What are Shopbotters hiding from ?

[gene]

Why are most of the botter profiles not filled out as far as where you are located? Just wondering?

[dana_swift]

Gene I have wondered similar things.

My location is.. Though I wonder why anybody would want to hide their identity, clearly there are a few of those here too. Handles without names might be cute in chatrooms, but seem inappropriate in this context.

The only reason my contact info is not shown to keep spammers from harvesting the information with their automated web sweepers. I suggest the sysop remove that information from the profiles, however it would be nice to have another mechanism to access the info. Like enter your own username/pw with a mechanism to defeat web robots, lots of sites use those now.

[harryball]

Most people don't like admitting their addictions? :-)

It's probably just some internet paranoia about giving out too much information (which is a healthy thing to have). I've considered taking my address back off the web (which is an image not text so robots can't scan it) because some nutcase showed up at my house out of the blue on a Sunday afternoon wanting me to show him how to build a bat house.

However, by displaying my address I'm not hiding and folks know they can find me if I take their money and don't deliver. Double edged sword. To that end we have a single entrance fully fenced situation, sit more than 500' off the road and keep video surveylance on the property... big dog and I'm generally armed. In addition family lives on the property as well and I have a lake and a backhoe... still thinking about dropping by unannounced ;-)

/RB

[Gary Campbell]

Another note... assuming that there is an impending move to the NEW FORUM. City and state would be nice, just to know who is "in the hood", but having your machine model, PRS/PRT/BT, alpha/standard, and router/spindle, etc. listed in the profile could increase the chances that answers to posted questions are more accurate.
Gary

[gene]

Gary ,
Thats the thing i was trying to say . Just a city and State .. NO e mail address no ssn or phone # . I guess i am just curious where others are located.
R Ball, I would be a little upset if some nutcase showed up out of the blue also , That is the very reason i bought a backhoe and am digging a pond also. Just a city would be nice , Maybe a state ....

[Gary Campbell]

Gene...
Not enough land here to dig a pond. We can toss 'em into the canal and feed the sharks.

BTW... I've had my biz name, #, email, website & phone listed here for about 18 months and have only had a couple emails trying to sell me the same stuff I make. (millwork) Thats not too bad.
Gary