Am I the only one that is paranoid? I would never put my picture or my family's pictures on this site. If someone orders a book from me, they have my address. If they have seen my picture and want to do something bad, they have no problem finding me or my children. What do you think?

I love seeing the pictures of all your children, pets and you, but I worry.

I've been on the web for about 15 years and have never posted my own picture on any site. Thank goodness for my dog.

I did have my son, but I recently changed it to my cat.

I don't have an avatar - I wish I did because they are more interesting and make others look interesting.  You can put things just like you have and it really serves the same purpose.  I wouldn't put my  picture up nor those of my family members just because.  I doubt that any danger from people on the internet is increased by doing so, though.  More important is the information you give out (sometimes unconsciously) in posts on the forums.  Personally, I prefer to look at the dog pictures or gif's or other impersonal type pictures.  I just feel that my posts are like having no personal interest at all.

Ruth

Ruth,

funny, but I don't really notice when someone doesn't have avatars or photos, but I do when they have all that crazy flashing stuff. Makes me dizzy..... It's a real b...ch getting old.

I agree, Rebecca!  They give me headaches!  For a long while I had all that turned off after trying to "cover that part of a post up so I coudln't see it.  Now I just have it so I don't see the signatures (which is a bummer) and apparently most of the blinking ones don't blink for me any more.

Ruth

I make all of the avatars I use with photoshop.  My duck slippers avatar is a spoof on the VanGogh "Shoes" painting: i2.photobucket.com/albums/y4/rubberducky102760/011907_van-gogh-shoes.jpg  I have a Mona Lisa holding a rubberducky avatar that I didn't actually do myself, but after I found that one just randomly web surfing, I started making my own.

Just because you're paranoid, doesn't mean that someone is not out to get you.

No - I've never worried one minute about it.   I don't have pictures right now of my family on here but I have had.    The chances are so slim of anything happening that I simply am not going to worry about it.             I think there is more danger to me from someone in my own hometown or someone I already know.   After all, they only have to look in the phone book to get my address.

I'm with Cozi.  I've been involved with online communications since long before there was an Internet, and I also know a thing or two about Internet security.  My address is pretty easy to find, and so are my photos, and other information.  I'm not going to worry myself over what someone online might "do" with this information any more than I'm going to worry about the clerk at the store who looks at my ID when I cash a check.

I don't mind putting up a picture of my pets but I don't like posting my own picture.  I rarely post a picture of myself anywhere online.  Don't feel the need to put that out there and who wants to see it anyway?

You can turn off the blinkies and signature pictures but still leave text signatures visible.  I did that right from the start, the blinking things give me migraines.

I don't worry about it too much, either.  BTW, if you hit the Esc key on your keyboard, you can stop the flashing, but you'll have to do it for each page.

Thank you Thank yoyu for letting me know how to stop everything from blinking!!!!

I can't wait til someone shows up at my doorstep looking for a dancing banana! Boy, are they in for a surprise...I'm really a lumpy brown root vegetable! :-D

Cheryl (not a big worrier about much of anything)

What about the folks with their whole name?   You do not have to be a member to read the forums.   At least to send me a book you have to be a member with a listed record off at the PBS computer.   No photo of me, no whole name until you mail me a book.  (My photo is from my garden.)  

Emily,

You do have to be a member to view or post in CMT, the PBS Chapters forum or Games.