Genealogy Chat

Hi all,
Just read these threads whilst browsing the tips board, and i did what was suggested and googled my name, I was stunned to see that my facebook profile was there, what is the point of having a "password" if all and sundry can google you???? I am now going to follow the advice on altering my "settings"
I was also stunned that my thread regarding family was on there for all to see, obviousley did not read T & C very well !!!! thanks for the warning M.

I heard on the news this morning that Facebook are changing their privacy settings. Perhaps the message has got through to them at last.

Jeanie

A nudge for people like me who didn't know this

Carol

Hi Julie,

Thank you very much for that helpful hint.

Regards
Anne-Marie

I am so glad that I have read this thread .... started to Google family members. Have now found (almost anyway) my husband's cousin and his wife in Perth, Australia. Found a local newspaper report about his wife written in December 2009, this mentioned the primary school her children attend (scarey that !). I have since found a Facebook group for the school and put in a request for her to contact me, mentioned a nick name for her husband only known to a select few people so she will know it is really me trying to contact her.

We moved house in 2002 and lost both their e.mail and home addresses and I have been trying to trace her for a number of years. Think they have moved as well because my in-laws get Christmas cards every year and although they send cards also, the address they have is completeley different to the suburb where they live.

Fingers crossed thst Facebook comes up trumps.

nudge

The last time I googled my maiden name, it came up with a posting on a site then called BidFrenzy

I'd never posted on that site, nor been a member of it.

BUT I was at that time a regular poster on Friends Reunited (parent of GR) .......... someone had taken a posting of mine from FR and re-posted it on BidFrenzy


I couldn't see which posting, or why it had been "lifted" because I couldn't get access to BF, even by clicking on it on Google ........ it just kept saying I had to be a member etc etc.




sylvia

Yes, as I said earlier
Yes, anything posted in public can be seen, even if later deleted; this is why search engines can be useful picking up things relating to family history.



Although deleted, it would be in "cached".

Take your point everyone - I'm not paranoid - honestly ( ! ) just intrigued at how much shows up on google. At least with a board name your identity etc is protected, but I'm certainly much more careful these days about how much detail my tree on here shows, and who I share it with.

Sue

You leave you stamp on *every* website you visit not just GR,,only by a certain word will google find it.so dont get paranoid over GR being picked up via a web search.Its not a fault with GR.

You leave your name,it can be found.

I've just tried that as well Cornish Susie. Same result as yours. Seems some privacy is being looked after thank goodness.

I did actually join Facebook in hopes of finding relatives with a less than common surname. De-activated my account last night!

It's got my attention... nudge up for others to see.

I've just done that C. Susie and found several of my posts on GR threads. I shall be very careful what I post from now on!

I just tried googling my board name and Genes Reunited. The first hit was for my board name and GR. When I clicked on that, it took me straight into the GR site and an Invalid Thread and Board which was totally empty. Quite odd, but a bit Big Brotherish!

Sue

Yes, I'm one of them Jeaniealogist!. I find all this quite worrying, in particular Maggiewinchester's post about e-mails to radio programmes, which I've done several times.

I, when 1911 census first came available was made aware by another family member of a family name error,and duly let the 1911 people know,via their contact procedure( which I assumed would be private)

THis communication I later found WAS in the public domain, giving the complete personal details of this error.

Bob

Deleted data can sometimes appear in a search, however when you click on the link to see it, you will get a 'Not found' message. I think the links get deleted in the fullness of time but it can take a while.

Many people obviously don't realise that the minute you post anything on the web, send out an email, etc potentially it is available for all to see. I wouldn't rely on low level security gateways or site logins either (i.e. those that don't have a padlock) as these can also be bypassed.

I have just Googled my own name and it brings up over four pages. for GR, Ancestry, several other genforums, for a 'private' family tree site where my name is entered as a source of information, FaceBook, BBC Have Your Say an Alumni List, Yahoo member groups, Plaxo - the list is endless.

Glad to hear it mgnv.

I too went Googling on my family. Only my son's name was showing but he does do a great deal on the internet including Twitter. Showed him that his photo, name - i.e. including middle name - etc. coming up. He said it shouldn't be doing that and went off to his computer to change his "settings". Thanks for the warning Joseanne.

Hope the nudgers keep nudging this up so it gets lots of attention. Sure there are a lot of us 'not very internet savvy souls' about.

Anne-Marie

If you lock your settings down on facebook you can't be found like that


Go into.... Privacy settings
Then...... Search
Then ....Public search results......Un tick this

Also if you have things set so everyone one can see then change that too

This thread called internet safety
http://www.genesreunited.co.za/boards.asp?wci=thread&tk=966721
was posted a couple of years ago.
Yes, anything posted in public can be seen, even if later deleted; this is why search engines can be useful picking up things relating to family history.