# Someone has stolen personal info - from this board! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 30, 2009, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-has-stolen-personal-info-from-this-board/501514 "2009-06-30T21:04:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2009, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-has-stolen-personal-info-from-this-board/501514/41 "2009-07-01T08:49:05Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > How, precisely, did the student err? The student disseminated publically available information that you made known to your class. > > I’ve got no sympathy for you. None. _You’re_ the one who erred in judgement. If there was a newspaper story about the Op it would be just as public, but it would still be very arseholish to make copies and post them around the school. OP, are you posting from school with the students? There is no need to have an account if you are just reading threads. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2009, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-has-stolen-personal-info-from-this-board/501514/42 "2009-07-01T10:37:46Z")
A British computer security expert said something like this on the radio the other day: “How much sensitive information would you put on the back of a postcard you are going to mail? Because more people will read what you put online than will read the back of a postcard.” Sure, if you can guarantee anonymity you might be more comfortable about it, but the OP is the one who compromised their own anonymity. Sucks, but there you go: some kids can be very cruel, and you as a teacher should know this. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2009, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-has-stolen-personal-info-from-this-board/501514/43 "2009-07-01T11:06:47Z")
I have found that if someone can hurt you there is something that you can do that allowed it, a part of you that needs healing. Yes it was wrong for the student to do such a thing, I am not denying it, but the solution is not to come down on the student but look within to heal that aspect of you and make it unable to hurt you in the future. If you catch the student that does nothing to heal the underlying issue that is just waiting for the next person to hurt you with, and just lies hidden till that time. Once healed you should be able to talk about the stuff in that post openly and freely as part of your past, how much you have learned from it, and though it was a bad time, how it was turned for the good in your life. God bless you. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2009, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-has-stolen-personal-info-from-this-board/501514/44 "2009-07-01T11:13:49Z")
I’m very sorry this happened to you, **solkoe**. I’d suggest first that you make sure your account is logged out of the classroom computer and you should change your password. You could also contact **TubaDiva** or another administrator about changing your username if you like. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2009, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-has-stolen-personal-info-from-this-board/501514/45 "2009-07-01T11:15:47Z")
> [@kanicbird](#): > > I have found that if someone can hurt you there is something that you can do that allowed it, a part of you that needs healing. I’m going to Hartlepool to buy some exploding trousers. ---
**Author:** ![ashman165](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e8cbc/32.png) [@ashman165](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ashman165)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2009, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-has-stolen-personal-info-from-this-board/501514/46 "2009-07-01T11:31:36Z")
> [@solkoe](#): > > I am a teacher and sometimes use the Straight Dope in the classroom as a teaching tool. Its fun to ask questions and look at the answers and discuss which posts are full of it and which aren’t. > Recently an student accessed personal info regarding my divorce from this board and posted it around the school. It had never occurred to me that a student only needs my username to access all my posts. Stupid me! > Even so, I have only one personal post on this whole board (what a geek). Well a student photocopied this and posted it on lockers around the school. Why they would want to hurt me or embarrass me, I don’t know. > I have my suspicions and have discussed it with my principal. She suggested that I involve the police. She’s not a very bright lady then. There is no criminal conduct here. > [@](#): > > I have not ruled that out. Please do before some cop feels the need to tape up your complaint and take it along to the next school board meeting to discuss your continuing employment. What pray tell would be the charge? A student told the truth about a situation you were involved in? Also, it’s of no moment that your family is involved. Presumably, they’re all aware of the situation anyway. > [@](#): > > Right now it is summer so it is more difficult to investigate but I have a long memory and September is not far away. Take this time to research the law and figure out why it isn’t illegal. > [@](#): > > I cannot blame anyone for reading my posts if they are a member. So, I guess you can blame me then since I’m _not_ a member; I’m a guest. > [@](#): > > That’s what the Dope is about. It was a mistake to allow students to see my username. Bored students with too much free time can make stupid mistakes. Apparently so can busy “educators”. It was no mistake to do what they did. It might be rude, but it’s certainly not a mistake to make known that which is public information. The mistake was entirely yours. > [@](#): > > I told my principal that I would not mind so much if it were just me. But to drag my innocent family into this. I’m steaming. > I was young once and have made my share of misjudgements. All I want is for the perps to see how hurtful their actions have been and to apologize. And they might not want to. In this case, their want trumps yours. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2009, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-has-stolen-personal-info-from-this-board/501514/47 "2009-07-01T11:57:53Z")
