Parker Gun Collectors Association Forums - Your Privacy, This Community And the Internet

I’ve been wanting to post something like this for a while, and with the nearly two page thread where on PGCA Member declared his “Privacy” had been invaded by this website because his name was found on a back page of a "Google Search" and not based on his post, but rather a reply to his post... So, I thought I’d give an overview of privacy, how I handle it in this community and finally "Your Privacy on the Internet" (<--- two terms which are contrary).

As background, and as a few know - I’ve been running daily, hosting, programming, Administrating some large communities since 1998 - that is to say a LONG time. The largest, which I started has over 250,000 Members and users and contains over 1.1 million posts. It is the single largest Porsche Community on the Internet. So all that is to say - I know a bit about the Internet and your privacy and how it’s sold and bartered each minute and each day…. So, here’s what it means to YOU, those in this little PGCA community - which is VERY DIFFERENT, by design and programming than any other community….

First - quite frankly - the only person in the world probably Googling your name is “you”. It’s so “90’s” and early 2000’s. Today - the world of selling “your data and invading your privacy" isn’t where it appears in a Google Search and frankly, you’d be kidding yourself to believe if your name DOESN'T appear in a Google Search - your data is "Private"…. Unfortunately - it’s quite the opposite.

From the 1000’ level, every device connected to the Internet - computers, watches, phones (and phones are REALLY special!), your TV, your toaster - whatever! Shares your data. That’s each device - and every connected device. Each has a unique identifier when connected - that’s called an IP address. Each and every IP address connected to the Internet goes through your ISP (Internet Service Provider) who assigns it that unique IP - and from that, your ISP knows EXACTLY who you are, where you have been - and sometimes - even predicts where you are going.

Your data right? Who you are, right? Well - those things are logged by your ISP by your assigned IP. And oh - remember that contract you signed to get Internet into your house? Did you read the "fine print” - or did you just click or sign “Agree” to everything as you couldn't wait to hop on Facebook to see what Aunt Martha was up to? What you did was “Agree” that your ISP - the folks you pay to track you (strange huh?) - can keep your connection data, and in some cases - sell it on…

So, how about those “Anonymous” web communities Ian referenced? Those must be safe - as you make up a throw-away fake e-mail address to register, make up a fake screen name and give your cousin name “Tom Toothache” as your “real name”. No one knows who you are, right???

Wrong. Remember that IP address, and too - now you are using a browser - which knows EXACTLY who you are, where you have logged in and the sites you visited. You think you are “Anonymous”? Nope… For example, you know those banner ads in those websites? Yea - yep - those… They are serving you ads to your browser. Those ad servers are NOT on that web site - they are called from 3rd party servers whose ENTIRE business model is to find out who you are, and resell YOUR browsing history for a profit- and hope you click to another site…

Don’t believe me? Go to an anonymous community and “register” anything you’d like - and then click on a banner - then hit something like Amazon… But - it’s even worse… Shopping for tires and you click on that banner ad? Great - got’cha… That banner ad provider sells your IP and “interest” to Tirerack - and 'Hello TireRack Spam'!

Yea - that’s how those anonymous “communities” work and monetize you and your "private data" - it's behind your back when you aren't even looking. The other "poor sheep" in that community may not know your name - but those selling your data sure do… And you thought it was oh so safe to post to an anonymous website - how incredibly naive. In fact, with your browser data combined with your IP - the data aggregators know who you are (by name and e-mail), where you are and what you looked at…

And you are worried that someone posted your name - and now the “World” knows all your private data? Silly you. Your data is being sold each time you connect to the Internet - well before logging in here…. And when you arrive “here” - it’s a “safe zone”. When you leave here to other sites - you are on your own once again...

And “about here”… Yep - I’ve programmed the site in a lot of ways… To allow you to keep as much privacy as you’d like from visitors and folks not logged in by designating a “screen name". And names are private until someone registers, including within threads and posts. As well - this site is paid for and support ONLY through the Parker Gun Collectors Association and its paying Members. My data isn’t sold, nor are invasive banner ads allowed, and the Cookie Sessions are private and self expire, and as I’m my OWN ISP (I have a /26 IP allocation) - my logs are rotated every 24 hours (deleted) and not for sale… Do we “REQUIRE” your real name? You bet. It sets this community apart from all those “others” - where folks pretend to “hide” behind the facade others don’t know who they are… Those that want to know, in fact - already do…

And oh - that your name shows up in a Google Search? Trust me - no one cares, as you are the only one looking….. Those who would like to monetize you already have and will continue to do so - as they know who you are, your name, your location, your interests and whatnot.

Welcome to the world of the Internet. Frankly - it's Facebook on steroids. But this community - by design - is "different"....

To those of you who "get what this community is about"? You have my sincerest thanks.. There is a LOT of extra time and work in code, programming and hosting that makes this little slice of the Internet a bit special and a very different community than those "anonymous" sites that, which, by now - you probably figured out aren't all that "anonymous" after all.

My thanks to all of you for the support for making this community just that "different" for well over a decade.

John D.