Security through obscurity
Secrets can be a good thing. On the internet, however, there are few secrets. With the creation of modern search engines (e.g. Google), all kinds information can be easily found. And that's one of the reasons why AboutUs was created. We are here to collect information, and make it easily accessible.
Secrets can be found. Personal information can be found. Yes, your personal information can be found. Go ahead; punch your name into Google and see what comes up. You may be surprised at what is available.
At AboutUs.org we have automated bots that scan the internet and find information and add it to our site, so sometimes they will find something that you may not want known publicly. Please feel free to remove any information that you feel is personal and would rather not be public knowledge.
However, and possibly most importantly, if there is sensitive information here that was filled in by a bot, the information was obtained from sources that are readily available to the general public. You may want to go to the source of the information and secure that information. It's been said many times: "Security through obscurity is not security."
External links
Discussion
This is very basic, and I'm not a good writer! Oh, and I'm making some guesses on some of this, too, not being that familiar with the site. So please check for accuracy. My thoughts are basically that it should be readable and meaningful to someone unfamiliar with security in general...this is about awareness. WhiteBoy 13:30, 27 October 2006 (PDT)
Personally Identifiable Information?
It's easy to blame the bot, but bots aren't self-generating. If someone wants to find my home phone number or home address, WHY make it easy for them? For whom are you providing the service--stalkers?
Furthermore, a whois check DOES NOT provide a conveniently-linked Google map to your house!
All I see are excuses, and they're poor ones at that. Just wait until someone ends up losing his or her job, or physical harm comes to them.
My information wasn't in my domain's page, but I was lucky, I guess. Others who have paid for privacy services (i.e. Domains by Proxy) still had their full name, phone number, and home address (with that Google map!) right there on their pages for the whole world to see. Apparently you think it's OK to blame the domain owner for not knowing, but Aboutus.org is deliberately aiding and abetting those who are up to NO GOOD.
Care to explain WHY?
Care to explain how your mission here doesn't contradict your own privacy policy?
--Anti-stalker 23:26, 19 November 2006 (PST)
- I think the main issue here is whether or not Whois data should be public or private in the first place. That debate has been going on for a long time and I can see arguments on either side. Currently, however, it is public and there are many many sites which republish it. Our a map mashup is hardly giving anyone "more" information that they'd already have with the address. Take any address and drop it into a search engine and you will see the same. User:Ray King | talk 15:27, 1 January 2007 (PST)
