Follow up to the Bravenak letter (with CC honorable mentions)

[FaC]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10027156560

Follow up to the Bravenak letter 

NorthCarolina (8,240 posts)

Simple question: Is it possible to identify someone


based on the info contained in their DU account profile, sufficient to acquire their proper name and home mailing address?

A recent revelation here on DU where such a thing apparently happened has me more than a bit concerned.

Perhaps DU needs to take a look at the whole of personal information that can be found about a member based on their DU profile...something is apparently lax or amiss.

A sensible answer:

Spider Jerusalem (19,154 posts)
9. That depends on how much information someone makes publicly available

For instance, I don't have a Facebook or Twitter account, don't have a listed telephone number, use pseudonymous accounts for online commentary whenever possible, and am not Googleable because I have an unlisted phone number and a search for my name will return a lot of people who aren't me (one of whom was somewhat famous and would take up most of the first several pages of results).

I know, I know !!!!

cwydro (19,448 posts)
14. A few years ago, a poster (whom I won't name) was caused a great deal of trouble by members

of that other site  . The poster was identified by those members because the poster had frequently mentioned that he/she lived in a certain town in a certain state and often talked about his/her job, which involved the public.

Subsequently, that poster made a rather derogatory OP about visitors to his/her town. The members of the conservative site apparently called the poster's employers or maybe emailed them (not sure which) and alerted them to the fact that the poster had made comments about their customers.

I don't remember what happened in the end, but when you put personal info in your posts - just be aware that some people are good at tracking down people in cyberspace.

I wouldn't be a bit surprised if that is where this particular trouble started. Members at that site delight in this kind of trouble-making. Long time DUers will know which site of which I speak, and I'm sure most remember the trouble they caused for that DUer.

Walldude anyone?

dumbcat (577 posts)
22. I remember that episode

and also the one about the guy that worked in some car dealership and boasted about hiding the waiting room TV remote in the ceiling so waiting customers could not switch to Fox news. His employer was notified and he also lost his job. he has stopped posting here, at least under his old name, which I forgot.

MineralMan (75,594 posts)
11. Not directly, unless you've put that information in your profile.

However, if you're a frequent poster, you're likely to have revealed more than you think in your posts. Also, if you use the same screen name in more than one place, you may have revealed information on other sites that can lead to someone finding out more.

Email addresses, too, can reveal a great deal if googled. Anonymity is difficult to maintain on the Internet without making a real effort to keep your personal information out of public places.

Some people are very good at sleuthing out such information. There are all kinds of tricks that can be used to discover people's identities. For example, if you have a website and link to it, it's simple to find out who owns that URL in many cases. There are even websites whose members actively keep track of any information that is revealed by people on places like DU. Some internet forums even have hidden areas where some members keep this information and use it as they please.

I know this because I've had a few people dig into my own personal information. I finally gave up and now make it easy for people to find out who I am.

Bottom line is that most people are not really anonymous. We use the internet socially, and are constantly revealing information about ourselves, our interests, our hobbies and much much more. All of that information can be used by malicious people who are trying to find out who we are.

[BannedFromDU]

     I don't see how it possible for us to glean anything about anyone on DU or anywhere else. I say this because DU assures themselves on a regular basis that we are knuckle-dragging morons who can barely put our pants on in the morning.  Myself, I have to have my caretaker read my posts to make sure I don't make moronic mistakes like type "speach" or "hypocracy."

     

[Carl]

Hey DUmbasses,you know who has all your info?
The one selling your email addresses to the Hill campaign.

[Chris_]

Response to NorthCarolina (Reply #10)
Thu Sep 10, 2015, 10:34 AM
Star Member cwydro (19,451 posts)

14. A few years ago, a poster (whom I won't name) was caused a great deal of trouble by members of that other site. The poster was identified by those members because the poster had frequently mentioned that he/she lived in a certain town in a certain state and often talked about his/her job, which involved the public.

Subsequently, that poster made a rather derogatory OP about visitors to his/her town. The members of the conservative site apparently called the poster's employers or maybe emailed them (not sure which) and alerted them to the fact that the poster had made comments about their customers.

I don't remember what happened in the end, but when you put personal info in your posts - just be aware that some people are good at tracking down people in cyberspace.

I wouldn't be a bit surprised if that is where this particular trouble started. Members at that site delight in this kind of trouble-making. Long time DUers will know which site of which I speak, and I'm sure most remember the trouble they caused for that DUer.

[GOBUCKS]

Four or five DUmmies have been effectively wallduded by decent and civilized people.

In every case, it was due to an employer being sabotaged.

That's unfortunate, since it's so rare for a DUmmy to even have an employer.

