Posts Tagged ‘internet safety’
To be skeeved, or not to be skeeved? That is the question.
I’m trying to determine if the below exchange should elicit skeeved-ness, or if this is just what happens when you share your iTunes library in public places and are stupid enough to have your name on your music library and your Facebook profile.
***
The scene: a public coffee shop with wi-fi, Iowa, USA. The place is packed with college kids.
The actors: Me and a fellow I will call GB, because those are his initials.
The situation: I default to having my iTunes library shared. I am working away at aforementioned coffee shop, when I get a Facebook message from GB. I have never met this person before. I am surprised, shocked…and, well, here’s how it went down
GB: Do you know that your songs are shared at (coffeshop) right now?
NF: I generally keep the sharing on; why not? But I guess I’m skeeved enough to turn it off for now…hello, BTW, across the room. (mildy shocked, turning iTunes sharing off, IDing person sitting across room)
GB: not sure where you are … can’t recognize your picture … I guess I am not only brown dude here … easy to recognize me … hope did you scare you by sending the message … I see you like punk … I was listening to them … hope u did not mind it much
NF: oh, what the hell. I’ll turn it back on. Nah, I guess not bothered. Just, um, surprising, I guess. (recognizing fear response, thinking it unnecessary, turning sharing back on; also grabbing his ip address for some reason or another)
GB: Hey Thanks … sorry again… I think I may feel better if could formally introcude myself to you … as I have not idea who you are … but I already know what types of songs you like … 
NF: I think I’m better now. No worries. Sharing is fun.
GB: Looks like you are sharing lot more music now … thanks … listening to someone’s music, I wonder whether it is possible to tell how that person is … interesting idea … think about it … ha ha … This is funny – I don’t know how you look like or who you are but music wise I can take a guess what type of person you could be …On the otherhand, you know how I look like but don’t know what type of person I could be …
NF: (ignores for 3+ hours; turns sharing off before leaving)
GB: Ahh … you took away some music again … btw: I narrowed you down to one of three girls now …
NF: (skeeved now. paranoia sets in. calls husband to alert him leaving coffee shop and to expect me home.)
(end scene)
Here’s the truth of it: I believe in being social on the Internet. I blog under my name, I tweet under my name. I generally try to be safe – I don’t use location-based services, I try not to disclose too much personal information online, but realize we all make mistakes (e.g. My name was on my iTunes library; this has since been anonymized). Was I too friendly in the above; was I too defensive: and who the hell wouldn’t think “you know how I look like but don’t know what type of person I could be” is creepy, creepy, creepy. Some have said that perhaps GB was trying to teach me about privacy; I say there’s far less menacing ways to do so. In the interests of full disclosure and lest you think me too paranoid, I used to work for a domestic violence shelter and sexual assault center; stalking and crimes of violence are not abstractions to me.
Discuss, Internet. To be skeeved, or not to be skeeved? Beyond this exchange, how do you keep yourself safe online?
