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I Forge Iron

Pet Peeve


macbruce

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It seems silly to me so many members here are SOOO secretive about their personal info. Cripes you'd think this was a site dedicated to cheating on your taxes or S&M kinky stuff. just maybe what hemisphere you're in would be nice especially when you're asking Q's about things where it's important....IMO a little more info should be required when filling out profiles......LOOSEN UP lol:

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It seems silly to me so many members here are SOOO secretive about their personal info.


You know Bruce, it’s not paranoia it’s caution. The internet today is just one big database of information and it can be searched and it can be hacked to get or create a complete profile of someone. I’m sure you know of identity theft.

You post your real name and real birthdate on a forum like IFI. Then you post your email address for some reason or a phone number because you are selling something. Or maybe you post your complete address. Now someone has your name, address, your birthdate, and phone number.

In your case, didn’t you have an accident recently? I know the date from your post. Well for $9.95 I could search the DMV database (or have some internet company do it for me) and find out your plate number, your driver license number and maybe even you SSN.

That would be all that is needed to steal your identity. Do you see?
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I can see the privacy issue as I've had my credit card info stolen. Some yoyo was buying Armani suits in NYC when my card company phoned and asked if it was me as it did not conform to my buying habits. Well duh! Good on them. Makes me feel at least a litttle more protected.
OTOH, I agree with MacB. Every summer smiths touring the Oregon coast often find their way to the shop for a visit. I relish those chance visits and enjoy showing the shop and talking smithing. Last week, Ed Storch, a bladesmith from Alberta, B.C. stopped in and showed some of his good work. I picked up a tip or two. Pretty cool chance meeting.
Like Mac, I have a website and use Google. So much for privacy. Unfortunately for the hackers, I'm not one of the 1/2 of 1percent folks. :)

JE

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Many on the site use handles, aka, and etc. The issue is that we can provide a good answer to their question, but knowing their general country, or in the case of USA , Canada, Australia, or other large country, the state you in which you are located, will allow us to provide a much better answer.

If your looking for an anvil, I know where one is located for less than $1.00 per pound. By the time you figure out where it is located that is now $20 per pound or more with shipping. Knowing your from xxxx country or state, I can direct you to someone in YOUR AREA that has an anvil in reasonable condition for a reasonable price, many times with little or no shipping cost.

The site does not want you to provide any more information that you are comfortable providing, but some information is needed to get you a much better answers to your questions.

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I'm a solitary critter. Maybe that's why I beat on iron. My son says I should sell my stuff on e-bay. I tell him I don't want to be bothered and that's not why I do this. I tell him that he can sell it on e-bay for me. End of conversation. I would have to meet someone in person before I gave out any more info on myself than I have. Guess it would be nice to have a spot on this site where you could post a message to someone?? Maybe there already is, I have'nt gotten all the way thru all this yet. Guess I'm just trying to say not all people want to share their personal info.

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Guess it would be nice to have a spot on this site where you could post a message to someone?? Maybe there already is, I have'nt gotten all the way thru all this yet. Guess I'm just trying to say not all people want to share their personal info.


It's nice to know you're from central Illinois that's all. If you want to know where to get tool or maybe hook up with local blacksmiths then it's easier. I've seen dozens of posts where new members want info and LOCATION is a key factor.

Now if I knew you were John S. as well I don't believe I could steal your identity but I'm one of those reckless people (1 billion) on Facebook...... :o
Messaging is easy here, I sent you one..... :)
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There are a lot of questions that the best answers are location specific, eg: "Where can I find metal?" Big difference between Amador Scrapyard on the Polvadera frontage road just north of Polvadera (or the list of scrounging areas I used to have back in Columbus OH---I shared that with the MOB, Mid Ohio Blacksmiths, when I moved out here); or Williams Windmill sells 20' sticks at a much better price than anyplace within 50 miles of *here*; and a general: "scrapyards, junkyards, recycling places, etc."

Even more so for training. A class offered in Southern Arkansas USA is probably not going to help you out if you are in New South Wales Australia.

My pet peeve is folks selling heavy hard to ship stuff that won't say *where* it is and as I've pointed out *your* location is not necessarily *its* location---we have a posting on the Santa Fe craigslist for a 250# hammer-----only it's in Asheville North Carolina...(http://santafe.craigslist.org/tls/3157250428.html) so going by the posters address will throw off your shipping calculations by a *LOT*.

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It seems silly to me so many members here are SOOO secretive about their personal info.


What I should have said here was [minimal] personal info..:-) Btw, puting a political bumper on my truck scares me more than the info I've shared here, nowadays someone not in your camp will try to KILL you.... ;)
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macbruce im in your camp, there are dangers everywhere really, too much paranoia and you'd never do anything would you.? ive had my bank details stolen and used, and computor stuff hacked - im still here to tell the tale :) everyone has a right to privacy, and you certainly dont HAVE to post your details on here ( as far as i can see) but sadly if you like it or not, if you use a computor with internet access, or you use a mobile phone, the games up in terms of incognito anyway.... :ph34r:

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On the internet you can be *anything*. Actually I an a 12 year old Labrador with a drooling problem---I'm not drooling nearly as much as I used to when younger! I just play the part of a cranky smith in his mid 50's named Thomas Powers.

I deny categorically that I am a tentacled alien from the coal sack nebula with a strong attraction to ferrous materials---no matter what my wife says!

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"no matter what my wife says!"

Then Again there are probably people out there who know more about her that you do!!!!! Despite your many years together! :)

Everyone has developed a paranoia (some say well advised caution) about their personal info, forgetting about cookies etc. A smart crook can get just about all he needs from your service provider(any of them) so picking up dribs and drabs of info from IFI etc. would only be for the real bottom feeders anyway. So yeah stick a little more info on your profile go visiting and/or come visit!

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i can vouch for this man! :) he is who he says he is, as i entertained him in my home without any concern at all. i think its very rare your going to get problems, and i think the small risk is worth the fun and interest of engaging with people :)

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I went and visited a friend the other day. I should mention this is a new friend who is a publisher and our meeting is a bit of a long story. But, after our visit I get this message on facebook saying something about a Bio. Huh? Bio? This friend went and looked at all my facebook posts and my website. Just with my posts and website she was able to come up with this amazing bio. I was and am a bit shocked at how much info she was able to pull together in the 15 minutes that she claimed it took.

My point, only put out on the web information you don't mind the world knowing about. Its stays out there for a very long time.

As far as macbruce's pet peeve, yes, location is very helpfull.....

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  • 1 month later...

It's a pet peeve, not a social overhaul I can understand. I find that people don't answer their phones more than they used to. Everywhere I go I hear somebody's phone ringing. There's always someone texting. There's more focus on making communication as conspicuous as possible without actually conveying anything meaningful.

So cars sound like jungle drums and people's phones blare pop songs yet we still have worse call quality than when phones were bolted to the wall.

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