How free are you with your personal information?

[tippy2k2]

Kind of a strange subject name but I couldn't think of a better way to word it (feel free to give suggestions once you see what the thread is about )

I realized something when I was browsing for coupons at Cub's website (a local grocery store). There are a LOT of coupons...like...hundreds of pages of coupons. I, being someone who likes saving money but hates doing work, wondered why they couldn't let me sign in and put in a preference sheet or maybe even just track what I buy when...I.....

"Wait...track what I buy? Like, follow everything?" thought a startled tippy2k2. "That seems like something I'd normally be very against".

I realized something in that moment; I have no problem giving up my personal information if it means I get a benefit of some kind. You want my email address? Maybe a $1 off a chicken sandwich every so often would grease that wheel. You want my phone number? Maybe 10% my next order would make me consider. You want me to get your credit card? Maybe money off every purchase would open me up like a cheap prostitute...

You get my point by now I presume? So I'm curious about others; how guarded are you of your personal information? Do you fill in every contest box because you might get something? Does it have to be a bit more (like myself where it requires money off)? Do you guard your personal information like it's the recipe to Coca-Cola?

EDIT: To be clear, when I say personal information, I'm not actually talking about credit card info, social security, etc. I'm talking about the basics you would give to a normal service (so name, address, phone, & email).

 

[JoJo]

I'm reasonably free with information, I figure realistically it doesn't matter one jolt to me if Tesco knows everything I've bought for the last few years, at most all they're going to do is chuck it in with thousands of other customer datasets to look for trends. If someone really wants to know I have a particular taste for Cheddar and Wensleydale cheese, more power to them.

I am more cautious with my e-mail addresses and phone numbers, since despite the Data Protection Act making it illegal in the UK for companies to pass on personal information without permission, these things often seem to get out anyway and anyone who's read my recent thread knows how much I love being spammed by random companies. My efforts have paid off, I get virtually no spam via e-mail or mobile, my land-line isn't so great but then I share that with five other family members so I can't control what they do -.-

 

[shrekfan246]

I guess it depends on the information in question?

I didn't even know my own social security number for sure until a few months back, because I haven't had my own social security card in years.

But I don't really have a problem with people knowing my name and/or the state I live in? The former is technically listed even here for those who care enough to use Google translate, and I've brought up the latter enough in forum posts.

For more specific stuff, the only time I'll provide information when signing up for something is if I realistically expect I'll need or use the thing's services regularly. I'm not so worried or concerned with spam or being spied on by the big bad government, but I see no point in doing it if I don't benefit in some way.

 

[Artina89]

If you do enough digging on here you can probably find out my first name, which county and city I live in, and you can definitely find out what university I went to and what I studied, but I try and not be as free with sensitive information like my email, my phone number or anything like that. I try not to give as much information away as I do though, as I like to have my life as compartmentalized as possible, but it doesn't always work out like that.

 

[L. Declis]

Same as Artina.

You can dig around, find out where I live-kinda, find out my real name, which uni I was in, where I am moving too, my relationship status and how well I am doing on Total War.

And while I will generally give away my email to a corporation without much care, a private individual generally won't get it. Same with my phone number. Although I do give out my WeChat because you can find out nothing about me and I can block you should you get annoying.

Personally, I like to have an online persona, and I like to have an offline persona, and I like them very separate. Just because you know one doesn't mean you know the other.

 

[ToastyMozart]

I mostly keep personal info on a pretty close need-to-know basis. Occasionally I'll provide a tidbit of info to add to a conversation, but I usually keep it vague.

As for email, I have three email accounts I use. One is for personal use, one is professional, and the third is just for internet stuff.

 

[Rebel_Raven]

Not very free with my info, if at all. People just knowing my gender and ethnicity got me stalked. Not fun, and I'm not looking for another go at it.

I rarely even give out what coast I'm on.

The mentality of not being free with information sorta lead to a mentality of the following:
If people can't like me w/o knowing "a/s/l", a term I've hated for ages, as opposed to interests, hobbies, and me as a person, outside of a/s/l, then that's their problem. a/s/l, IMO, isn't something to build much of a friendship on since I know plenty of people's a/s/l and I hate them. <.<

 

[Risingblade]

Aside from my email I tend to avoid giving out any personal information, unless it's something non trivial. Sometimes I just leave stuff out. Such as I'll tell people what state I live in but not what town.

