Crossdressing Paranoia + your online footprint

[jenny_geek72]

In the modern world of facebook, twitter, and the internet in general, do any of you have a fear of someone discovering you by chance online?

I am naturally paranoid of my little hobby and I have that fear of having someone I know run across one of my online profiles. Since I am still closeted and I believe NOBODY knows about Jenny, I have a fear of someone I know running across a picture of Jenny and somehow put two and two together. Even though there would be slim chance of that happening, there is still a chance (I've seen and heard of weirder internet crossings happen).

For those of you that are still closeted, do you have a large online footprint? As the username hints, I am a geek at heart and want to utilize many of the social websites to network more but at the same time, I want to keep the "evidence" down to a minimum.

Any advice/suggestions? Am I being too paranoid?

[luludoll]

If you're worried about getting discovered the don't use social networks, you have to be comfortable enough if your personas are discovered. Definitely don't friend your two personas xP

lulu only has an msn account, everything else my guy-side has xP

[brassieres]

I have a little concern, but not really since I have not used my real name here and have been a little vague with my profile.

[Brenda2246]

I agree with Lulu Doll "don't friend your two personas". Other than that how would they find you, and if the did what are they doing looking at Cross Dresser web sites! LOL Just enjoy, after all girls just want to have fun! Right? Hugs Brenda

[Sarah Jane]

I've created a separate windows user account* and an alternative email address. I also don't post pictures of my face unless I'm convinced makeup and hair make me unrecognizable for the average person. I try to keep image backgrounds as neutral as possible.

I don't have separate accounts for online shops though since they need my real name and address anyway. I also do the shopping from the main windows account specifically because those shops have my address and nothing on the "sarah jane" account is supposed to contain that information. Sure it's not perfect, but there's really nothing wrong with buying female clothes as a guy - after all it might be for my girlfriend.

* If you want to do that too and are on WinXP, make sure you create an unrestricted, non-passworded account first, log into that one, set a password from within that account and confirm that the account's files should be private, log back to your main account and then restrict the new account to normal user. Otherwise files from the new account will be accessible for everyone, since xp doesn't give you the privacy dialog window when you create the account directly with a password.

[Danni Bear]

Jenny,

you are correct to be somewhat paranoid about your identity. there are unscroplous people everywhere targeting everybody in order to enrich themselves.

that being said, there are no 100% secure sites on the internet,especially any of the social networks. people do get found on everyone of them daily. even not linking accounts from any of them together,your activity online can be traced to any site you visit. All anyone needs to do this is the proper software and a desire to track you. will this happen to most people, no as most are not worth the effort or expense. stores and online merchants routinally keep every visitor on their site monitored for a period of time as that enables them to target ads specifically to individuals rather than blanket ads online.

danni

[Suzette Muguet de Mai]

Sarah Jane, is the user account and password within accounts in the control panel of winXP and not in an email account or network account? If one checks out any communications can they check your computer details like main user/administrators name? I named my PC a guys name and have since changed it to a non gender name in case they check and see arghhh a guys name.

[Tanya C]

Frankly, my only online footprint is through this site, and I wouldn't have any problem if my association with cd.com was discovered by most people I know. This is because there is a lack of pornographic or obscene content on this site for which I give the moderators a great deal of credit. They have done a great job in preventing cd.com from degenerating into a sex site.
This is one of the reasons I became a member. You see, if people I do business with found out that I was a member here it wouldn't be a big deal (or surprise). But any association with a porno site could be devastating.
At least, that's the way I see it.

[Karren H]

I'm not parinoid. And I am spread all over the web.... And through Facebook fan pages, even have been discussed about on the air on Sirius radio and chat online with DJ's on a numbert of programs as Karren the married guy from Western PA who crossdresses... And personally I don't care... If I bump into someone that knows the male me fine. I have made so many great female friends through facebook that accept me for who I am... I'm still amazed at the level of acceptance there is when you get one one one with people. They find we are just as normal as they are.

[eluuzion]

Am I being too paranoid?

Paranoid refers to being concerned about a threat when there is no concrete evidence to prove any real threat exists.

So no, you are not paranoid. Taking protective measures or engaging counter-measures to neutralize or safeguard your personally identifiable information and sensitive data from threats that actually exist is simply using common sense measures to address the realities of today's world. Safety requires more than locking your doors and windows now, contrary to what many people choose to believe.

It is virtually "impossible" to become "invisible" by starting today. But if you started over 10 years ago as I did...you can come pretty close. What you definitely can do is minimize the access points to your data by protecting the doors that lead to it, as well as producing as much disinformation as you possibly can.

"not doing anything wrong" is irrelevant. Just ask anyone who has had their identity stolen if they believe in that kind of logic...lol

If you want to take your privacy seriously, this will give you some BASIC knowledge. (the emphasis being on Basic)

http://billstclair.com/matrix/

One of the keys to online privacy is to never, ever cross-post between two identities in any way, even in the style and structure of your posts on various forums and such. Never join Facebook, MySpace or similar networking sites, or own a "smartphone", if you expect to maintain any hope of privacy.

One tip that can have a tremendous impact on the ability to "find you" is to use initials (last third of the alphabet) as a first name and a common name for a last name. Such as "S. Smith". Try a google search with that name and see how many results you get, lol. I have used initials for my first name in real life for so long now that I barely remember what my real first name is, lol. I can guarantee most of my friends and aquaintances could not tell you what it is!

just a thought...

[SallyS]

I did worry a bit when I posted a few images here, but to be honest my mother has known about it for years, so I'm sure most of my family do as well, we just don't talk about it?

I work from home so don't have work colleagues to worry about either.

I've got to an age where I don't really care what people think, but would still like to protect my children from any 'aggro' they might get if a school friend sees my 'other' self on-line.

So all I can say is don't go overboard if your worried about it.....but do keep on-line as it is a great place to be with other people who like to cross-dress

[Kate Simmons]

Only that if you are afraid to get your feet wet, you will never get in the pool and swim.

[MichelleP]

It is my biggest and worst fear. My real world footprint in video and televison media is by no means large but if I were somehow outed by posting an en femme photo on the internet it would mean my job and for all intents and purposes my career. Most of my family know and some of my close friends know that I am transgendered but NONE of the people I work with know. (although to be frank, I believe some women I work with suspect this) It is the only reason I am so reluctant to post a picture here.

[Stephanie Anne]

Wait, why would I be ashamed of someone finding my online persona? Then again my online persona is my real life persona. I guess the fear of getting fired, evicted, dumped, divorced, beat, killed, or worse, bullied is the reason why people hide.

[Jorja]

If you are worried about someone finding out it just takes the simplest of ideas to be safe.
My all time #1 tip is to just go ahead and transition. That way you don't have to worry about anyone finding out. Your out and that is that.

[Wendy_Marie]

There was a time when I spent a lot of time as Wendy Maid and actively sought out Dominant Females whom to serve in the capacity of Domestic Sissy Maid...Still do from time to time.
One of these lovely women gave me a piece of advice...if you are afraid you'll get caught then you probably will. Stay away from the more Vanillia sites and if someone does happen across you then they have something to hide or share as the case may themselves. I have been dressing as Wendy now for more than 30 yars...and the only time I have ever been caught is when I wanted to be. Just use common sense and stay low key if you are afraid to be found out.