Reddit anonymity

Just because you're posting here doesn't mean some random user can suddenly unmask you...

The moderators are the same way.

Even the admins are pretty much stuck unless you registered using your full legal name—and even then, they’d need you to be posting stuff specific enough to actually identify you.

And an IP address? That’s basically useless. Regular users can't even see your IP, and even if they somehow managed to get a hold of it, they aren't going to get anywhere with it unless they have a close personal connection at an ISP like AT&T, Verizon, or Comcast—someone willing to risk their entire career and face criminal charges just to hand over your private info.

I mean, really, think about the odds of some random person knowing an admin who’s willing to break the law to give up your IP, and *then* also knowing someone at AT&T, Verizon, or Comcast who’s equally ready to commit a felony just to leak your data... just do the math.

Look, let’s be real: there is absolutely no such thing as guaranteed privacy on the internet. As the site administration, we don't go around sharing the private details you've tucked away in your profile—stuff like your email address stays hidden from the public unless we're served with an actual warrant from the police or a court order. But you've got to stay sharp, because someone can still piece together who you are just by reading what you post, even when you think you're being super vague. And honestly? Just because some random person claims they've figured out your identity doesn't mean they actually have.

As far as where you actually live goes, it only took me about three minutes to dig up a few posts where you mentioned living on an island and a couple where you brought up Maui—one guy on Reddit even told you that you’d make a great priestess out on Maui...

Maybe it's stalking, or maybe it's just someone who actually pays attention to what you say when you're in a conversation or following the same threads you are... which is probably more likely...

So, just like everyone else has been saying, we tend to reveal way more about ourselves than we realize...

Grace Wood5 said:Unfortunately, the only feature that actually gave us any peace of mind has been completely screwed over (pardon my French). When you use the ignore function, you don't see their posts, but they can still see everything you write and harass you however they damn well please. So, the ignore option isn't protecting the average user anymore; it’s basically just handing a win to the very trolls the feature was originally designed to stop.

Exactly... but there isn't really any other choice. Let them type, let them ask questions, let them stalk—whatever. At least I won't have to read it or deal with the headache.

I finally cracked the code on how to deal with stalkers. Nobody can ever figure out who's actually lurking behind a handle like "lonetrucker4"!😁

lonebadger6 said:As far as where you actually live goes, it only took me about three minutes to dig up a few posts where you mentioned living on an island and a couple where you brought up Maui—one guy on Reddit even told you that you’d make a great priestess out on Maui...

Maybe it's stalking, or maybe it's just someone who actually pays attention to what you say when you're in a conversation or following the same threads you are... which is probably more likely...

So, just like everyone else has been saying, we tend to reveal way more about ourselves than we realize...

They didn't say Maui specifically; they were just guessing a spot and acting like they KNEW exactly where I lived.
Anyway, I'm not going to dwell on it. It’s just... a little creepy when a complete stranger says stuff like that to you.

If you simply refuse to let yourself get worn out, then the problem is solved. 👍

I want to express my sincere thanks to everyone for participating and collaborating. Now, let's all head over and contribute some thoughts to the other PDFs. 🙂

Nicholas Barnes74 said:Exactly... but there isn't really any other choice. Let them type, let them ask questions, let them stalk—whatever. At least I won't have to read it or deal with the headache.

👍 Exactly. I don't care how many times you have to click the "ignore" button—it’s worth every single extra click. The sheer relief of not having to waste my life reading some loser's toxic rants or dealing with their desperate attempts to hijack the conversation is a massive win. It actually helps.

lonetrucker4 said:I finally cracked the code on how to deal with stalkers. Nobody can ever figure out who's actually lurking behind a handle like "lonetrucker4"!😁

It took me over six months just to figure out how to post while you're sitting over there in the Cayman Islands, but now that I've got it down, everything else is easy. I’ve already worked my way halfway through this entire list of users, and let me tell you something: if you aren't using a fake name, you're going to end up paying for my silence with an all-expenses-paid summer vacation. 😁

rustydrifter10 said:Look, let’s be real: there is absolutely no such thing as guaranteed privacy on the internet. As the site administration, we don't go around sharing the private details you've tucked away in your profile—stuff like your email address stays hidden from the public unless we're served with an actual warrant from the police or a court order. But you've got to stay sharp, because someone can still piece together who you are just by reading what you post, even when you think you're being super vague. And honestly? Just because some random person claims they've figured out your identity doesn't mean they actually have.

I got an email sent to my registration address from an admin saying they found my account info. They were actually checking in on me after the earthquake, which was a nice gesture, but it makes me wonder—how exactly can an admin access the data I gave the forum?
I can send over the admin's details and the email address they used to message me via DM if you want, or I can post them here if requested.

Emily Myers8 said:I got an email sent to my registration address from an admin saying they found my account info. They were actually checking in on me after the earthquake, which was a nice gesture, but it makes me wonder—how exactly can an admin access the data I gave the forum?
I can send over the admin's details and the email address they used to message me via DM if you want, or I can post them here if requested.

Hey, there's no need to prove anything! The administration can see the email address associated with any account logged into the forum. Honestly, we're currently working with the tech team to figure out a way to restrict that access or even wipe it entirely, but that really comes down to the vBulletin core settings rather than our own control. For now, all we can do is make a conscious choice not to look, since we don't have the option to hide it from ourselves.

rustydrifter10 said:Hey, there's no need to prove anything! The administration can see the email address associated with any account logged into the forum. Honestly, we're currently working with the tech team to figure out a way to restrict that access or even wipe it entirely, but that really comes down to the vBulletin core settings rather than our own control. For now, all we can do is make a conscious choice not to look, since we don't have the option to hide it from ourselves.

