#blog writer person fear mongering about people

[orbviously]

same anon abt the pro-shipping shit. my aggression was me being oocly anxious and it came across weird, but genuinely i was looking for a way to empathize or understand your side. i'm not looking to change your opinion, and potentially not to change my own, but it doesn't mean i don't want to know what your reasoning is and/or understand where you're coming from. just wanted to apologize cause damn i didn't know it came across so rudely until those reactions.

Hey, anon, thanks for sending this ask. I'm actually grateful that you realized how you sounded. I do think it's kind of normal and encouraged, unfortunately, to be aggressive rather than open minded. However, it's going to make it harder to understand people when you're basically already acting like they've done something wrong.

I'm not an expert in the proshipper vs anti thing, I just come from old internet and fandom where you get to write whatever and it had no bearing on your real life. It didn't affect your "morality", it didn't mean you viewed real people in some degenerate way--fiction can effect reality, but fanfic writers and queer creators and such do not have the sway that mainstream media does.

this got long, and any time I write "you" it's a general you, so keep that in mind.

People use the JAWS comparison a lot, but what they're leaving out is how big and influential that Steven Spielberg creation was--a popular fanfic author for a fandom you're into will only have as much reach as the fandom, and sometimes, not even that much. I'm into Hazbin Hotel, and when a popular Hazbin Fanfic writer joined the scene, I had no idea who they were.

I think it is bad to view things under black and white. It will always be okay to write problematic shit in fiction, it will never be the same as endorsing it IRL. You may encounter people who do that, sure, but just like everything, there are messed up people, and there are normal people. Kink spaces have always been largely friendly towards LGBT+, because for a very long time, (and still today) it was unsafe to be out. It was unsafe to be yourself. Fanfic is similar to kink spaces, in that way. It's a safe, controlled space where you get to write the outcomes, you get to control the things happening.

The original link is gone because the person who posted it probably changed their URL or deleted the post, but it was essentially about how darkfic is good for people to work through their own traumas and shit, but also it's just a good safe way for people to write about anything. And it is safe, because it's not real. To then accuse people who write these things of being okay with hurting real people is patronizing at best, absolutely disrespectful and infantilising at worst. I learned how to separate fiction and reality as a child, and to be accused of not knowing the difference is very insulting.

It's okay to have squicks! It's okay to not be comfortable with various themes, but that does not mean those themes are not allowed to exist. Censorship makes it harder for everyone to protect themselves. Who are antis protecting by encouraging people who write/draw/RP dark themes to kill themselves? Because I can guarantee you, in every group of antis, there are people hiding their darkfic interests, afraid their friends will turn on them. Having interests in dark shit does not make you bad, it makes you human. It's normal. When we started to tell people, especially teenagers, that if they are interested in darkfic it means they endorse those things in real life, it is entirely damaging to their self esteem, but also opens them up to being abused.

You can have your limits and people will respect them, but demanding it with threats and fear mongering, that's probably not gonna get people to want to listen to you. I've been bullied a ton in my life, and I don't listen to bullies. I never will.

@/olderthannetfic is currently a blog I am reading a lot and it's really good! it talks a lot about this stuff. But you do yourself a great disservice to pretend that fiction has an effect on reality to the degree antis behave. It is never okay to bully someone to the point of suicide. It is never okay to accuse someone of being an actual p*do over shipping Vector and Espio. Do we not care about actual victims of these situations? Have ANY OF YOU heard of the parable THE BOY WHO CRIED WOLF?

To sum it up: A shepherd keeps screaming that a wolf is coming, but he's lying. every time, people come running but he laughs at them for believing it. finally, a wolf does show up. He screams and cries out for help, but nobody comes because they think he's lying again.

If you constantly make false claims of heinous accusations, people are not going to believe you when something ACTUALLY goes down. People will not believe ACTUAL VICTIMS. Blonic should never have the same rights as a real life human being, that's so incredibly insulting.

Nobody is evil just because they enjoy fucked up fictional media. I just don't read anything that upsets me or grosses me out. If my shipping Orbot and Cubot grosses you out, then please don't follow. It's okay. I'm not responsible for other people, just my own enjoyment. There is no right and good way to enjoy fictional characters. But the moment you attack real people based on your thoughts about fictional characters, you have somehow managed to fuck up enjoying media. That's the truth.

#ooc #proship vs anti cw

[monstrous-clock]

Let's talk about fake news.

Fake news is a form of misuse of information, and Rubin and Tandoc consider these to be variants of fake news;

Clickbait

Propaganda

Satire or parody

Sloppy journalism

Misleading Headlines

Slanted or Biased News

I would argue that bar satire this news article is guilty of all five forms of fake news.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/jul/02/dont-say-gay-florida-week-in-patriarch

The writer of this news article is demonstrating what can also be seen in social media posts which I will show below. She is displaying wilful ignorance that is misleading to an uninformed reader.

