make it to be. I don't know what else you are looking for.

[Cudedog]

So far this is an informational and great group to be part of and have already shared a lot of me and received a lot of great info, but recently been told I have shared too much in an unsecured website—open to all the world to see. I am not computer savvy so didn’t immediately recognize that joining a group like this exposes me, perhaps others aren’t aware of this either!

Um. . . anyone who has been on the internet for more than about ten minutes surely recognizes that the internet - at large - ain't a safe place to be. Most of us here have been on this Forum for a good many years (check below my photo to the upper right to see the date I joined this forum). I myself have had an internet connection of one sort or another for at least twenty-five years.

(Hey ladies! Remember dial-up? Remember AOL's $$cost-per-minute$$ for internet access? I do.]

Er. . . who told you that you have shared too much? I don't mean this flippantly - but what, specifically, concerns you? How, specifically, do you feel you have been "exposed"? Without going back and looking over all of your posts (I am way too lazy to do that) I don't recall much of anything that would personally identify you. You asked some RV questions. Shared an opinion or two. Yes, so do we all.

No dog stories yet, though!! We demand dog stories!!!

Why are you concerned? If you change your mind about what you have posted here (I often do, because I have a big mouth - er, make that big typing fingers) your posts can be edited or deleted. Don't like a post you have written, and the "x" is no longer available (meaning someone has read your post, so you can't instantly delete it in it's entirety). Just edit the post - maybe even change your entire ten-page-typed-double-space super-rant (I do this sometimes ) to just read something innocuous like "Hi there!"

In simple point of fact, anytime you access the internet, someone, somewhere, something is "watching". Every trip you take around the web, someone, or something, is setting "internet cookies" (or something worse) on your computer without your knowledge or (likely) your consent. Don't know what an internet cookie is? Google it.

Do you buy online? I buy online all the time. My entire Christmas list was purchased on Amazon this year. Do I think that Amazon is safe? Well. . . yes and no. There is Amazon, then there are Amazon independent sellers. Independent sellers on Amazon fulfill your order and send it to you - they don't have your credit card number, but they have your name, they have your address, they might have your telephone number - in other words, they know your name, where you live, what you bought - and what the item cost. (Beth, if I have got this part wrong, be sure to set me straight).

They know this about you and maybe ten million other people.

You say you are "not internet savvy". Um. . . how 'not internet savvy' are you? These are dangerous times, indeed - again, I am not being flippant, I am being serious. If you might like to lose a little sleep tonight, maybe stay awake all night, Google this term: "What are the dangers of using the internet?"

Do you have current, up-to-date virus and malware protection on your computer, so that when you accidentally hit a link to the wrong website (trust me on this - it will happen, sooner or later) your computer is not instantly infected with the latest worm or Trojan or identity theft - or worse? Ask me how I know this can happen. . . um, on second thought, don't.

I'm not talking about the "freeware" that is out there - which is often worth just about what you paid for it - but software that costs a bit of real money - maybe $50.00 - $100.00 per year.

Anyway. Enough blab from me. It is up to you - or anyone - to decide if the benefits of the internet are worth it's risks.

Make sure all your insurance is in order, and decide which way you want to steer the car before you take off the parking brake.

Welcome to the Forum. I hope you stick around.

Please post a dog story soon, a dog story with a photo would be even better. It would definitely make my day.

Thanks.

Anne

[BirdbyBird]

I agree, peace of mind is always improved with dog/cat/animal stories.

Anne, covered most of the issues very well. This site is public in that guests (non members) can read our posts. Many often do before decided to join. Over the years some members have shared cautionary tales regarding sharing personal stories. Some members have had other family members read their comments and react badly, especially if said comments where complaints and laments regarding family situations. Each of our situations is different. If you have noticed we are not giving up phone numbers, addresses. Sadly, most all of us are guilty of sharing our pet's names. So those won't be useful as secure passwords anymore.