So basically, if my email is

firstname.lastname@gmail.com

then a mod or admin pretty much sees everything about a user (assuming they just Google the last name and whatever else pops up...)

rustydrifter10 said:Hey, there's no need to prove anything! The administration can see the email address associated with any account logged into the forum. Honestly, we're currently working with the tech team to figure out a way to restrict that access or even wipe it entirely, but that really comes down to the vBulletin core settings rather than our own control. For now, all we can do is make a conscious choice not to look, since we don't have the option to hide it from ourselves.

We see it, sure. But what can we actually make of an address like otišaosiakaodanisi@gmail.com?

Privacy is best protected by common sense.

Larry Walker24 said:So basically, if my email is

firstname.lastname@gmail.com

then a mod or admin pretty much sees everything about a user (assuming they just Google the last name and whatever else pops up...)

So, what now? How am I supposed to know it's actually them? It’s practically impossible to set up an email address using a specific name or nickname like that...

Larry Walker24 said:So basically, if my email is

firstname.lastname@gmail.com

then a mod or admin pretty much sees everything about a user (assuming they just Google the last name and whatever else pops up...)

Come over to the US.
If we see something, we just act like we have no clue.

mistyotter35 said:🙂 It seems like a total waste of time to me, since the data is completely inaccurate. In my case, it missed me by 124 miles.

The point still holds true, but... if it hits 7 out of 10 times, that's plenty for most people. Though, like I mentioned before, those old-school data scrapers used to show much higher accuracy rates, and who knows how often they refresh their databases now? Like you said—half the time those details were just wrong anyway, and the real pros were always using proxies to stay under the radar.

Nicholas Barnes74 said:And what's yours? What "female user" are you talking about???
I honestly don't see the point in responding if you aren't even reading the post.
Nobody here knows what I do for work—even though it's relevant—and nobody knows where I live.
Not in my username, and not in my DMs either.

But that's exactly what the post says! Honestly, it seems like you're just a little rattled because someone figured out you're living in a coastal town and mentioned where you reside.

Why didn't you just ask her for her address then? 🙂 You could've just sent it to me, and maybe we could grab a coffee sometime next time I'm passing through your area, haha.😁

Really, there's no need to worry. If anyone ever actually shows up at your door, just give them a good whack with a frying pan and call it a day.🙂

rustydrifter10 said:Hey, there's no need to prove anything! The administration can see the email address associated with any account logged into the forum. Honestly, we're currently working with the tech team to figure out a way to restrict that access or even wipe it entirely, but that really comes down to the vBulletin core settings rather than our own control. For now, all we can do is make a conscious choice not to look, since we don't have the option to hide it from ourselves.

if($mod)
{
echo ".$user['nickname'] . $user['email'] . $user['ip] .";
}

change into

if($mod)
{
echo ".$user['nickname'] . $user[''] . $user[''] .";
}

It doesn't get any simpler than that. Though, it might be unnecessary work too.

rustydrifter10 said:Hey, there's no need to prove anything! The administration can see the email address associated with any account logged into the forum. Honestly, we're currently working with the tech team to figure out a way to restrict that access or even wipe it entirely, but that really comes down to the vBulletin core settings rather than our own control. For now, all we can do is make a conscious choice not to look, since we don't have the option to hide it from ourselves.

It’s someone else entirely—that’s just how things work.
This response definitely isn't related to what rustydrifter10 mentioned earlier: "There's no such thing as privacy on the internet. As admins, we don't share any data from your profile that isn't public, like your email address, unless we get a warrant from the police or a court."

Jeremy Johnson18 said:Come over to the US.
If we see something, we just act like we have no clue.

Can I join in?
I don't have to play dumb. 😳

Jeremy Johnson18 said:Come over to the US.
If we see something, we just act like we have no clue.

🙂

!

Peter tells Little Ivica:

"You want to know how to bend adults to your will or get them to cough up cash? Just give 'em this intense look and drop the line: 'I know your secret!'"

Little Ivica decides to test the theory. He walks up to his mom, gives her a deadpan stare, and says, "I know your secret!"

"Oh my God, kid, please don't tell your dad!" she panics. "Here, take this $17."

Later, he hits up his dad. Gives him the same heavy stare and goes, "I know your secret!"

"Please, buddy, just don't tell your mom! Here’s a hundred bucks," he says.

Feeling like a total pro, Little Ivica figures he can pull this off with anyone. He steps out the front door and runs into the mailman. He gives the guy a serious look and mutters, "I know your secret!"

The mailman just opens his arms wide:

"Come here and give your daddy a hug!"

Grace Wood5 said:👍 Exactly. I don't care how many times you have to click the "ignore" button—it’s worth every single extra click. The sheer relief of not having to waste my life reading some loser's toxic rants or dealing with their desperate attempts to hijack the conversation is a massive win. It actually helps.

It took me over six months just to figure out how to post while you're sitting over there in the Cayman Islands, but now that I've got it down, everything else is easy. I’ve already worked my way halfway through this entire list of users, and let me tell you something: if you aren't using a fake name, you're going to end up paying for my silence with an all-expenses-paid summer vacation. 😁

The thing is, since he’s basically a moderator for one of the subforums, you can't even hit that ignore button... so there goes that.😵