If it's really a serious concern, perhaps a post office box would be in order. It would seem that a PO Box coupled with an email address would suffice and protect.

Daniel

---------- Original Message-----------
From: "Gwen and Don Jackson"
To: "letterbox chat list"
Sent: Wed, 31 Mar 2004 11:55:19 -0800
Subject: [LbNA] Placing Personal Info in a Letterbox

>I have been in the Security business for 32 years (until retirement),anInvestigator for 41 years,and I believe it would be foolish to put personalinformation inside a letterbox. There are many women letterboxers in our hobbyand to advise them and others to use other than "Contact the Placer"functions is not very prudent. The "Contact the Placer" functionallows for a certain degree of protection and since it works easily for thosethat wish to report on the letterboxes status it should be considered as themain communication tool. It does require the receiver of the message to actuallywrite the sender directly rather than just clicking on "Reply" but sowhat. Some folks may think that I'm a little paranoid, maybe I am, but I wouldrather be "safe than sorry".
>Don
>
>[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

I take it you and your wife don't leave your house, then. Nor is
your wife's name in the phonebook.

Heck, you just told us her name. How hard is it to look that up?

It's not as if we advocating putting your full name, SSN, and street
address on it. Handle and email or phone number--especially a
cellphone as they are not listed--on your box does nothing to
compromise security.

I'd rather take prudent measures and enjoy life.

--- In letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com, "Gwen and Don Jackson"
wrote:
>...but I would rather be "safe than sorry".

-Well Sissy, I would rather take prudent measures and enjoy life too.
I just think using your home address and your email address is a
little foolish when the "Contact the Placer " function works so well.
Finding out someone's address from any phone number whether or not
it is a cell phone,non pub.home phone is not a very difficult
problem. I have not tried to break down an email address but I'm
fairly sure it would be possible. PO Box-simple. Every one can
certainly list and include what ever they wish to in their
letterbox, but when some one on this list advocates leaving a home
address or a email address in answer to a question posed by another
I felt it necessary to comment.
I think the number and locations of our letterboxes is a response to
your comment about leaving our house.
Don

re -- In letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com, "Sissy n CR" wrote:
> I take it you and your wife don't leave your house, then. Nor is
> your wife's name in the phonebook.
>
> Heck, you just told us her name. How hard is it to look that up?
>
> It's not as if we advocating putting your full name, SSN, and
street
> address on it. Handle and email or phone number--especially a
> cellphone as they are not listed--on your box does nothing to
> compromise security.
>
> I'd rather take prudent measures and enjoy life.
>
> --- In letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com, "Gwen and Don Jackson"
> wrote:
> >...but I would rather be "safe than sorry".

Just remember that if you reply to a Contact-The-Placer message addressed to
you, I get to read it.

So, feel free to suggest that people contact you through it, just don't reply
with "Our idiot webmaster . . ." when you're the one that can't read the first
line that says "Don't reply directly to this email."

True story.

-- Wes

Wes--- that is too funny. You should frame that one.
y-nought


--- In letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com, "Wes Garrison"
wrote:
> Just remember that if you reply to a Contact-The-Placer message
addressed to
> you, I get to read it.
>
> So, feel free to suggest that people contact you through it, just
don't reply
> with "Our idiot webmaster . . ." when you're the one that can't
read the first
> line that says "Don't reply directly to this email."
>
> True story.
>
> -- Wes

Um, the tone here comes off a bit harsh in my interpretation...I doubt you
mean it to be quite as snippy as it sounds to me ?



I tend to side a bit more with the cautious crowd. Yes, indeed, I am very
easily trackable by email if someone chooses to put forth a moderate effort.
However, I choose to put my email addy in my boxes to make it easier for
half-way interested finders to contact me (rangers etc.) I do not put my
phone number or street address in because I don't want to make it that much
easier for casual vandals to find me. A group of punks messing around in a
park that stumble across a box might think it a hoot to come TP a house or
make crank calls. Less likely to happen if they actually have to do a bit
of research first, ya know?



Mama Stork
aka Pam in Cinci



>
>
> I take it you and your wife don't leave your house, then. Nor is
> your wife's name in the phonebook.
>
> Heck, you just told us her name. How hard is it to look that up?
>
> It's not as if we advocating putting your full name, SSN, and street
> address on it. Handle and email or phone number--especially a
> cellphone as they are not listed--on your box does nothing to
> compromise security.
>
> I'd rather take prudent measures and enjoy life.
>
> >

Actually, yes, it was meant to be every bit as snippy as it sounds.
I especially don't care to be called "foolish" and my actions--very
reasonable I might add--as "not very prudent."

