Some tips to protect your info from other forums

Evan B

Evan B

Bobber Downey Jr.
Staff member
Admin
Let's say, hypothetically, you left another forum but your account is still there. To make sure your email address and name aren't compromised, here's one thing you can do. Many forums are owned by large corporations who sell your data.

  1. Go to: https://relay.firefox.com/
  2. Have it create/generate a new email address for you. This address will automatically forward to the email you signed up with on the first page.
  3. Go to the forum or other site you don't want having your info
  4. Update your profile with this new email address
  5. It will send you a confirmation email - go to your real email account, open this confirmation email, and click the confirmation link.
  6. Go back to https://relay.firefox.com/ and turn the switch "off" - this way no more emails that get sent through that will ever make it to you
1643520748543.png

Done! The step-by-step should get you to the promised land
 
Last edited:
You know... chances are the first thing they did was upload all the email addresses so they already have them. Only new members that add their email can avoid the data mining.
 
GAT said:
You know... chances are the first thing they did was upload all the email addresses so they already have them. Only new members that add their email can avoid the data mining.
Click to expand...
whether that's true or not, it doesn't hurt to try.
 
In addition, I changed my password and avatar prior to following EB's very helpful and wise instructions.
I also deleted my profile information and may delete some personal info from posts.
 
Last edited:
I was just over there. I changed a few things on my profile. But I'm under my handle. I don't have my real name anyplace on that site.
 
Thanks for this. I switched up my stuff. I won’t be visiting there any more.
 
Here is my situation, I'm guessing there are a few others who are in the same boat. I'm not a photographer or writer and don't have anything over there that I'm concerned with...if I was, I suppose I would not have posted it in the first place. I certainly don't follow the technical world like some. I don't want to know how an IP address works. I realize that there are companies out that that are looking to make money off things we post and I guess I don't mind that. I would prefer my information not be sold and I don't really want to see more ads or email spam. But as long as there's no real threat for cyber security risks, or identity theft issues, I guess I'm not all that concerned about what I left behind or what information I still have on display. I can see myself spending less and less time over there but I'm not sure I want to break all ties either. It's not like I'm afraid of updating/changing profiles and the like (I do go in and regularly update our website) but I'd prefer to just left things be as they are and NOT change my email address for the site. With that said, I'm wondering what the outcome will be if I do nothing? Can someone smarter than me on the subject to enlighten me. What's the worst case scenario if someone does nothing?
 
East Coaster said:
Just thought I'd mention to everyone that you might want to go to the other site and do a search on your full name (or last name if it's not a common word) to see if it shows up, even if you never used it as a handle. You can then edit the post(s) if needed.
Click to expand...
Well I went over there and did a search. Thank you for your info. I found out I did use me real name before. I took out all I could, But it is there in that when somebody mentioned an author with my real name. Well I couldn't do anything about.

Hell, there is an area here in Montana that I wanted to go see and it's in Swan valley. There are also several people here in Montana with my name. They just have to put 2 and 2 together. I ain't hard to find.
 
I don’t know how much of a difference it makes but I changed my user name to “Gone” with a signature of “no longer here”. I deleted my media (all old and dated) and changed my email to a gmail account that I never use.

What if everyone changed their user names to Gone? Or numerical iterations of Gone? It would at least be funny.
 
I want to amend my post above: I encourage anyone who wishes to use this method here, too. I really don't need or want your real email in the database. You can lie to me. I won't be mad.
 
I don't worry about shitty email messages. I never read that shit anyway. I've had the same email address ever since I started being on line. I don't have any personal info about myself on my Computer.
 
Bob Rankin said:
Thanks for this. I switched up my stuff.
Click to expand...
Ditto. Changed avatar, new name - "N Cognito," new email, dumped what I could from my account.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top