 

[Flutterguy]

Free with anything besides security information, address, phone number or birth date.

Think I'm fairly lax about it I suppose.

 

[Marter]

I don't care if people have my email or real name. I'm less inclined to give out a phone number. For the other stuff, you basically need to be my employer.

 

[LongAndShort]

I'm pretty free with handing out my email, a little less with address and phone number. Name, gender and country I have no issue with for the most part.

I'm honestly more concerned about people getting this info by stealing my mail.

 

[Hero of Lime]

I am pretty free with it I suppose, I even had my home address on my Facebook for a really long time. Looking back that was kinda stupid, but it never led to anything bad either. Only with the really important stuff am I more careful about disclosing.

 

[Queen Michael]

I'm very open with it. For instance, here's my home address.

10880 Malibu Point. 90265. I'll leave the door unlocked.

 

[FPLOON]

Well, I have only lied about my name ONCE just to sign up for free sex-related tips[footnote]Damn you, younger self... You have worse trust issues than me...[/footnote]...

Other than that, I'm kinda open about my real name and one of two e-mail addresses... Hell, I never lie about where I live, since I know damn well someone will call me out on that...

 

[Ubiquitous Duck]

Well I use my real name+photo on this forum, that should give you a hint (I despise internet anonymity, so I try to lead by example), I'm not very strict with them. I do however fully support people who do want their personal info to be secret, fuck the NSA, privacy should be a real choice.

I have followed your example, honestly...

I don't care if people have my email or real name. I'm less inclined to give out a phone number. For the other stuff, you basically need to be my employer.

This is basically my opinion.

A lack of caring perhaps emphasised. I really am not that bothered about people knowing my name or email or whatever.

I'm pretty far away from all the anti-surveillance and scandals arising around the subject recently. I really just don't care.

Like this, I also agree with:

I'm reasonably free with information, I figure realistically it doesn't matter one jolt to me if Tesco knows everything I've bought for the last few years, at most all they're going to do is chuck it in with thousands of other customer datasets to look for trends. If someone really wants to know I have a particular taste for Cheddar and Wensleydale cheese, more power to them.

If they have everyone elses on the go, does it really matter if they have mine? What are they really going to glean out of that information? So I am pretty free with these details also.

I'm only going to guard things with 'sensitive' information, not private information. So I will guard my bank details or my passport, so identity fraud and tampered finances are a reduced possibility. That's about it.

 

[Whispering Cynic]

I'm... fairly paranoid when it comes to my personal information. I don't divulge anything besides a disposable email address unless I'm given a very serious reason to do so, or unless a law forces me to. Because personal information, once out of your hands, can end up virtually anywhere (especially on the Internet) so I prefer to be careful with it.

 

[Flames66]

I despise internet anonymity, so I try to lead by example

I disagree with this sentiment. I believe internet anonymity is extremely important to people's ability to interact. Almost as important as physical anonymity. I believe anyone should be able to walk down the street wearing full body concealing clothes to avoid identification. It should be illegal to identify a person in public without their permission or unless they have committed a crime themselves.

I do however fully support people who do want their personal info to be secret, fuck the NSA, privacy should be a real choice.

I agree with this statement.

EDIT: I should probably add that I am quite a private person. I don't tell people I work with where I live beyond "that way" only very close friends know my address. I do not have any loyalty cards and do do as much of my financial affairs in cash as I can.

 

[Headsprouter]

Nope. The moment you ask for me to fill in a form and give up my email address, housing address or phone number I think "This isn't free or going to benefit me in the long run!" and bail out.

I'll give you vague stuff, like the stuff on my profile.

 

[SoranMBane]

I'm careful with my phone number and street address, but I'm pretty open with just about everything else. If you visit my profile, you can easily find out my gender, real name, country & state, and birth date. You can find out even more about me if you follow the links to my other internet profiles. I don't generally give away my email address unless I'm signing up for something, but that's less to do with privacy (it has the same name as the username I use for everything, so I'm not exactly being secretive) and more because I don't see the point, since most websites have a perfectly good on-site messaging system if someone really wanted to talk to me privately.