# What are things people share on the SDMB that they probably shouldn't share online? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 13, 2014, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-things-people-share-on-the-sdmb-that-they-probably-shouldnt-share-online/707126 "2014-12-13T15:22:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tuxie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ee59a6/32.png) [@Tuxie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuxie)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-things-people-share-on-the-sdmb-that-they-probably-shouldnt-share-online/707126/1 "2014-12-13T15:22:12Z")
I’m not taking about being gross, but instead details about their personal life. There was another thread that mentioned people getting in trouble through Facebook. When someone feels like they are anonymous , they tend to be even more candid. Many people here seem both very serious about their privacy online yet talk at length about personal matters involving their co workers, family, and friends. What are some things people post that make you think, “She probably shouldn’t have posted that” / “I wonder what that person’s boyfriend/boss/kid would think if they knew who this person was in real life” ---
**Author:** ![Octarine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/22d042/32.png) [@Octarine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octarine)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-things-people-share-on-the-sdmb-that-they-probably-shouldnt-share-online/707126/2 "2014-12-13T16:15:12Z")
Almost all of the drive-by postings involve really weird, specific romantic events which, if they were true, would be stupid to put online. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-things-people-share-on-the-sdmb-that-they-probably-shouldnt-share-online/707126/3 "2014-12-13T17:07:20Z")
I’ve posted about my leanings toward agnosticism, and my pot use, here at the SDMB. If either of those things got out on Facebook, I’d lose about half of my friends that I used to go to church with, and my mom would be dead of shame before she hit the floor. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-things-people-share-on-the-sdmb-that-they-probably-shouldnt-share-online/707126/4 "2014-12-13T17:10:34Z")
> [@Octarine](#): > > Almost all of the drive-by postings involve really weird, specific romantic events which, if they were true, would be stupid to put online. Either that or weird, specific criminal activity, which, ditto. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-things-people-share-on-the-sdmb-that-they-probably-shouldnt-share-online/707126/5 "2014-12-13T17:13:33Z")
I, for one, am baffled by the number of people who admit to using marijuana or other illegal drugs online. Especially considering the overlap between those people and people who believe the government is reading and monitoring everything they say online. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-things-people-share-on-the-sdmb-that-they-probably-shouldnt-share-online/707126/6 "2014-12-13T17:15:14Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > I’ve posted about my leanings toward agnosticism, and my pot use, here at the SDMB. If either of those things got out on Facebook, I’d lose about half of my friends that I used to go to church with, and my mom would be dead of shame before she hit the floor. I’ve mentioned my atheism (praise Athe) and cannabis use, but everyone who knows me in real life knows about it. OTOH, I’ve shared stories about stupid things my friends have done, and it would likely hurt them to know. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-things-people-share-on-the-sdmb-that-they-probably-shouldnt-share-online/707126/7 "2014-12-13T17:21:17Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > I, for one, am baffled by the number of people who admit to using marijuana or other illegal drugs online. > > Especially considering the overlap between those people and people who believe the government is reading and monitoring everything they say online. Admitting using marijauna, which I have done here, isn’t going to even raise an eyebrow of local, state, or federal law enforcement. Saying you’ve got 150 plants in your garage could theoretically come np back to bite you. Even then, I’d be shocked if anything happened. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-things-people-share-on-the-sdmb-that-they-probably-shouldnt-share-online/707126/8 "2014-12-13T17:29:29Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > Admitting using marijauna, which I have done here, isn’t going to even raise an eyebrow of local, state, or federal law enforcement. Saying you’ve got 150 plants in your garage could theoretically come np back to bite you. Even then, I’d be shocked if anything happened. Indeed. I’ve participated in cannabis forums where _everyone_ discussed their drug use. The DEA would have to hire thousands and devote nearly the entire jurisprudence system to their efforts if they wanted shit to get real. I was on Overgrow when they took down the site! ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-things-people-share-on-the-sdmb-that-they-probably-shouldnt-share-online/707126/9 "2014-12-13T17:41:12Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Indeed. I’ve participated in cannabis forums where _everyone_ discussed their drug use. The DEA would have to hire thousands and devote nearly the entire jurisprudence system to their efforts if they wanted shit to get real. I was on Overgrow when they took down the site! I wanted to find a site where they discussed odd side effects from cannabis, are you aware of any? I do know from experience that one side effect is posting while under the influence. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-things-people-share-on-the-sdmb-that-they-probably-shouldnt-share-online/707126/10 "2014-12-13T17:49:51Z")
> [@HoneyBadgerDC](#): > > I wanted to find a site where they discussed odd side effects from cannabis, are you aware of any? I do know from experience that one side effect is posting while under the influence. I’m hesitant to post links to specific sites, but PM should work… ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-things-people-share-on-the-sdmb-that-they-probably-shouldnt-share-online/707126/11 "2014-12-13T18:33:35Z")