> [@ashman165](#): > > It was no mistake to do what they did. It might be rude, but it’s certainly not a mistake to make known that which is public information. The mistake was entirely yours. **solkoe** made a mistake, the student acted maliciously. ---
**Author:** ![Svejk\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@Svejk\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Svejk_1)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2009, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-has-stolen-personal-info-from-this-board/501514/48 "2009-07-01T12:09:57Z")
The way I get this is that this student is suspected of using **solkoe** ’s password to access her information. We cannot rule out, though, that one of **solkoe** ’s students became a member of this fine, fine board himself (or herself) and decided to access **solkoe** ’s profile to go through all her posts, and then found this particular one. If this happened, how is that even stealing? ---
**Author:** ![ashman165](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e8cbc/32.png) [@ashman165](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ashman165)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2009, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-has-stolen-personal-info-from-this-board/501514/49 "2009-07-01T12:11:00Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > **solkoe** made a mistake, the student acted maliciously. Your point? Acting with malice isn’t necessarily a mistake. Just being malicious isn’t illegal, or even actionable. I can spread all the truths about anyone I’d like without it being illegal, or without there even being grounds to sue me. To say whether it’s a mistake or not requires us getting in the minds of these unknown agents. I decline to speculate about why these unknown agents did what they did. There could be quite a few reasons why they did it, and for good reason. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2009, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-has-stolen-personal-info-from-this-board/501514/50 "2009-07-01T12:31:23Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > I’m very sorry this happened to you, **solkoe**. I’d suggest first that you make sure your account is logged out of the classroom computer and you should change your password. You could also contact **TubaDiva** or another administrator about changing your username if you like. But, as one’s old posts also then are under one’s user name, would that really help matters? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2009, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-has-stolen-personal-info-from-this-board/501514/51 "2009-07-01T12:59:24Z")
> [@ashman165](#): > > Acting with malice isn’t necessarily a mistake. What is your hangup on this mistake issue? I said it appears to have been deliberately malicious, which would mean it’s not a mistake. I did not comment about whether or not it’s an issue for the police, but it probably isn’t. I think **solkoe** was saying the student did not realize the potential consequences of what he or she did. But there are probably no consequences. It’s a mean-spirited prank and that’s probably all there is to it. It was a bad decision on **solkoe** ’s part to show his students a name he was using on a message board and devote classroom time to that. > [@](#): > > There could be quite a few reasons why they did it, and for good reason. Oh good, let’s please get into unrealistic hypotheticals. Perhaps the OP is a spy or an alien scout? > [@Guinastasia](#): > > But, as one’s old posts also then are under one’s user name, would that really help matters? If he also stops showing his posts so his students don’t know the new name, I think it would help some. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2009, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-has-stolen-personal-info-from-this-board/501514/52 "2009-07-01T13:22:51Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > How did they figure out it was you? Like, did you leave the browser open when you were still logged in as your name? Meh, nothing bad can ever come of that. ---
**Author:** ![dgrdfd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eb8c5e/32.png) [@dgrdfd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dgrdfd)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2009, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-has-stolen-personal-info-from-this-board/501514/53 "2009-07-01T13:23:25Z")
> [@Svejk\_1](#): > > The way I get this is that this student is suspected of using **solkoe** ’s password to access her information. I seriously doubt it. Whenever anything somewhat malicous happens on the internet everyone always pictures some sinister plot by an uber-elite hacker gaining their password information in some hi-tech way. In actuality, the OP probably had it open on his computer and a student walked by or he was showing it to the class and someone saw who he was logged in as and registered here and did a search. People around here have no idea how much information they give away. People discussing rapes and their relatives driving drunk and killing their sisters fiance, etc. It’s very easy to search and find out exactly where you live and who you are talking about. People just don’t realize the information they give away to anyone who cares to search and can use google. ---