We do have the PMs to share private info if needed. But yes, this site is public but so is Facebook. There are risks everywhere is this world. Reasonable caution is needed, same as with climbing into our vehicles and traveling down the road. We had a member that recently passed away due to cancer. Before she passed she completed and published her book capturing and sharing her story. "Fearless or Fear Less"

Most all of us out here face these issues everyday. We are old enough to be aware of the frightening realities of this world but also old enough to realized that some of those realities are wondrous adventures, peoples and experiences that wait for us to discover.

Tina

[Pooker]

And none of us has met up with that ax murderer that we've been warned about!

We have had lurkers with less than desirable intentions both on this forum and the earlier forum, but I firmly believe that they would get mightily bored reading about our rigs, our animals, our projects, travels, etc. Most fear warnings are from folks who have never traveled or camped.

Most of us try to avoid mentioning exactly where we can be found until after we have left that area. Almost anything about you can be found on the Internet by anyone who has the skills to dig it out. It's a fact of life that we don't have total privacy any longer. Just like it wouldn't be smart to take that walk through the unlit park in a strange city at 2:00 a.m., we need to be careful what we expose online. Otherwise, talk, meet and greet a terrific bunch of gals!

[OregonLuvr]

I guess I dont worry enough about the internet. Been on it since the 80's. I dont have any real personal info on it that a person cannot find by digging. I often mention where I will be staying but never my space. Nobody is really interested in an old lady camping to track her down I am pretty sure. I dont post alot of personal stuff as do most of us on here. We do have a private room for members when they want to ask personal questions or opinions, or just let us know what is going on with them that they want to keep private. Just not for general posting.

I have been on this forum since it's inception and a previous one before that. I have never had a problem. I have banking info, etc on my computer but have a very good password that I change frequently. I also change my Facebook password every couple of weeks ya know just in case. Not much personal info on there either but dont want to get hacked having them send out stupid messages under my name.

If people are truly worried I would just suggest not being on the internet because there is no way to be 100% secure.

[retiredhappy]

If you're so worried about security then the internet is NOT for you. There is very little privacy left in our information society. I do my banking and most of my shopping online and change my passwords often and make them long and complicated. I NEVER click on an email no matter who it says its from. That said, the forum is probably the safest place. Bad guys aren't really interested in four pages of postings on dumping your black tanks (yes, we did that once). Sounds to me like someone is just yanking your chain trying to scare you. Just don't post anything you don't want the world to read.

[Acadianmom]

I feel like Evie, I don't think too many people are interested in what I post on the forum. They would get pretty bored with what we talk about. Just be careful what information you share.

Martha

[andyviv]

Great that my post "join the forum" resulted in so many posts! I think if I alerted just one other woman on this site to be careful in what you post, it was an informative post. Can't assume that everyone knows that whatever we post is there for all the world to see and we all can get complacent. While a newer member to this site, we should be making sure administrators of womenrv are doing whatever necessary to keep us safe--it IS ok to ask the question what are safety measures!

Also, can't naively assume that just because I might be an old camping woman that some nefarious person isn"t interested--even about waste water posts!

I have been on internet for years--anyone else remember learning "DOS", having floppy disk or have a car phone the size of a shoebox? But that being said, I am not computer savy in knowing all that I should be careful of now. This year had to change visa number twice because foreign company tried to charge my card after I made a purchase and also had my medicare number changed because hospital data system was hacked. These are different times!

Trying to attach picture of my dog -- I am a dog lover--am trying to figure out how to do this--one of reasons I am saying not computer savy.

[snowball]

there is a post that explains an easy way to post pictures I think it can be found in maintenance someone correct me if necessary
one thing you will find a lot of is shortcuts like dd for dear daughter or .... sil son in law ect
also as Tina said lots of avoid doing names hence the dd ect as we got lax and it did create a real
problem for one of our members (she no longer is on the forum although joins us for the gtg at least one meal) her dd didn't speak to her for a couple of years they are now good thankfully but we did use this as a lesson learned now we do use our dogs' names hopefully you will stay with us we enjoy new blood...
sheila

[Colliemom]

Also, we do have a “private room” that has it’s own entry password for times when maybe you want to post something away from family or something per say that you don’t want seen to the open public. Beth can give you the password. Maybe something like the dd issue that Shelia was talking about.