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What can people see?
Name: ssimon_says Date: November 18, 2006 at 15:25:46 Pacific OS: Winodws XP Media Center S CPU/Ram: Intel Core Duo @ 3.66 GHz Product: Dell
Comment:
I posted a file on a forum and someone replied with my full name and made a comment about the name of the folder above the folder where the file was. The website i posted on doesn't even require you to log in, and I don't, so how could they know that? I was wondering how much of my computer can people see and how can they see it? I'm a bit paranoid about using my computer online now.
Dell Inspiron E1505 Windows XP Media Center SP2 Core Duo 3.66GHz 1GB
Name: XpUser Date: November 18, 2006 at 15:50:37 Pacific
Reply:
The website is ...?
i_XpUser
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Response Number 2
Name: ssimon_says Date: November 18, 2006 at 17:22:03 Pacific
Reply:
does that matter?
Dell Inspiron E1505 Windows XP Media Center SP2 Core Duo 3.66GHz 1GB
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Response Number 3
Name: Derek Date: November 18, 2006 at 17:49:47 Pacific
Reply:
... it can matter because there are some glorious script fiddles websites can get up to that make you wrongly convinced that they can see into your system.
Also, if it happened to be a common file then it would have been quite easy to make an intelligent guess when compared to another machine.
That doesn't explain away the full name but if we could view the website it might give us a clue.
DerekW
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Response Number 4
Name: jboy Date: November 18, 2006 at 17:58:09 Pacific
If I know the answer I'll tell you the answer, and if I don't, I'll just respond, cleverly
--Donald Rumsfeld
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Response Number 5
Name: don2006 Date: November 19, 2006 at 06:53:58 Pacific
Reply:
First of all, your name happens to be available since you have left, what I call, electronic footprints, on the net. I don't think they had to access your PC.
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Response Number 6
Name: Derek Date: November 19, 2006 at 08:44:32 Pacific
Reply:
don2006
... but poster says he only left a file on there not his name.
Having said that we don't know what the file was so it might have contained this information.
DerekW
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Response Number 7
Name: don2006 Date: November 19, 2006 at 12:51:48 Pacific
Reply:
I understand that he didn't leave his name. He didn't leave it here either but now I have it just the same. I even know his girl friend's name. My point was that with a little searching, sometimes those things can be found.
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Response Number 8
Name: Derek Date: November 19, 2006 at 13:08:24 Pacific
Reply:
don2006
OK I get your drift now.
DerekW
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Response Number 9
Name: ssimon_says Date: November 19, 2006 at 18:40:36 Pacific
Reply:
what all information is in my "virtual footprint"?
Toshiba Satellite 1800-S203 Windows XP SP2 Celeron 801MHz 376Mb
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Response Number 10
Name: Derek Date: November 19, 2006 at 18:56:08 Pacific
Reply:
Try putting ssimon_says in Google, then delve into each hit.
DerekW
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Response Number 11
Name: don2006 Date: November 20, 2006 at 16:43:56 Pacific
Reply:
Are you sure you want me to post all that? Change your screen name. Get a web based email account. Don't post any profiles on any sites. Don't connect any personal information with those things. Then join the Federal Witness Protection Program.
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Response Number 12
Name: Derek Date: November 20, 2006 at 17:31:01 Pacific
Reply:
While you are at it change your email address because that is available to everyone too (including spammers). They don't even need to click a button.
You should NEVER post your email address in open text on the net unless you want to get spammed to death. They use engines to search for the "at signs".
The net isn't so bad, you just have to take care how you use it.
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