**Author:** ![dgrdfd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eb8c5e/32.png) [@dgrdfd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dgrdfd)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2009, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-has-stolen-personal-info-from-this-board/501514/54 "2009-07-01T13:26:15Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > If he also stops showing his posts so his students don’t know the new name, I think it would help some. That would certainly help some, but they can bookmark this thread and see what the name changes to can’t they? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2009, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-has-stolen-personal-info-from-this-board/501514/55 "2009-07-01T13:37:29Z")
> [@dgrdfd](#): > > That would certainly help some, but they can bookmark this thread and see what the name changes to can’t they? You’re giving this kid a lot of credit. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2009, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-has-stolen-personal-info-from-this-board/501514/56 "2009-07-01T13:41:43Z")
> [@Svejk\_1](#): > > The way I get this is that this student is suspected of using **solkoe** ’s password to access her information. I don’t think that’s ever been implied. That is definitely not the implication when the OP said: > [@](#): > > It had never occurred to me that a student only needs my username to access all my posts. ---
**Author:** ![Amber\_in\_Treasury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc79bd/32.png) [@Amber\_in\_Treasury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amber_in_Treasury)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2009, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-has-stolen-personal-info-from-this-board/501514/57 "2009-07-01T13:42:31Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > You’re giving this kid a lot of credit. Well, maybe the kid is what the Irish call a “cute hoor”. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![ashman165](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e8cbc/32.png) [@ashman165](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ashman165)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2009, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-has-stolen-personal-info-from-this-board/501514/58 "2009-07-01T13:45:52Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > What is your hangup on this mistake issue? Because it might not have been a mistake. My point is that we don’t actually know what was going through whoever’s mind at the time, thus it’s all speculative. > [@](#): > > I said it appears to have been deliberately malicious, which would mean it’s not a mistake. I did not comment about whether or not it’s an issue for the police, but it probably isn’t. Nor did I say you said it was a matter for the police. But it was a topic in the OP, so I included it to cover my bases. > [@](#): > > Oh good, let’s please get into unrealistic hypotheticals. Perhaps the OP is a spy or an alien scout? How about if we just go with what I actually said: that I decline to speculate about their reasons. I find curious, though, that your first instinct is to divine some alien theory or spy theory. My point entirely was that since we don’t know why they did what they did, or even anything much about the teacher in question, it’s rank speculation. Your first thoughts tend to support my claim. I suppose it’s hard for you to conceive there might be good reasons whoever did this which don’t include the absurd. > [@](#): > > If he also stops showing his posts so his students don’t know the new name, I think it would help some. This is more speculation. We have no reason to believe that it was even _students_ who did this. While they’re a good candidate, so too would be coworkers. It’s not as though the courts are light in cases decrying hostile work environments. Either conclusion though (well, a presupposition on your part) is rank speculation. As I said, I decline to speculate about their (whoever _they_ are) motives, or even who they are. It’s simply immaterial. What’s your hangup about my having pointed out that it’s not a safe bet to presume that because some people disagree with the action that it’s necessarily a mistake? It would seem rather self-evident. But then again, your first instinct is to read aliens into the matter. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2009, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-has-stolen-personal-info-from-this-board/501514/59 "2009-07-01T14:11:37Z")
> [@ashman165](#): > > Because it might not have been a mistake. And? As you said yourself, this is really not relevant. > [@](#): > > We have no reason to believe that it was even _students_ who did this. While they’re a good candidate, so too would be coworkers. I think that seems unlikely. It’s more the kind of thing a kid does, and we don’t know if any of the OP’s coworkers know about this in the first place. > [@](#): > > What’s your hangup about my having pointed out that it’s not a safe bet to presume that because some people disagree with the action that it’s necessarily a mistake? My hangup is that the point itself is unimportant, and that you’re dragging the thread off-topic. ---
**Author:** ![BiblioCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BiblioCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BiblioCat)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2009, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-has-stolen-personal-info-from-this-board/501514/60 "2009-07-01T14:15:29Z")
> [@Svejk\_1](#): > > The way I get this is that this student is suspected of using **solkoe** ’s password to access her information. We cannot rule out, though, that one of **solkoe** ’s students became a member of this fine, fine board himself (or herself) and decided to access **solkoe** ’s profile to go through all her posts, and then found this particular one. If this happened, how is that even stealing? This is what I was thinking. The student couldn’t search without registering on the board, right? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-has-stolen-personal-info-from-this-board/501514.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-has-stolen-personal-info-from-this-board/501514.md?page=4)