Invisible Mode

[Rose Chap]

Are there any plans to allow users on this forum to have the option to run in "Invisible Mode"?

Users running in invisible mode can still be seen by moderators.

[DaisyDuke]

Re: Invisible Mode

Why would you want to?

[Rose Chap]

Re: Invisible Mode

Why would you want to?

:smile: Why wouldn't you want to?

Glib answers aside, there can be many reasons why it would be desirable not to advertise to the world when you're on a particular website or not.

I've got nothing to hide, but prefer to keep as low an on-line profile as possible (generally, not just on SmartManiacs), so if the option is there, personally I'd use it.

[Messerschmitt Owner]

Re: Invisible Mode

that is a question for the head honcho!

[madDan]

Re: Invisible Mode

Don't log in then!

[PeterPiper]

Re: Invisible Mode

:agree:

very peculiar

it's only a website , why would you need to hide from the other common or garden users ?
it's not going to stop your boss (assuming you have a boss) finding out what sites you've been on

[Rose Chap]

Re: Invisible Mode

:agree:

very peculiar

it's only a website , why would you need to hide from the other common or garden users ?
it's not going to stop your boss (assuming you have a boss) finding out what sites you've been on

I'm happy for my boss to know what sites I visit, though I really don't think he'd be that interested! :smile: My point isn't about what I'm doing at work, it's about online security.

Perhaps I have an overdeveloped sense of paranoia (maybe I've watched "The Bourne Ultimatum" too many times?), but there are very clever people out there who will use sophisticated methods to clone identities and and find out personal details about individuals and then do unpleasant things with this information.

As with anything, maintaining personal online security is a balancing act between not having any online identity whatsoever and not being able to communicate with like minded people, or being so open that all details of your life are available for public consumption.

Therefore, given the choice, I would prefer to not reveal details of when I am active on certain websites. Whether this option is available or not on SmartManiacs, I (and I would hope others who chose to use it) will continue to share ideas, experiences and observations exactly the same way I do now.

[bassmandan]

Re: Invisible Mode

People can still see when you've posted though, so can still get a rough idea of when you're active??

[PeterPiper]

Re: Invisible Mode

and I think it still records you as "last on at whateveroclock" ?

[Messerschmitt Owner]

Re: Invisible Mode

You're paranoid!

This is me! All me, no one else but me!

Results 1 - 10 of about 1,610 for my real name (which is unique - no-one else in the world shares my name!)

Results 1 - 10 of about 1,540 for the forum name

No one else can possibly want my life - and if they do, they're welcome to it!


Some of us are already small-time personalities - there are perhaps 50,000
people out there with a copy of a book that I've written, perhaps another 20,000 with a book my wife has written, we've both appeared on telly, radio and in print and as of yet neither of us has been stalked.

The one time my debit card was cloned, it was some toe-rag in a Shell station. I'm not worried - but then again, I don't choose to list every feature and interest on facebook, so I'm lucky in that respect.

[PeterPiper]

Re: Invisible Mode

:agree:

there's a guy that preempted somebody cloning him Only last month http://alife4sale.com/

[Hazy]

Re: Invisible Mode

You're paranoid!

This is me! All me, no one else but me!

Results 1 - 10 of about 1,610 for my real name (which is unique - no-one else in the world shares my name!)

Results 1 - 10 of about 1,540 for the forum name

No one else can possibly want my life - and if they do, they're welcome to it!


Some of us are already small-time personalities - there are perhaps 50,000
people out there with a copy of a book that I've written, perhaps another 20,000 with a book my wife has written, we've both appeared on telly, radio and in print and as of yet neither of us has been stalked.

The one time my debit card was cloned, it was some toe-rag in a Shell station. I'm not worried - but then again, I don't choose to list every feature and interest on facebook, so I'm lucky in that respect.

Oooh, what have you written/published?!

Hazy x

[PeterPiper]

Re: Invisible Mode

a dictionary

[Rose Chap]

Re: Invisible Mode

A few years ago I had my debit card cloned as well. Not a particularly enjoyable experience, but was resolved pretty quickly.

What is more concerning is that if too many details of your personal (private!) life are available for online consumption, then it only requires someone with a bit of time and some guile to not only be able to do things like apply for credit cards in your name, but to also sign you up for things you don't want, to associate you with things you wouldn't want to be associated with (imagine the shame of being a member on a Lexus forum for instance...), and generally cause trouble.

Given that more and more of day to day life 'stuff' is done online, I prefer to take precautions where I can and as such take the matter more seriously than some might.

[PeterPiper]

Re: Invisible Mode

just how many details do you have up in the first place?!

Being invisible also won't hide any details you may have in your profile afaik

don't put any real detail up there