Personal Info - IMPORTANT

[CliveV]

Like others I think it a glitch but the fact remains that info we all put on our profiles as personal info is now appearing on our postings.

I do not mind people knowing my full name but can appreciate that others may not want this.

More worrying is the fact that what we considerred personal info is know being released.

I strongly suggest we all alter our profiles so that no personal details are listed in case another "glitch" starts releasing address and tel no's.

 

[KenWashington]

After so many complaints about two or more people having the same nickname, the only alternative was to publish real names instead.

There's no way to properly enforce uniqueness for user names or nicknames. The problem is that the user database is shared across Practical Caravan, Practical Motorhome, Autosport, What Car and other websites managed by Haymarket publishing; it has half a million names is in it. Inevitably there will be duplication.

As there have been more complaints about changing to real names than there were about duplicate nicknames, we have now reverted to the way things were!

Obviously there was no way details like addresses would be published - Haymarket Publishing forums comply with the Data Protection Act.

 

[Royston]

Moderator,

I have found this forum most costructive in both the the enquires and the answers given.

You mention that you have received complants about two people having the same nickmames, I like others have always used my real first name, why does it bother both you and other people what name is given,Its the information gathered that is the most important issue.

The people who through childish comments have caused you to change the system should be removed.

To publish surnames without prior permission ,is violation of

the data protection act.

why cannot each entry be checked prior to appearing within yhis forum, like it used to be.

 

[MickC1]

Hi Roy

I'm not the moderator, but felt that I could give a reply to your question as I was one of the users who originally complained about duplicate names. The problem occurs when more than one person is replying to a thread, but using the same name. For example I have added to thread that already had another 'mick' on it. This makes it very confusing for other readers, especially if the advise or opinions given are contradictory. Most forums won't allow duplicate names, so anyone else trying to register as Mick or mick for example wouldn't be allowed. This is what the comments were about. It's not about which names to use, it's about the forum allowing more than one user with the same name. Unfortunately there isn't an unlimited number of 'real first names' so duplication is inevitable.

The old system of the moderator checking each entry before posting is unworkable, unless someone was doing it as a full time job. Sometimes it took several hours before a reply would be posted. Not much good if you want a quick reply. And a thread could go on for days, instead of being 'wrapped up' within a few hours.

Not sure about publishing Surnames as being against the Data Protection Act. The web is full of surnames, and I doubt that they all gave permission before they were used. The Electoral Role is public domain as far as I'm aware (may be wrong), so anyone can get your information anyway.

Personally I couldn't care less if anyone wants to know my surname. There are dozens of people in the UK who share my name, and it's in the phone book anyway. It's held on hundreds of databases, so what's the problem in a few users on a friendly forum knowing it? What are they going to do with it?

As you say the important bit is helping others with problems and giving information. It seems to be back to how it used to be which is great.

 

[Award1]

Quite agree Roy

 

[CliveV]

Mick - you may have missed what I and others were concerned about - namely (no pun intended) that some of us have hinted on the Forum where we live.

How would you feel if a Toe-Rag read a past posting that you lived near Torbay for example and had a

 

[CliveV]

Sorry last bit got left off! should have finnished:-

...they might like to consider altering there Profiles to what they are comfortable with.

 

[MickC1]

Yes, I can see your point Clive. But I don't think that this would realistically be an issue. I doubt very much whether a potential thief would sit on our forum all day on the off chance that someone MAY mention that they're going on holiday, or have a security problem, and MAY give the area that they live in, and MAY actually turn out to be local to them. After all, a local thief is more likely to notice a caravan parked on a driveway one day and gone the next, which tends to be a bit of a give away. It doesn't mean that the house is empty though, so they would still have to monitor it for occupancy. And why would a thief bother driving a long way to an unknown address just because the owners say they are away? There may not be anything there worth taking, or security may be so high that they can't get in. Walking down a street at night and spotting houses in darkness is an easier way to do it. As for caravan security, well, judging by the letters that appear in mags and the forum, I don't think that it really matters if security devices are fitted or not. Come the end of the day if a thief wants it, he'll take it regardless. They are really only going to stop an opportunist who's driving by and fancies his chances. Most caravans are stolen to order anyway, so they're more likely to drive around until they find what they want and then return in the small hours.

