What are you passionate about?

Genealogy. My family tree has 15,000 people on it. I also research my husband's which has a similar number. I have traced his line back to the 1100s. He is directly descended from many kings and queens, as far back as Robert the Bruce. Thankfully his ancestors had regularly updated their family tree with a 300 page document! 

I just love to sit and browse through the website, sometimes just picking someone at random and researching their life. Sometimes I just like to 'tidy up' the info I have online especially if copied from someone else and it lacks commas, full stops or capital letters.  I find I can lose myself for hours. 

I don't really like these ancestry websites - I'm really uncomfortable with the idea of some random member of my extended family choosing to put all MY detailed personal data on the internet.

I LOVE the website. It's not really detailed personal data though. Name, DOB, and marriage / children, would possibly be available but if you are living, which I presume you are :), then you would just show up as a silhouette of a male or female, with no other info - no name, nothing.

However when people share their trees with other members ALL living people on the trees are available to be seen, but only by those people sharing the trees ie not the rest of the population who use the website, if that makes sense.

In my opinion there's plenty more info about us out there on Facebook and other social media sites. Given that I have two very large trees you might even be on mine Plastic, however I have only shared my tree with a couple of cousins so she would be the only person to see your name. 

I attended a conference once about how data is scraped, traded and used by financial companies. So what, people say.. Well that was in 1994. It was impressive and terrifying in equal measures even then. Imagine how much more they can do now. I always take the few extra steps to protect my identity and details from public viewing. Don't own a club card or loyalty card, not due to paranoia but you are giving away rights to your data. 

And by the way... The dull industries such as insurance and life insurance... They have the most data. Social media is catching up but insurance companies have been tracking our lives, deaths and health since the 1940s.

I don't understand. Are you are saying I have no money because I buy everything targeted at me online? And it's always at a price I can afford? Why would you presume that?  It's simply because I'm out of work, not that I'm a spendthrift ;). 

I understand you are wary and that's OK to be. When you think about it, where would we be without advertising, targeted or not? How would you know where to buy something you need, whether goods or services? Our local community magazine has adverts for heating oil, logs and coal because most of us don't have gas. Is it wrong to 'target' people this way? I don't think so. 

Newspapers years ago would have targeted adverts suited to the readership.  It's just online now. 

In terms of personal data, the thing I hate is job application forms. Applying for lots of jobs will mean significantly more of your personal data is everywhere. Name, DOB, schools, qualifications, email, phone number, areas you have lived in, jobs you have done. When you consider the amount of jobs I have had my data could literally be available to thousands of people in the UK! 

You have no money to spend because everything you look at online from car insurance to holidays to Amazon prices are likely to be adjusted personally to maximize profit for the seller.   If they have all your information, they know exactly how much they can fleece you for everything.

If Big Brother was so benevolent, why do you think they are so desperate for your data?

Ahh, so that's what your concern is. Given I have no money to spend adverts are wasted on me.

I thought you were worried about more serious issues Plastic. Perhaps fraud, identity theft etc

There is targeted 'advertising' everywhere. Take your toddler to the shop and plastic crappy toys are at toddler height. Sweets are at the checkout. Buy something online and you get targeted advertising ( I presume you don't like buying online which is understandable given your concern).

My local Tesco know I have dogs (or enjoy eating dog food) and that I buy copious amounts of sweetcorn (however they don't know this is for my hens - or perhaps they have worked that out?). The trade off to using their clubcard is that I get money off the things I buy often and targetted advertising which I can choose to ignore. 

I live in the belief that Big Brother is not out to get us. 

Then you do not understand Targeted Advertising.

Well nothing's happened to me or mine since joining the website, other than good things. I haven't had my bank cards cloned, my identity stolen nor have MI6 been at my door - yet . 

I don't think people understand what they are throwing away and have no clue how much it is being used against them.   If they did, they would lock everything down.

Wow! Just because you have a problem with social media, the rest of us are selfish in satisfying our own desires. You are just slightly paranoid about Big Brother I think. 

Wow! Just because you have a problem with social media, the rest of us are selfish in satisfying our own desires. You are just slightly paranoid about Big Brother I think. 

I attended a conference once about how data is scraped, traded and used by financial companies. So what, people say.. Well that was in 1994. It was impressive and terrifying in equal measures even then. Imagine how much more they can do now. I always take the few extra steps to protect my identity and details from public viewing. Don't own a club card or loyalty card, not due to paranoia but you are giving away rights to your data. 

And by the way... The dull industries such as insurance and life insurance... They have the most data. Social media is catching up but insurance companies have been tracking our lives, deaths and health since the 1940s.

I don't understand. Are you are saying I have no money because I buy everything targeted at me online? And it's always at a price I can afford? Why would you presume that?  It's simply because I'm out of work, not that I'm a spendthrift ;). 

I understand you are wary and that's OK to be. When you think about it, where would we be without advertising, targeted or not? How would you know where to buy something you need, whether goods or services? Our local community magazine has adverts for heating oil, logs and coal because most of us don't have gas. Is it wrong to 'target' people this way? I don't think so. 

Newspapers years ago would have targeted adverts suited to the readership.  It's just online now. 

In terms of personal data, the thing I hate is job application forms. Applying for lots of jobs will mean significantly more of your personal data is everywhere. Name, DOB, schools, qualifications, email, phone number, areas you have lived in, jobs you have done. When you consider the amount of jobs I have had my data could literally be available to thousands of people in the UK! 

You have no money to spend because everything you look at online from car insurance to holidays to Amazon prices are likely to be adjusted personally to maximize profit for the seller.   If they have all your information, they know exactly how much they can fleece you for everything.

If Big Brother was so benevolent, why do you think they are so desperate for your data?

Ahh, so that's what your concern is. Given I have no money to spend adverts are wasted on me.

I thought you were worried about more serious issues Plastic. Perhaps fraud, identity theft etc

There is targeted 'advertising' everywhere. Take your toddler to the shop and plastic crappy toys are at toddler height. Sweets are at the checkout. Buy something online and you get targeted advertising ( I presume you don't like buying online which is understandable given your concern).

My local Tesco know I have dogs (or enjoy eating dog food) and that I buy copious amounts of sweetcorn (however they don't know this is for my hens - or perhaps they have worked that out?). The trade off to using their clubcard is that I get money off the things I buy often and targetted advertising which I can choose to ignore. 

I live in the belief that Big Brother is not out to get us. 

Then you do not understand Targeted Advertising.

Well nothing's happened to me or mine since joining the website, other than good things. I haven't had my bank cards cloned, my identity stolen nor have MI6 been at my door - yet . 

I don't think people understand what they are throwing away and have no clue how much it is being used against them.   If they did, they would lock everything down.