The article provides no attempt at linking to the bill itself, the writer also backs up her claims with other controversial political topics in order to further catastrophise things. Despite the Guardian author having reliability due to her using her real name and face and being published in the Guardian, the article is riddled with personal feelings and biases toward Christians and other groups. I have no doubt that this article is intentionally misleading.

Her fear of indoctrination of children with Christianity is an opinion she is entitled to, however, one could suggest that the most pervasive form of indoctrination at hand is the mindless scrolling on the vacuum of social media, and consuming everything you come across uncritically and without question.

I will discuss the virality of the #dontsaygaybill and why I perceive this particular phrasing, and the propaganda associated with it, to be misleading and/or false.

However, a serious negative result of widespread controversial issues is fear-mongering. Individuals use social media and have become accustomed to a certain lack of accountability attached to the posts they share and the ideology they promote.

I will attach below the Bill that is being referred to.

I will attach below an example of the posts talking about the #dontsaygaybill.

As you can see, the very real panic that people are in, is snowballing due to the severity of the misinformation.

For example; the hyperbolic language regarding the stripping of human rights and equality being revoked puts people in a panic and forms a type of echo-chamber where they are constantly reaffirming their views instead of stepping outside of the platform and doing some research.

Now don't get me wrong, if you read the bill, understand it and take issue with it. You are well within your right to say so and take a stance, however, the sheer volume of post-truth being spread is concerning. As you can see commenter @nicolehuttner21 has been so immersed in social media that she actually believes the name of it is the #dontsaygaybill.

What I believe is most imperative about this bill and what we can learn from this blog post is how vital it is to be able to substantiate your claims and base them on real evidence. Higgins states it best; "don't bother me with facts' has become a political stance not a punchline".

To conclude no matter what you think belongs in the classroom, or where your political affiliations lie. We should all have the faculties of logic to be able to discern what is being dramatised and be encouraged to form opinions based on our own research on any given topic.

[aussie-roadkill]

I haven’t touched Welcome to Night Vale in months, I come back to the episode I’m up to and immediately it’s about the stigma behind mental illness

#at least it seems to be #blog writer person fear mongering about people #escaped from an assylum? #saying they'll kill you like the people on her murder mystery shows say

[fandomsandfeminism]

Why so some people join hate groups like JK Rowling? I have heard some people get radicalized when they google things and click the wrong website or because of youtube algoriths

I'm no expert on how radicalization happens. What it seems like though from what I have read is that you have people that are coming from a deep sense of frustration or anxiety about something in the world. They stumble upon arguments that seem... reasonable (they see a blog post or a YouTube video that says just the right things with just the right dog whistles), and it validates those feelings of frustration or anxiety. But they can lead to more and more intense arguments that spiral into bigotry and fear mongering. But because those arguments ramp up bit by bit, and each step still validates the underlying frustration and anxiety, people can just keep going until the hooks are in so deep that it's very hard to back track. People struggle to admit they have been wrong- that's ALL of us, and it's a known psychological hurdle. Even when shown clear contrary evidence, people's brains will dig in deeper a lot of the time.

What we know is that JKR seems to have started out with a pretty standard level of societal bias (her books have enough uncomfortable race and body image and even gender things to see that), but nothing wild. We also know that she has experienced a good about of misogyny and she talks about some kind of abuse in her now infamous blog post. Those feelings- her frustration and anxiety about gender inequality especially- seems to have led her first to some basic feminist ideas, but then into subtle radical feminist talking points, and then deeper and deeper until we have reached what we see today- transphobic and homophobic reactionary nonsense. And whenever she faced backlash for parroting the newest talking point she learned, she dug in deeper, these bigoted ideals feeding off her frustration and anxiety that the public backlash was making her feel. But when she says those talking points to the "right people" she would get praise and validation.

Its...

It's really sad.

Like I've said in other posts, harry Potter, with all its flaws, was a really important series to me from about age 10 to age 25. That's half my life and a lot of my formative years. It got me into fanfiction, made me want to be a writer, made me love analyzing and speculating about fiction. I'll always have a soft spot for it because of that.

And JKR *could* have stayed beloved and even grown more beloved if she had followed a different path, a different set of thinking and arguments that took her to a place of working to help *all* people, instead of where she is now. I can't imagine she is happy. I can't imagine she realizes how much this has hurt so many of her former fans.

Becoming radicalized isn't a sign that someone is a fundamentally monsterous person. They are a person who has been led into a dark place, following their negative emotions, unable to question themselves or be willing to admit they were wrong. People can be deradicalized, and I hope that as many people as possible who are in these extreme transphobic mindsets DO deradicalize.

[blessedarethebinarybreakers]

Urgent: I am a Catholic Lesbian. I've read every argument I could find both for and against gay marraige and reached out to queer & Christian blogs. I am terrified of hell, but the thought of being celibate as Catholicism demands is making me miserable. I am so so scared. I just don't know what to do anymore. I feel like I'm losing my faith, which never really brought me any happiness, but I don't want to lose it & I don't know how to shake the fear that if I ever have sex I'll go to hell.