You point is valid Clive, but I don't personally think that it's likely to be a problem.

There are obviously arguments both ways, but several sites have forums where full names are used, and as far as I know by it doesn't present a problem. As you say though, it's irrelevant now anyway.

 

[Icemaker]

Mick, i really hope your van never gets stolen as you would have to put up with the heartbreak that the loss causes, a heartbreak that i have suffered. I objected strongly to my full name being used as in the past due to the relative security of no person knowing my name i have given details of my home town as have a great many others on this forum. I think you are being very nieve if you think the scum does not look on forums like this for easy pickings as its so easy with a full name and a town to trace the owner of a caravan, much easier to hide on a pc than to look suspicies walking up and down the road looking up driveways, in my case i was followed home from the dealers after a service visit, they stole the van two nights later so they do take the easy option. as you state all the security we use is pretty irrelevant if the thief wants your van but every precaution should be taken to slow them down including not giving out personal details of the owners.

 

[CliveV]

Wow! Did they really follow you from the dealers after a service! It is so obvious but I had not thought of this. I shall be more careful in future.

Really sorry to hear you had your van pinched this way. Sadly there are more scum about than ever and because our prisons are too full and more like a Butlins they get back on the street far to easily.

I have not had my van stolen but my car was targetted in a similar way to how your van was. Police reckonned it was stolen "to order".

Anyone who thinks the criminals would not use ANY angle they can is ridiculously naive.

 

[KenWashington]

Moderator,

I have found this forum most costructive in both the the enquires and the answers given.

You mention that you have received complants about two people having the same nickmames, I like others have always used my real first name, why does it bother both you and other people what name is given,Its the information gathered that is the most important issue.

The people who through childish comments have caused you to change the system should be removed.

To publish surnames without prior permission ,is violation of

the data protection act.

why cannot each entry be checked prior to appearing within yhis forum, like it used to be.

Whenever people complain about forum problems I pass them on to the techies. Sometimes they can help, sometimes not. There were several people complained about duplcate nicknames, so I asked the techies. The solution they came up with resulted in more complaints than the original problem! So, we'll just have to live with it.

I tried banning the forum abusers, but they just re-registered with another name. It would mean full time policing to keep ahead of that game, and I'm an enthusiast, not a PCV employee. The best strategy is not to rise to the bait, and ignore deliberately antagonistic posts.

The old PCV forum was moderated as you suggest, with messages moderated before going live, and the delay that caused brought in more complaints than anything else. I check the forum at least once a day (365 days a year), but that still meant up to 24 hours before some messages appeared. I think most users prefer the new forum, despite its drawbacks.

 

[John_5040751]

Hi Roy

I'm not the moderator, but felt that I could give a reply to your question as I was one of the users who originally complained about duplicate names. The problem occurs when more than one person is replying to a thread, but using the same name. For example I have added to thread that already had another 'mick' on it. This makes it very confusing for other readers, especially if the advise or opinions given are contradictory. Most forums won't allow duplicate names, so anyone else trying to register as Mick or mick for example wouldn't be allowed. This is what the comments were about. It's not about which names to use, it's about the forum allowing more than one user with the same name. Unfortunately there isn't an unlimited number of 'real first names' so duplication is inevitable.

The old system of the moderator checking each entry before posting is unworkable, unless someone was doing it as a full time job. Sometimes it took several hours before a reply would be posted. Not much good if you want a quick reply. And a thread could go on for days, instead of being 'wrapped up' within a few hours.

Not sure about publishing Surnames as being against the Data Protection Act. The web is full of surnames, and I doubt that they all gave permission before they were used. The Electoral Role is public domain as far as I'm aware (may be wrong), so anyone can get your information anyway.

Personally I couldn't care less if anyone wants to know my surname. There are dozens of people in the UK who share my name, and it's in the phone book anyway. It's held on hundreds of databases, so what's the problem in a few users on a friendly forum knowing it? What are they going to do with it?

As you say the important bit is helping others with problems and giving information. It seems to be back to how it used to be which is great.

A number of years ago a High Court ruled its use for non electoral uses was illegal as it meant those who didn't want there information to be used for no election uses could only not be listed and this infringed there Human Rights to the right to vote. The result is the electoral register is no longer a public document.

