Quoting Steve Irwin, Danger, danger, danger.

One of the things Steve Irwin was often heard to say was "Danger, danger, danger". I had been asked several times in the past why I didn't have a Facebook page. I didn't really see the point and still don't. In fact I see now more reason why NOT to have a facebook page. One of the ladies I know has a cellphone and showed Facebook off to me. I took a couple of screenshots just to illustrate the danger that Facebook poses.

The individual whose identity I have obscured as best as possible has a severe security problem because Facebook is displaying their geographical position. The other individual whose identity I have obscured has a telephone number on display. This is truly horrible. Imagine the danger from stalkers, perverts, rapists, muggers, robbers, burglars etc. All they need is the slightest scrap of information and you're an instant victim.

Why don't I have a Facebook page? Pretty much because I value my privacy. I know there are some rather evil individuals out there that I have encountered in the past that I just don't want stalking me. Sure - they definitely read every blog posting I put up, looking for information to use against me but as these blogs are topic oriented, they're out of luck. I also include no location information - not even my registrations show my physical location.

I used to use Foursquare with friends, posting where I was located before I realised that it was an extremely stupid thing to do. Friends can simply call me to ask where I am. The whole world does not need to know where I am at any point in time. For the same reason that I say Facebook is dangerous, so too is Foursquare. Twitter has the potential to be troublesome also for exactly the same reason. This is why it is important to turn off location information and to ensure that postings are pretty generic.

So, why all this mention in a photography blog? Simply because the villains out there have no idea what the value of equipment is and no idea that photography does not actually make any money whatsoever. To them, the sound of photography sounds like expensive equipment and rich people. Many ladies like photography as a way of expressing artistic freedom and creativity, just like I do. None of us wants to be a victim either so why put yourself out there as a potential victim? I say the same thing about these personal photos that people put up on websites. I would never do such a thing myself. It just invites trouble.

My erstwhile companion Yorrich (Hamlet) is my normal headshot for websites where a headshot is obligatory. Frequently Yorrich wears sunglasses and a hat and is always side-lit and in monochrome. That way to anybody enforcing standards, it looks as if it could be a real person but Yorrich will always remain a styrofoam head. Generally, I try to avoid having to post headshots. I hate the idea that somebody might look at my stuff online and be able to identify me. It's not as though I post anything untoward - I just try to get the most privacy I can. My experience of the world is that 95% of the people range from very nice to OK. The remaining 5% just drips with evil. It's that 5% that drip with evil that make up the Geoffrey Dahamers and Robert Bandos of this world. It would be a shame to make their lives easier by showing them what I look like, where I go, where I live, what I eat, when I go to places etc. Even though it's possible to use lethal force in self defense, I don't want to have to go to all the explaining involved nor to all the work scrubbing the blood off the floor. I'd rather avoid the situation entirely by retaining as much anonymity as I'm allowed in this overly open world where everybody can find anything online. I don't want to end up like the proverbial victim lying dead in an alleyway strangled with her own pantyhose.