Message boards IMHO have the potential to be way more dangerous than Twitter or Facebook. It’s my understanding that once you post something on Twitter/Facebook, it doesn’t necessarily stick around for very long. Someone doing a google search isn’t necessarily going to find you talking shit about them if it was posted five years ago. But the content of a message board sticks around on the internet for a long time. A poster’s history is readily available to anyone who registers an account. I always have in the back of my mind the possibility that my boss may one day become a Doper. Like any newbie, he may start a thread asking if there are any Dopers who live in his city. If I post to that thread and he looks at my post history (just to see if we have any common interests, let’s say), would he be able to tell that I’m his employee? Probably, because I know I’ve shared some specific information here (including my picture). This possibility concerns me because I’d prefer to keep my personal life outside of work. But it doesn’t frighten me, since I know I haven’t said anything that would be too embarrassing–not anything that would warrant me being fired. But not saying anything that would warrant being fired doesn’t actually mean jack shit. Theoretically, my boss could fire me for any reason he wants to since I live in an at-will state (though as a government employee, I do have some protections). If a person can legally fire someone for almost any reason they want, then potentially anything you say on a message board (or anywhere else) can be grounds for dismissal. So with that standard in mind, most of us have probably shared too much. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-things-people-share-on-the-sdmb-that-they-probably-shouldnt-share-online/707126/12 "2014-12-13T19:33:45Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > Message boards IMHO have the potential to be way more dangerous than Twitter or Facebook. It’s my understanding that once you post something on Twitter/Facebook, it doesn’t necessarily stick around for very long. Someone doing a google search isn’t necessarily going to find you talking shit about them if it was posted five years ago. Even looking at what is easily accessible to mere mortals (I would not be surprised if Facebook itself has tricks up its collective sleeve that they don’t tell mortals about) what you post on Facebook will at the very least hang around until you delete it (check your own timeline if you have been a user for many years). If somebody “shares” a post then a copy will hang around on that person’s timeline until that person deletes it (if ever). And so on… ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-things-people-share-on-the-sdmb-that-they-probably-shouldnt-share-online/707126/13 "2014-12-13T23:00:06Z")
Posters often request legal advice in this forum, and from time to time it’s over something real (not a hypothetical question) and potentially serious shit. More than once, such posters have been advised to STFU and not post anything more about it here. ---
**Author:** ![Crazy\_Canuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crazy_canuck/32/5282_2.png) [@Crazy\_Canuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crazy_Canuck)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2014, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-things-people-share-on-the-sdmb-that-they-probably-shouldnt-share-online/707126/14 "2014-12-13T23:54:50Z")
Echoing what Senegoid said, if at any point you are involved in something that makes you need a lawyer, don’t post anything related to that subject online. Trust me, you’re not as anonymous as you think. I’d explain why, but I’m under legal advice to never talk about it until the statute of limitations runs out. ---
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2014, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-things-people-share-on-the-sdmb-that-they-probably-shouldnt-share-online/707126/15 "2014-12-14T02:28:23Z")
> [@Mithrander](#): > > … > I’d explain why, but I’m under legal advice to never talk about it until the statute of limitations runs out. The problem is, for some, that the Statute of Limitations NEVER runs out on Stupidity. In some cases, it even outlives the carrier - a damned good trick! :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Becky2844](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Becky2844](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Becky2844)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2014, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-things-people-share-on-the-sdmb-that-they-probably-shouldnt-share-online/707126/16 "2014-12-14T02:57:34Z")
Luckily I don’t have anything to hide or an employer to find the (non) information. I have no filter between my synapses and tongue. (I’ve worked on restraint; sometimes I’m able.) Sometimes that makes me quick-witted, sometimes an asshole, sometimes an idiot but it’s all the same whether real life or the internet. If a real life boss came to me about a post I’d made they would 1) already have heard it and 2) know I’d tell them to… That’s why I would never have a Twitter account. I don’t even have a cell phone but if I posted my every thought people would come together to kill me for my own good. (Well, I’ve heard it gets a lot of people in trouble.) ---
**Author:** ![Tuxie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ee59a6/32.png) [@Tuxie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuxie)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2014, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-things-people-share-on-the-sdmb-that-they-probably-shouldnt-share-online/707126/17 "2014-12-15T18:14:06Z")
Recently there have been many odd posts in this particular sub forum. A guy wanting to snitch on some family for putting their son in a good school. Another guy having an affair with a subordinate. Yet another person who wants to tattle on a co worker with a long rap sheet. It makes me curious to think of what might happen if their peers knew what they were posting! ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2014, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-things-people-share-on-the-sdmb-that-they-probably-shouldnt-share-online/707126/18 "2014-12-15T18:28:43Z")
> [@Tuxie](#): > > It makes me curious to think of what might happen if their peers knew what they were posting! Its not uncommon for folks “with long rap sheets” to initiate real-world beat-downs. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-things-people-share-on-the-sdmb-that-they-probably-shouldnt-share-online/707126/19 "2014-12-16T10:01:18Z")
And then, there was this poster who told us all what he likes to do with sheep . . . ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-things-people-share-on-the-sdmb-that-they-probably-shouldnt-share-online/707126/20 "2014-12-16T17:09:43Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > I, for one, am baffled by the number of people who admit to using marijuana or other illegal drugs online. > > Especially considering the overlap between those people and people who believe the government is reading and monitoring everything they say online. I like that you write from a state where maryj is legal. Don’t keep up on local news? 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-things-people-share-on-the-sdmb-that-they-probably-shouldnt-share-online/707126.md?page=2)