To use, with out agreement, personal information is likely to breach the Data Protection Act and the right to privacy under the Human Rights Act. The use of any information has to clearly laid out when it's provided and to change the way it's used without getting agreement it likely to breach the Data Protection Act.

Both areas are ones within Public Libraries, in which I used to work, were closely regulated both by the professional bodies and authorities legal departments. I am surprised the publishers legal people didn't pick this up, we could never change how we used p[personal information and had to constantly justify what we did hold showing what it was needed.

 

[CliveV]

Hi Roy

I'm not the moderator, but felt that I could give a reply to your question as I was one of the users who originally complained about duplicate names. The problem occurs when more than one person is replying to a thread, but using the same name. For example I have added to thread that already had another 'mick' on it. This makes it very confusing for other readers, especially if the advise or opinions given are contradictory. Most forums won't allow duplicate names, so anyone else trying to register as Mick or mick for example wouldn't be allowed. This is what the comments were about. It's not about which names to use, it's about the forum allowing more than one user with the same name. Unfortunately there isn't an unlimited number of 'real first names' so duplication is inevitable.

The old system of the moderator checking each entry before posting is unworkable, unless someone was doing it as a full time job. Sometimes it took several hours before a reply would be posted. Not much good if you want a quick reply. And a thread could go on for days, instead of being 'wrapped up' within a few hours.

Not sure about publishing Surnames as being against the Data Protection Act. The web is full of surnames, and I doubt that they all gave permission before they were used. The Electoral Role is public domain as far as I'm aware (may be wrong), so anyone can get your information anyway.

Personally I couldn't care less if anyone wants to know my surname. There are dozens of people in the UK who share my name, and it's in the phone book anyway. It's held on hundreds of databases, so what's the problem in a few users on a friendly forum knowing it? What are they going to do with it?

As you say the important bit is helping others with problems and giving information. It seems to be back to how it used to be which is great.

That is my understanding as well John.

 

[Viking1]

Mick

You are so wrong to say about the scum.

I got a friend who I used to work with.

Me and some friends were out drinking one night .

One of the friends said he was going a way for the weekend.

His house got beguiled.

We all thick that some in the pub did it.

The pint is that the scum work all the time they treat it like a job they love doing.

That is 24 7

Mark

 

[CliveV]

Spot on Mark.

These people do this for a living. They are not opportunists - they research and plan.

Why make it easyer for them?

I would recommend that no accurate personal info be stored on the profile.

Clive

 

[John_5040751]

Hi Roy

I'm not the moderator, but felt that I could give a reply to your question as I was one of the users who originally complained about duplicate names. The problem occurs when more than one person is replying to a thread, but using the same name. For example I have added to thread that already had another 'mick' on it. This makes it very confusing for other readers, especially if the advise or opinions given are contradictory. Most forums won't allow duplicate names, so anyone else trying to register as Mick or mick for example wouldn't be allowed. This is what the comments were about. It's not about which names to use, it's about the forum allowing more than one user with the same name. Unfortunately there isn't an unlimited number of 'real first names' so duplication is inevitable.

The old system of the moderator checking each entry before posting is unworkable, unless someone was doing it as a full time job. Sometimes it took several hours before a reply would be posted. Not much good if you want a quick reply. And a thread could go on for days, instead of being 'wrapped up' within a few hours.

Not sure about publishing Surnames as being against the Data Protection Act. The web is full of surnames, and I doubt that they all gave permission before they were used. The Electoral Role is public domain as far as I'm aware (may be wrong), so anyone can get your information anyway.

Personally I couldn't care less if anyone wants to know my surname. There are dozens of people in the UK who share my name, and it's in the phone book anyway. It's held on hundreds of databases, so what's the problem in a few users on a friendly forum knowing it? What are they going to do with it?

As you say the important bit is helping others with problems and giving information. It seems to be back to how it used to be which is great.

I notice many full names are still being listed. I am unclear if this is still the change in policy or not. In case it is I have amended my surname to withheld. As I commented above to change the way personal information is used does breach the data protection act, which requires such a change to be with the approval of the persons concerned. I would never give such agreement for security.