Ai safety

My full name is out there due to articles written about me and my hobbies. I recently entered my full name on perplexity, a free app, and was surprised at how much is out there about me. Could posts on this forum follow me in the same way? Now or in the future?

It is just using a glorified search, and search engines are capable of seeing forum posts on a site such as Zity.biz where there is guest read capability.

To put it very simply, I don't recommend members sign up to sites such as the one you mention and naively give away too much information about themselves, as they might find certain dots are then joined together. These things are very dubious in terms of privacy.

I'd guess that if you use an alias and otherwise not give details about your appearance and all, or use a persona, you're mostly good. Of course don't go around sharing pictures of yourself because then you're cooked.

Plus I reckon Zity is not readable by guests, so...

Plus I reckon Zity is not readable by guests, so...

Wrong.

Much of the forum and the Library are readable by guests. That's why I mentioned guests in the first place.

I'd guess that if you use an alias and otherwise not give details about your appearance and all, or use a persona, you're mostly good. Of course don't go around sharing pictures of yourself because then you're cooked.

Limiting ones actual personal information given online, especially on "questionable" sites, is a smart move. That is why members are not required to give any more personal information than they are comfortable with on Zity.biz. Certain basic information ... age, state, interests, and such can help others to form a friendship, connection, with others on Zity.biz. But give, say, only what you feel comfortable with. At least until you feel that those you are talking with can be trusted.

It is better to be safe than sorry.

Even with an anonymous user name, I was stalked and threatened by a man who put together a lot of clues based on what I'd said in a fetish chat I moderated, where I'd given him a temporary ban. What high schools put on the play our kid was in? What was the weather doing in the state where I lived? Who knew my real first name, given only in private to two people I trusted? Where were all the locations of that one grocery store I mentioned?

It was enough. He left home without his meds, traveled a thousand miles, got within thirty miles of my home when the trail went cold, and he shot himself instead of me.

That he had mental health problems did not surprise me, but that he was willing to murder me and one other moderator (I was closer) over a temporary ban was pretty sobering.

I don't share real information like my name any more, not unless I meet you in person.

That was pretty scary @PinotNoir . 😢

It was indeed. It was quite some time ago, enough that now I'm less scared of it happening again and more filled with pity for the man and his widow.

But I don't share my real name easily, not even just my first name, and for location, all I provide is the state, if that.