Postage Stamp Chat Board & Stamp Bulletin Board Forum
 

The article on 'privacy' is interesting reading...hard to believe some of the people profiled. Privacy is one thing, but xenophobia or paranoia are another...

Can Philatelists Still Keep A Low Profile in the Cyber Age?
By John L. Leszak

... a customer gave his or her telephone number to a dealer only with the assurance that the number be kept private. I took these guarded numbers so seriously that I didn't even include them in my regular rolodex. Instead, I kept them in a small notebook, and even then, I only wrote the first name of the collector, or what that person collected, along with the closely guarded phone number.

... a collector was gravely concerned about the world finding out where he lived ... one day he ... was shopping in a local supermarket in his neighborhood, when he encountered a man who frequented stamp shows. They chatted politely, but the experience was unnerving ... afterwards, he started shopping in a different supermarket across town, because he didn't want the other collector to know his approximate neighborhood.

... so many people, when asked to register at the doors of stamp shows, refuse to give their real names. I've observed at least 3 collectors turn around and walk away from a registration booth at at stamp show when asked to verify their address.

Last summer, I offered to carry several large cartons that a customer had purchased out to the parking lot. The customer refused my offer, and then added with grave suspicion, "then you'd be able to copy down my license plate!"

One of my close philatelic friends said that he was appalled several years ago to receive a phone call from a total stranger who inquired about his stamp collection. He called the police, but they were too busy with other matters and referred him to the telephone company. He changed his phone number as a precaution, but the call troubled him so deeply that he moved to a new home about a year later. Now my friend uses a cell phone, and frequently changes the number. He only uses computers at his local library, and he intentionally misspelled his name when applying for a library card. When he bids in stamp auctions or buys in the mail, he again intentionally misspells his name, and pays for everything with a postal money order.

One clever philatelist has all his philatelic mail addressed to his church, and it's sent to an assumed name. The pastor of the church is happy to comply with this philatelist's request.

This young Internet dealer says that when he discovers the birthdays of his customers on the Internet, he enters that information into his computer so that a birthday card email is generated at the appropriate time. I said that if the customers wanted a birthday email, they would've shared their birthdays with him. The Internet dealer replied, "But when they make their birthdays public on the Internet, they ARE sharing that information with me."

Hmmm... Website doesn't work for me.

Excerpts from the article:

And I'm guessing that you missed the copyright notice?

Hmm, write an article discussing that information can be freely found on the internet, you post said article freely on the internet for all to read, advertise said article on a discussion board, quotations from said article are reproduced--with full citation and credit given--within the thread you started said article with in part, and then you suggest displeasure? Do you also leave your wallet lying on the ground then shout "police, arrest that thief!" when someone picks your wallet up?

Don't worry, I've never read VSC before and probably won't be again. I'm quite happy with the superior Stampboards.

Gees, I hope Ron doesn't start snooping, he might find out some funny things about Philly, Jerry and I. Not that he doesn't know them already, as within the GOMC nothing is sacred.

BUT then again, if you believed 10% of what is written in the GOMC thread, you might be closer to the truth.

I especially like the "Help I just inherited a stamp collection"
Great compilation of advice!