Look, someone "in the Security business for 32 years" might be just a
little too close the issue and security be too large of a part of
their lives to make rational choices for the rest of us. Just like
doctors who want to legislate many issues that affect our lives at
the expense of choice. They see the effects every day, yet many in
the real world might not see them ever.

Do what you want, but don't criticize me for what I do.

I will continue to advocate putting reasonable contact information on
your box so that landmangers, or bombsquads, can contact you before
things get out of hand.

I have yet to hear of any problems with this. Have you?

I'd be willing to bet accidents to and from the box, both on foot and
in a vehicle, is much more of a danger than putting your contact info
on a box.

One last issue. Mr. Jackson says to use the "Contact the Placer"
function of this site. Just how are we supposed to do that if it's
not listed here? Don't fall into the same trap like those over at
gc.com in thinking to rely on the site to maintain the whole game.
Don't try to advise all boxes should conform to LbNA standards. The
standards should be independent of any site.

--- In letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com, "Pam Kleingers"
wrote:
> Um, the tone here comes off a bit harsh in my interpretation...I
doubt you
> mean it to be quite as snippy as it sounds to me ?

--- In letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com, "gwendontoo"
wrote:
> I just think using your home address and your email address is a
> little foolish when the "Contact the Placer " function works so
well.

See my other post on this. LbNA is not the end all of listing
boxes. Some aren't even listed on the internet. Kind of hard to use
the "Contact the Placer" in these cases.


> Finding out someone's address from any phone number whether or not
> it is a cell phone,non pub.home phone is not a very difficult
> problem. I have not tried to break down an email address but I'm

Well, getting a cell phone number might be easy for a private
inverstigator, but what about the yahoo that you're really worried
about? I doubt it. Think someone could find the number and talk
their way into getting someone to meet them? Only if the person has
absolutely no sense. An accidental finder would not have the
knowledge of boxing and that should alert the box owner to a problem.

Email addresses can be cracked only if the user connects it with
something else and it's Google-able. Most online accounts are
confidiential. Personal anonymity and security is a big issue on the
internet. Even hardcore hackers have a hardtime connecting an email
address with an actual person.

Seriously, I think you're more at risk walking to and from your car
at the mall, than this.

Sissy,Per my previous post I don't really care what you place in
your letterbox. I just don't think it is appropriate to advise some
one else that it is ok to put personal information into a letterbox.
If you want to place all our your statistics in a letterbox that's
your business , but advising some one else to do the same may not be
good advice for another person. Incidentally I thought your comments
about not getting out of our house were a real hoot. If my comments
about foolishness bothered you I am sorry, but I tend to be blunt
and I would rather bother someone with the tactless truth than give
bad advice. I see no purpose of continuing this thread, as it has
obviously turned into a dead horse, but if you must please contact
me off post.
Don

Hey...everyone...I didn't mean to start trouble here. I only asked what I
thought was a simple question since I'm new to this. I appreciate your
responses, but let's just have fun here. Big smile...group hug....

--klk

Don & Gwen mixing it up on the ol' LB-USA! Regarding personal info in
letterboxes, I'm rather the free-wheeling type, but I would never
disagree with D&G, not only because I invariably agree with them, but
Don's packing ;-).
--Buzzard

Yup, we are packing for Seal Beach and replacing # 2 in the Town
Tour.
Don


> Don's packing ;-).
> --Buzzard

Hi Kathy,
Don't be put off by the conversations on this list. Sometimes we
lose sight of the reason to box, but that is why we have moderators
to keep the conversation as civil as possible. You didn't start
trouble, in fact you had a great question that provoked some
interesting responses. Since letterbox clue sheets can be accessed
by Google and other? non letterboxing search engines, one should
question their content as well.
Don


--- In letterbox-usa@yahoogroups.com, "Kathi LK Krankoski"
wrote:
> Hey...everyone...I didn't mean to start trouble here. I only asked
what I
> thought was a simple question since I'm new to this. I appreciate
your
> responses, but let's just have fun here. Big smile...group hug....
>
> --klk