Are you worried?

A friend posted this recently on Facebook to warn everyone on why we shouldn't post any personal pictures (especially kids) or even our whereabouts i.e. location check ins,  on the internet or in any social networking sites.




On first thoughts, what was shown in the video does sound scary.  Made you wanna immediately stop posting photos isn't it? Well, my personal view, I think we shouldn't be too paranoid.

For a start, make sure you do the following:

• Set your ALL Facebook postings to Friends Only
• Do not add or accept anyone who you do not know personally
• Switch off Location Services for your Camera in your smartphone
• If you are really paranoid, switch off ALL location services, but then you may not be able to use some functions like the Map

Check out the comments under the video..some make quite good sense...

"Anyone ever heard of whitepages (the one in your phone book) or appraisal district web pages. You can look the address of anyone just by knowing their name (at least their last name) and the county they live in."

"When I was a kid (in the 80s), strangers knew where I was too, BECAUSE I WENT OUTSIDE."

Well, the video did make a valid point. It does pose some danger when we use location services like Foursquare, FB Check in..and it was also new information to me that the eve the photos will have location information tagged on it if the camera location service is on.

There has been many debates about the danger of using our smart phones in public the danger of checking in at public places because technically I can be tracked down.

Well, we've seen in the movies, as long as our phone is on the police or anyone with the right tools can track us down.  A tap on our touch and go card tells us our travel pattern.  A call to the internet service provider, they can tell you your location details and sites you've visited.  Facebook has all the data of who you like to 'creep' on around Facebook.  Google has information on the type of sites and information that you tend to search for.

So..what do we do? Stop using all these gadgets?

My view is..well well well...everyone in every developed corner in the world is exposed to such "risk".  There more than 800 million active facebook users in the world, there are at least 3 million foursquare ceck-in in a day, over 3 billion photos loaded in Facebook each month...

Don't believe? See HERE - it's only a random outdated article I pulled out from the internet.

So..with all those numbers, how likely do you think I'd be tracked down?  Well, not saying I'm not worried, I did check my setting after watching the video, my camera's location was off anyway - phew . Lol.

I only left the necessary ones on e.g,  Facebook, Foursquare, Runkeeper etc.

Yikes..does that mean stalkers can track me when I run?

Nah..as I told FY long time ago, I ain't any celebrity, I aint' filthy rich, nor I'm beautiful, so IF someone really stalks me up one fine day and appeared at my doorstep that person must be damn smart to be able to do so and may be crazily in love with me.


=P

Nevertheless, just play safe...I repeat:

• Set your ALL Facebook postings to Friends Only
• Do not add or accept anyone who you do not know personally
• Switch off Location Services for your Camera in your smartphone
• If you are really paranoid, switch off ALL location services, but then you may not be able to use some functions like the Map