# 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:** 6
**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, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-has-stolen-personal-info-from-this-board/501514/101 "2009-07-01T22:29:57Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > And? As you said yourself, this is really not relevant. Cite? I know you prefer wild ass guesses and to just make things up, but if you’re going to ascribe to me something then cite it. Particularly when it’s patently counterfactual. > [@](#): > > 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. Um, are you confused. I said specifically that courts aren’t exactly lacking in the hostile work environment. I didn’t go into detail because reading all the pleadings to determine the instant causes is well beyond my desire. Moreover, I said that kids are a good candidate for being the culprits. But so too would be coworkers. As I’ve said, and as you clearly haven’t yet understood: _it is all speculative_. Why you won’t accept that your dumb ideas are speculation, rank and base as all get out, is beyond me. Then again, you’re the one who immediately sees aliens as a logical candidate. This sounds much about your mind (doesn’t) work. > [@](#): > > My hangup is that the point itself is unimportant, and that you’re dragging the thread off-topic. Then it would seem you aren’t really tracking the topic too well. The topic is someone has stolen personal info from this board. Which was then narrowed to students have done it, from which it’s been that it’s a mistake, and possibly illegal. If the topics OP mentions in her OP aren’t fair game for discussion, one is curious why there’s a message board at all. Or, you know, you could step back and think for half a moment. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2009, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-has-stolen-personal-info-from-this-board/501514/102 "2009-07-02T00:03:50Z")
> [@ashman165](#): > > The topic is someone has stolen personal info from this board. Which was then narrowed to students have done it, from which it’s been that it’s a mistake, and possibly illegal. Three points on that: 1. The information isn’t “stolen.” It’s sitting here on a publicly-accessible, Google-indexed message board on the Internet. 2. The “mistake” wasn’t taking personal information from the board. The mistake was when the OP gave students his user name on this board when there was personal information sitting here. 3. Taking information and putting it up on lockers was obnoxious, rude, and juvenile. I haven’t seen any indication that it was “illegal.” ---
**Author:** ![ashman165](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e8cbc/32.png) [@ashman165](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ashman165)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2009, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-has-stolen-personal-info-from-this-board/501514/103 "2009-07-02T00:14:58Z")
> [@InvisibleWombat](#): > > Three points on that: > > 1. The information isn’t “stolen.” It’s sitting here on a publicly-accessible, Google-indexed message board on the Internet. > > 2. The “mistake” wasn’t taking personal information from the board. The mistake was when the OP gave students his user name on this board when there was personal information sitting here. > > 3. Taking information and putting it up on lockers was obnoxious, rude, and juvenile. I haven’t seen any indication that it was “illegal.” I was merely delineating what the topic was about as started to remind our fair moderator that despite his assertions, discussing what the OP put into the mix isn’t taking the thread off topic. Indeed, it’s hard to imagine how discussing the points in OP is off topic. Then again, my first response isn’t to read aliens into a matter as a likely cause. It isn’t illegal. ---
**Author:** ![Zhen\_ka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecccb3/32.png) [@Zhen\_ka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zhen_ka)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2009, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-has-stolen-personal-info-from-this-board/501514/104 "2009-07-02T06:12:15Z")
> [@InvisibleWombat](#): > > While we do have forensic tools available, please remember that real life isn’t CSI. It might (_might_) be possible to determine what computer was used to post a particular message, but it would be near impossible to prove who was using it. And when it comes to determining who was just reading and printing a thread, that would be an almost hopeless endeavor–especially since they probably weren’t logged in at the time. > > NOTE: Performing that kind of forensic analysis on our users is sometimes required for rooting out spammers and trolls, but we do not make this information public. The SDMB powers that be would be highly unlikely to do that research or analysis for someone else unless compelled to by subpoena. ( **snip** ) Are you fucking kidding me? CSI-shit? Forensic tools? Take yourselves too seriously much? Solkoe posted a message here. Because he clearly can’t teach, he used this message board as a teaching aid. Some kids figured out he got divorced. Big whoop. Flyers on lockers. Wow. Epic pain, I’m sure. All he had to say was, oh, well… nothing. Especially since no one would have noticed. Been around kids lately? Your wife left you. Hope she took your kids. Wahhhh… Have some dignity. Oh, and Invisible Wombat…Haven’t we all had enough of the threats? What with Tubadiva posting addresses (and being suspended for it) and Lynn posting locations… Enough. As has been demonstrated in the past, it doesn’t take a subpoena for the administrators and moderators of this message board to use their CSI techniques to look up information on members and to POST IT!! ---
