Don't talk shit about ACs! Why anonymous ain't so bad...

Hello GLP!

I want to talk to you about Anonymous Cowards, and how not to be bait on the internet. Some of you may find we're not so bad, and others may realize maybe they could do with being a little more anonymous too.

I notice there's been a lot of hate around here towards GLP's Anonymous Cowards, especially lately in the wake of The Elections (aka Shillsmas, Shilladan, and Shillukah combined).

I can completely understand too, anyone can post as an AC which is precisely why nearly all trolls and shills are ACs. But even before that, I've seen many a debate on these threads abandon all logical arguments and default to "Well you're just a stinkin' AC, what's your opinion matter?"

Well, the answer to that is one of the two reasons many of us choose to be Anonymous Cowards in the first place.


1.) Because there is no identity or floating ego attached to our posts, our opinions are weighed, as they are, individually, with no room for ad hominem or personal attacks. Trolls live on ab hominem and personal attacks.

2.) As soon as you take on a handle, you start to leave a paper trail. A conspiracy forum is not a safe place to give out your name and address.

I know what you're thinking, 'Name and address? I'm not stupid, I'm not giving that away just by having a forum handle.'

Or are you? One of the things I do in my free time as a techie is identity protection. One thing people don't often realize is, if you can get the right piece of info, you can find out everything you want about a person by following the trail. It's very important that, if you do take on a handle, it can't be used to find your other activity on the net.

Let me take an example. This is by no means a how-to-steal-an-identity guide. The people who you have to worry about already know all this. I want you to know it, too.

First of all, any user with a mugshot is already in trouble if they want to stay safe. If you want to use a pic of yourself, make sure it's unique, not too crisp, and isn't taken from a photo on Facebook.
1.) Hacker takes your mugshot, uploads to Google Search.
2.) Google Search finds the pic you cropped your avatar from, be it your Myspace, Facebook, or Photobucket.
3.) From there hacker has your full name, and then your address, and then your phone number, and that is often sufficient to get the names of your families too.

Next, use a unique handle dammit!
1.) Hacker searches your forum name on Google
2.) Hacker finds your Youtube, or Myspace, or any other forum, gets your email address
3.) Hacker searches email addy, gets your Facebook and your name with it. And then address, etc.

Now, many of you already know the above already. Pay attention, we're still not out of the woods yet.

If you take a picture with your iPhone, copy and paste the image into a paint program before you upload! Pretty much any phone or camera with a built-in GPS stamps your coordinates into the image file when you take a picture.
1.) Hacker takes the picture of your dog/grandma/tomato plants you just uploaded
2.) Hacker reads the image metadata, giving them the coordinates of where you took the pic.
3.) Hacker punches those coords into Google Maps, and boom, they have your address and can probably describe your own front yard to you.

Now, that is by no means a complete list either. Let's face the facts, the Internet is chalk-full of trolls. A good number of them will order pizzas and fire trucks to your house if you piss them off enough. Many of us will go so far as to say there are agents on GLP looking to flag dissenters. Do you want to end up on a terror list because you have a controversial opinion? Neither do I.

Remember kids, the Internet is a scary place. You wouldn't wear around a name tag with your address and bank account numbers. Don't do it here either. Google yourself, your avatars, your handle. See what pops up. Change what needs changing so you can't be taken advantage of.

And remember GLP, while you can go ahead and take pains to create a unique user name, capture and upload a unique avatar photo, and make sure you can't be traced right back to Facebook, some of us simply find it easier to stay AC.

Stay safe.