[Maverick1987]

randys1 (9,662 posts)
128. My rightwing teaparty stalkers found me because I stupidly posted a pic from

photobucket.

They dont play by the same rules I play by or you do, I would NEVER expose a single thing about ANYONE ever, but I am a liberal.

 

  you randy!

[DUmpsterDiver]

Most BT-1000s like BrainNeck can't hide from humans ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkLmhL_xxUI

[franksolich]

I don't see how it possible for us to glean anything about anyone on DU or anywhere else. I say this because DU assures themselves on a regular basis that we are knuckle-dragging morons who can barely put our pants on in the morning.

Uh huh.

[GOBUCKS]

So the racist DUmmy bravenak claims to have received a letter in the mail, threatening a DUmp "alert" campaign if she keeps up her stupid all-race all-the-time bullshit against Socialist candidate Bernie.

Of course the Bernbots are outraged, claiming the letter came from a Hillbot to discredit Bernbots in DUmp eyes.

The more clever Bernbots suspect someone here.

Poor addled grasswipe Judy Smith starts an investigation.

Nutcase nadin determines that a felony has been committed.

Thu Sep 10, 2015, 01:27 PM
nadinbrzezinski (141,147 posts)

You read me, you can safely say I am a reporter in San Diego, working as the editor of a small media paper. That paper incidentally is hand moderated because the idiots I suspect are behind this...did try their lovely abusive ways.

Uh, I wouldn't safely say that about a nutjob and her blog.


A word salad from a pro journo:

Thu Sep 10, 2015, 12:53 PM
nadinbrzezinski (141,147 posts)
68. And at times it is inversely proportional to age

the down side...when the history of Occupy is written..most of that is on Facebook, SMS, and emails...some blogs. So no messy, dusty (aaaccchhhhooo!) archives.

But you are right. Following the story I followed the local pages and at first was truly gobsmacked how much people put out. I know I used to say a lot more and a good profile could be built. And the drama...at times is just amazing

Thu Sep 10, 2015, 12:32 PM
nadinbrzezinski (141,147 posts)
55. Yup, unless you are running a paper

but even there, we have nowhere in there a physical address. There is a solid reason for that.

She lives in a crappy little apartment, hard up against a roaring San Diego expressway.


The sleuth is on the job:

Thu Sep 10, 2015, 12:40 PM
grasswire (43,543 posts)
58. until the postmarked envelope is posted here...

.....with her name and address blacked out....we have no idea if this even happened.

Thu Sep 10, 2015, 01:01 PM
nadinbrzezinski (141,147 posts)
75. It was and now the PI and the FBI are involved

Thu Sep 10, 2015, 04:29 PM
nadinbrzezinski (141,147 posts)
124. As dirty as postal facilities are

That might prevent fingerprints. There are other ways.

Thu Sep 10, 2015, 12:55 PM
nadinbrzezinski (141,147 posts)
71. Sadly not the last

why I suspect this is a certain site's production. The MO just fits.

Thu Sep 10, 2015, 12:59 PM
nadinbrzezinski (141,147 posts)
74. Some of us go read the fiction

err files, they produce on us...but they are not precisely harmless. Dime on dollar this came from there, or the two successor sites...FR can be considered as well, less so, because of the Andy Stephenson saga.

And I hope the perp gets a real wake up call in front of the judge...or perps, not discounting that for a bloody minute.

Thu Sep 10, 2015, 01:43 PM
nadinbrzezinski (141,147 posts)
93. Yup

most are newer members too. I go all the way back to Andy and FR. So this matches the MO. Told Skinner as much.

Thu Sep 10, 2015, 04:08 PM
nadinbrzezinski (141,147 posts)
115. They will laugh right up until the cuffs go on

this is a felony.

Thu Sep 10, 2015, 03:04 PM
dumbcat (582 posts)
103. The threat of being "alerted on" on a message board?

That "threat?" I don't remember that being on the list of actionable criminal physical threats. I may be wrong.

[DUmpsterDiver]

Nice summary of Nadin deciphered, Gobucks.  It's the Blue Ribbon of honorable mentions.

[BannedFromDU]

randys1 (9,662 posts)
128. My rightwing teaparty stalkers found me because I stupidly posted a pic from

photobucket.

They dont play by the same rules I play by or you do, I would NEVER expose a single thing about ANYONE ever, but I am a liberal.

     Oh no, you just say you want to "deal" with us. Still waiting for that to happen, you colossal fruit.

     And what has "finding" you resulted in? Merely pointing out to your fellow lunatics that you're a hypocrite. You're not on anyone's agenda; you're a joke. 