**Author:** ![ashman165](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e8cbc/32.png) [@ashman165](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ashman165)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2009, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-has-stolen-personal-info-from-this-board/501514/105 "2009-07-02T06:27:02Z")
> [@Zhen\_ka](#): > > ( **snip** ) > Oh, and Invisible Wombat…Haven’t we all had enough of the threats? What with Tubadiva posting addresses (and being suspended for it) and Lynn posting locations… Hrm. I’m new here. Is there a cite for this I could mull over? It gives me pause to think that someone who’s previously decided to use his/her position here to intentionally cause problems for people. What’s the scoop? ---
**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 2, 2009, 9:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-has-stolen-personal-info-from-this-board/501514/106 "2009-07-02T09:06:24Z")
Storm in a teacup, over and done with, sometimes people fuck up. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2009, 9:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-has-stolen-personal-info-from-this-board/501514/107 "2009-07-02T09:32:50Z")
> [@](#): > > **dgfrd** : 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. Since I was the one who posted the information about a relative driving while intoxicated and killing his sister’s fiance, I can tell you that you have made an assumption when you say “People around here have no idea how much information they give away.” I have made it very clear over the seven years that I have been participating that I live in Nashville and what my personal history is all the way back to WWII. If I’ve kept any major secrets back, I don’t know what they would be. Several people know my real name, although I hope they will keep that confidential. And there are people who know where I live. I’ve met several Dopers. Take it or leave it, it’s all out in the open. I suspect that you were just checking to see if I was being truthful and you found out that I was. No offense taken. ---
**Author:** ![ashman165](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e8cbc/32.png) [@ashman165](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ashman165)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2009, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-has-stolen-personal-info-from-this-board/501514/108 "2009-07-02T10:46:29Z")
Well, it might be over and done with, and yes people fuck up, but one wonders about the integrity of the staff if they knowingly disclose things they oughtn’t simply because, well, I can’t think of a reason which is good. Granted, there’s no great expectation of privacy as the board is public, but for a member of the staff to take advantage of their position and cause someone grief gives me serious pause about their character. However, I was interested in reading some cite on it so that I can see if there’s some reason which would make it acceptable to me, of course assuming that the claim is accurate. The whole “people fuck up” thing is a copout. Yes, people fuck up, but we are the sum total of our actions, for better or worse. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2009, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-has-stolen-personal-info-from-this-board/501514/109 "2009-07-02T11:07:33Z")
> [@Zhen\_ka](#): > > Your wife left you. Hope she took your kids. Wahhhh… > > Have some dignity. Consider this a formal warning, **Zhen’ka**. Don’t be a jerk. > [@ashman165](#): > > Hrm. I’m new here. Is there a cite for this I could mull over? It gives me pause to think that someone who’s previously decided to use his/her position here to intentionally cause problems for people. We’re not rehashing this years-old garbage in here, thanks. ---
**Author:** ![ashman165](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e8cbc/32.png) [@ashman165](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ashman165)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2009, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-has-stolen-personal-info-from-this-board/501514/110 "2009-07-02T11:18:51Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > We’re not rehashing this years-old garbage in here, thanks. I see. Well, I guess that says everything. One wonders why it is you’re free to insult anyone whom you choose with directed names; however, you’re admonishing someone in this thread for merely attacking an argument. Again, I guess that really says it all. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2009, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-has-stolen-personal-info-from-this-board/501514/111 "2009-07-02T11:19:57Z")
> [@ashman165](#): > > Cite? You want me to cite that your tangent is a tangent? Would you care to explain how that’s possible? > [@](#): > > As I’ve said, and as you clearly haven’t yet understood: _it is all speculative_. Yes, it is. > [@](#): > > Then again, you’re the one who immediately sees aliens as a logical candidate. This sounds much about your mind (doesn’t) work. You took that obvious joke seriously? I was attempting to imagine a “good reason” someone might have taped his personal story around the school. > [@](#): > > The topic is someone has stolen personal info from this board. Which was then narrowed to students have done it, from which it’s been that it’s a mistake, and possibly illegal. I got the impression from **solkoe** ’s last post that he was not planning to go to the police. In theory, maybe there would be a hostile work environment case if this was done by a coworker. Based on the little we do know, there’s no particular reason to consider it as a possibility. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2009, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-has-stolen-personal-info-from-this-board/501514/112 "2009-07-02T14:40:02Z")
> [@solkoe](#): > > The student who posted that info in the school erred in judgement. The student is a kid. You are an adult. Both of you did something foolish, but one of you is expected to be more accountable for your actions than the other. Moreover, the kid certainly did nothing illegal or otherwise worthy of police involvement. [QUOTE=Zhen’ka] Your wife left you. Hope she took your kids. Wahhhh… [/QUOTE] Wow. That was low. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2009, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-has-stolen-personal-info-from-this-board/501514/113 "2009-07-02T14:43:20Z")
> [@ashman165](#): > > One wonders why it is you’re free to insult anyone whom you choose with directed names I haven’t insulted you. If you have further comments or complaints about moderation, please take them out of this thread and start a discussion in ATMB. ---
**Author:** ![SmellMyWort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SmellMyWort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmellMyWort)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2009, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-has-stolen-personal-info-from-this-board/501514/114 "2009-07-02T16:28:05Z")
**ashman165** , you seem to be interpreting ‘mistake’ as stictly “something done by accident.” I don’t think anyone here is arguing that the student didn’t mean to do what he/she did. The OP seemed to use ‘mistake’ in the sense that the student made an error in judgment that he/she might regret upon: a) getting found out and punished, b) realized it was a jerk thing to do and feeling bad, or c) getting ass kicked by students who like this teacher and are pissed that he won’t use the SDMB in class any more. > [@ashman165](#): > > 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. Really. I’d like to know what reasons you think warrant posting personal info about someone around the school. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2009, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-has-stolen-personal-info-from-this-board/501514/115 "2009-07-02T17:42:56Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > As Spock said to Kirk in the movie with the whales, that’s “Double Dumbass” on you. Nitpick: Nuh-uh! Kirk et. al. were walking across traffic and a motorist called JTK a dumbass. Kirk, like the trueblue professional intergalactic sailor he is, responded coolly, “Well, a double dumb ass on you!” Spock requested an explanation later on whereon he was briefed on the significance of “colorful metaphor” in 20th century communication. He demonstrated his acumen with this new finding later on when Kirk inquired, “Spock, where the hell’s the power you promised?” by answering with, “One damn minute, Admiral.” What? Stop staring at me! ---
**Author:** ![ashman165](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e8cbc/32.png) [@ashman165](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ashman165)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2009, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-has-stolen-personal-info-from-this-board/501514/116 "2009-07-03T00:29:53Z")
> [@SmellMyWort](#): > > **ashman165** , you seem to be interpreting ‘mistake’ as stictly “something done by accident.” I don’t think anyone here is arguing that the student didn’t mean to do what he/she did. The OP seemed to use ‘mistake’ in the sense that the student made an error in judgment that he/she might regret upon: a) getting found out and punished, b) realized it was a jerk thing to do and feeling bad, or c) getting ass kicked by students who like this teacher and are pissed that he won’t use the SDMB in class any more. I think it isn’t just an “accident”. But I think that it’s a bit naive to think that your outcomes are the only ones possible. Even if c is true, it doesn’t follow that the consequence isn’t worth the endeavor to the actor in question, which you seem to think _must_ have been a student. There’s no particular reason to automatically think it was a student. Might it have been a student? Sure. They’re a fair guess. But it’s still a guess. Really. I’d like to know what reasons you think warrant posting personal info about someone around the school. [/QUOTE] It doesn’t matter what I think is a good reason since I’m not the actor in the issue. It only matters what the actor thinks was a good reason; divining that is the very embodiment of speculation. ---