[FlippyDoo]

So the racist DUmmy bravenak claims to have received a letter in the mail, threatening a DUmp "alert" campaign if she keeps up her stupid all-race all-the-time bullshit against Socialist candidate Bernie.

Of course the Bernbots are outraged, claiming the letter came from a Hillbot to discredit Bernbots in DUmp eyes.

The more clever Bernbots suspect someone here.

Poor addled grasswipe Judy Smith starts an investigation.

Nutcase nadin determines that a felony has been committed.
Uh, I wouldn't safely say that about a nutjob and her blog.


A word salad from a pro journo:
She lives in a crappy little apartment, hard up against a roaring San Diego expressway.


The sleuth is on the job:

Sounds like someone may be gearing up for an award winning run down the stretch. Go nads!

[Carl]

God she is an idiot.

[98ZJUSMC]

Thu Sep 10, 2015, 01:01 PM
nadinbrzezinski (141,147 posts)
75. It was and now the PI and the FBI are involved

Thu Sep 10, 2015, 04:29 PM
nadinbrzezinski (141,147 posts)
124. As dirty as postal facilities are

That might prevent fingerprints. There are other ways.

Look!  The microscopic remains of a Bible!!!1111!!  I knew IT!!!!!!!1

Thu Sep 10, 2015, 12:55 PM
nadinbrzezinski (141,147 posts)
71. Sadly not the last

why I suspect this is a certain site's production. The MO just fits.

It fit's, Dan O.  It.  Just.  Fits.

[98ZJUSMC]

God she is an idiot.

You would think that, after so long, one would even be embarrassed by one's own..........

Nah.... never happen.

[franksolich]

God she is an idiot.

Well, Lamond, the MrsCorpio primitive, says franksolich is pretty stupid, and so I'm taking comfort in that no accusing fingers can be pointed this direction; it'd be something beyond my cerebral capabilities.

After all, Lamond couldn't be wrong, could he?

[miskie]

I'd say its just as likely that someone added a back-door to DU. Even though DU3 is their newest piece of software, the back-end that it rests upon is riddled with vulnerabilities because the DU admins seem entirely opposed to updating any of it.

I can only suppose it is because it would cause a compatibility nightmare.   

Personally, I would <<NEVER>> leave a server in production running the antique software that DU's server does.

And before any of you think I'm some super-hacker, I'm not. DU has left enough data out there that anyone can easily get a good look at a summary of most of the server software.  - And most of it hasn't been updated since 2007.

[miskie]

..Anyway, with that back door, I believe a hacker could grab the personal data of any DUmmy, - active or PPR'd - and use it in whatever way they please.

And we all know that DU does keep a big, fat dossier on every member, that they then feed to the DNC for $$$. Moles have tested this by setting up email accounts specifically for DU, and the Democrat SPAM starts flowing in almost immediately.

[Skul]

According to the DUmmies, it's OK to bad mouth customers and her employer.
Earwigs anyone?

Disparaging remarks about his employer and fellow employees, justified stealing a TV remote, reprogramming
it so only liberal programming would play.
Auto dealershipso love that.

Alllll good for  the DUmp.

[Carl]

..Anyway, with that back door, I believe a hacker could grab the personal data of any DUmmy, - active or PPR'd - and use it in whatever way they please.

And we all know that DU does keep a big, fat dossier on every member, that they then feed to the DNC for $$$. Moles have tested this by setting up email accounts specifically for DU, and the Democrat SPAM starts flowing in almost immediately.

That was what I was going to post as a reply to you,Mr Moskwa has a financial reason to maintain the database.

[BannedFromDU]

That was what I was going to post as a reply to you,Mr Moskwa has a financial reason to maintain the database.

     All of this is nice, save for the probability that Dorkio/Bravenak did this themselves.

[miskie]

     All of this is nice, save for the probability that Dorkio/Bravenak did this themselves.

Oh yeah - I find it likely that this is the opening salvo to BLMming DU, so that blacks can type what they want without reprisal from the majority-white members. because whitesplaining oppression racist or somesuch..

[Carl]

     All of this is nice, save for the probability that Dorkio/Bravenak did this themselves.

Yeah,the picture of the letter has the appearance of an online meme generator rather then actual printing on a piece of paper.
Still fun to let the DUmps own kerfuffle be part of the Google cache that exposes what a demented and deranged freak show they are. 

[GOBUCKS]

I am a reporter in San Diego, working as the editor of a small media paper.

A mild-mannered reporter for a great metropolitan newspaper.

And 2015 DUmmy of the Year.

[Carl]

A mild-mannered reporter for a great metropolitan newspaper.

And 2015 DUmmy of the Year.

She won`t fit into a phone booth though.