**Author:** ![ashman165](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e8cbc/32.png) [@ashman165](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ashman165)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2009, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-has-stolen-personal-info-from-this-board/501514/117 "2009-07-03T00:31:02Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > I haven’t insulted you. If you have further comments or complaints about moderation, please take them out of this thread and start a discussion in ATMB. Please cite where I said you insulted me? I would appreciate it if you wouldn’t imply I’ve said things I haven’t. I generally choose my words quite carefully such that what I say is typically precisely what I mean. The issue, any careful read would show, wasn’t about your moderating; it was about you spewing invectives at a person. Irrespective of whether you’re a moderator, you certainly aren’t entitled on the one hand to warn others for the same conduct you yourself partake in. ---
**Author:** ![Yeticus\_Rex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a698b9/32.png) [@Yeticus\_Rex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeticus_Rex)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2009, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-has-stolen-personal-info-from-this-board/501514/118 "2009-07-03T01:25:36Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > > [@Zhen'ka](#): > > > > Your wife left you. Hope she took your kids. Wahhhh… > > Wow. That was low. Maybe the same kid hacked **Zhen’ka’s** account. That would explain a lot. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2009, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-has-stolen-personal-info-from-this-board/501514/119 "2009-07-03T03:48:23Z")
> [@Zhen\_ka](#): > > ( **snip** ) > > Are you fucking kidding me? CSI-shit? Forensic tools? > > Take yourselves too seriously much? No, I’m not kidding you. In fact, I wasn’t even talking to you. He talked about tracking down who pulled the information from his thread on SDMB and posted it on lockers in the school. I was explaining what can and can’t be done. What’s your problem? > [@Zhen\_ka](#): > > Oh, and Invisible Wombat…Haven’t we all had enough of the threats? What on earth are you talking about? What threats? ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/57b2e6/32.png) [@Quasimodal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodal)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2009, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-has-stolen-personal-info-from-this-board/501514/120 "2009-07-03T19:02:44Z")
I side with the teacher with this, and fear for myself because I’ve done some of the same things as the OP but have not given out my user identity and i teach a much younger set of kids who could barely read all the information on this site. I think I might change my profile information to hide my location after reading this in case those crazy kids put together the information somehow. I’ll just post some of my thoughts on the thread as I’ve read so far. 1. A teacher can use any means as a resource. I’ve done some polls here on the dope to help me make some teaching decisions. It’s a great tool. Just because we have a degree in teaching doesn’t mean we magically know everything about any given topic, it’s lifelong learning in our profession. 2. The OP really was asking for it by giving out her username. Still the kid should be punished for posting it all over the school. If you don’t think thats wrong, I could go all over this board and find out names of people on here, make a website and post all the scandulous information on it. Just because public information is on here it doesn’t give people liscenses to be jerks with it. 3. My thoughts are that these incidents are going to be a lot more common in teaching and the workplace in general. There are so many pictures out there on facebook and myspace, and information from blogs, newspapers, youtube, etc that its not going to be hard for employers or clients to dig up information on people. I know I am on at least two music websites, I have a video of myself performing on youtube (from an unapproved source), and that I have some rather absurd pictures of myself on facebook as taken by people who I don’t really know too well. I’m hoping that society as a whole will eventually realize that our lives are increasingly more public, warts and all, and that we just accept it. I’ve posted alot of personal information on here about my bouts of depression, but in all honesty when I was at my worst this place was my last resort for communication with caring people. I like to think some of the communication on here helped me through a time when I had suicidal thoughts. Should I have not posted on here? I know I’m glad I did. 4. Attacks on teachers for spelling mistakes on a public / informal board is petty at best. Yeesh, get a better argument. 5. I just noticed that the last page was a large pissing contest. I hope to stay out of it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-has-stolen-personal-info-from-this-board/501514.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/someone-has-stolen-personal-info-from-this-board/501514.md?page=7)