Hi there, dear. My heart really hurts for you. It’s so terrifying and exhausting and distressing and painful to be in the space you’re currently in. I’ll be praying for you -- that you can find some comfort and rest; that you can rediscover God as someone who loves you and will keep you safe, not throw you into hell. 

Too many people have been the victims of fear-mongering, of human beings deciding what actions or thoughts get you flung into hell for eternity. That kind of ideology hammers into your psyche, and it’s so hard to free yourself of that fear. It might take you a long, long time to become free of the fear that if you ever have sex you’ll go to hell. I wish there was a quick solution to fix the problem for you, but chances are, this is going to be a long and often difficult journey for you.

The good news is, you don’t have to be on this journey alone. Thank you for reaching out to me and other queer & Christian blogs, for instance! I hope you’ll be able to keep reaching out to people, and gather a support group around you -- of friends you trust, folks online, an affirming therapist (and if this is something that obsesses you and severely disrupts your life, I do recommend finding a therapist or other professional help), writers of books and articles that help you...whomever and whatever you can gather to you. And most of all, I pray that God will make Her presence felt to you -- a loving, tender, patient presence, not a fearful and judgmental one. 

_______

Okay, all that said, now I’m gonna go through several of the things you mention one at a time: 

“I am terrified of hell” 

I’m not sure if doing more research into hell will be helpful to you or not. If you think re-visioning what hell is could be helpful to you, I’ve got a #hell tag where I and other writers discuss hell -- is it even real? who goes there? 

I was raised Catholic and have studied Catholic views of hell, and one thing that I remember learning is that hell is not a place of punishment where God throws people for doing bad things. Rather, only those who refuse to accept God’s forgiveness -- a gift offered to everyone, regardless of how severe or many their sins are -- go there. If you say “yes” to God’s grace, you will not go to hell; God will have mercy on you. 

You might appreciate this quote by a Protestant named Shirley Guthrie on how “heaven is for sinners and hell is for ‘good’ people.” 

I will affirm over and over that being LGBTQA+ is not a sin but part of God’s diversity, that having sex with someone of the same gender is not a sin -- but, even if it were a sin, that doesn’t mean that having gay sex sends you straight to hell. We all sin in various ways, and rely on God’s mercy to save us from hell. If you’re still struggling to believe that being gay and having sex is not sinful, that’s okay; for now, know that even if it were a sin, God still loves you and forgives you. If you do have sex with a woman one day and then decide it was wrong for you after all, you can ask for God’s forgiveness; you won’t be sentenced straight to hell for it.

“the thought of being celibate as Catholicism demands is making me miserable.”

the Catholic Catechism does indeed instruct that gay persons remain celibate. But I am not the only Catholic to strongly disagree with this instruction. Celibacy is a good and holy thing -- when one is called by God to it, when one chooses it for themself, not when it is forced upon a person. I talk about that in my celibacy tag. 

For you, I highly recommend a book by Margaret Farley, a Catholic nun (still in good standing! the Catholic Church actually approved her writing this book) called Just Love. In it, Farley discusses what makes a sexual relationship/activity just, i.e., ethical and good in the eyes of God. She comes up with 7 points a relationship that involves sex should fulfill -- I share the list and explain it a bit in this post. 

Based off her points, I think Farley would agree that for you celibacy would probably not bear good fruit. If the idea of celibacy makes you miserable, it’s probably not your vocation. 

“I feel like I'm losing my faith, which never really brought me any happiness, but I don't want to lose it...” 

It sounds like a big part of your journey is going to be deciding whether the Catholic faith is right for you or not. Right now, you say, it does not bring you happiness -- instead, it seems to be bringing you no shortage of misery and fear. 

Jesus came that we all might “have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10) -- not in some future heaven, but right here and now! If your faith is not bringing you abundant life, it’s time to explore other options. 

I’m not saying that’s an easy thing to do; it’s not. What you end up doing is up to you. Here is a post where I respond to a person saying that being queer and Catholic feels unbearable, where I offer various options for what they might do. 

Does anyone have more words of comfort or advice for anon?

#fear #in the valley of the shadow #hell #anon #queerly christian asks #homophobia / #fear of hell

[gg-astrology]

hello! 💖 i had a quick question! how accurate of a reading can you do on someone if you don’t have their birth time? is there even a point to try to interpret it or is the signs of the planets good enough? like if having a birth time gives you 100% of a person’s chart what percent is it with no birth time? thank youuu and i loooooove your blog! It’s super insightful 💖💝💖💗💖💝💖

Hey there!! 💕❤️💕❤️💕❤️ Thank you so much for asking this! 💕❤️ This is personal, so everyone has different thoughts and opinions for it. Some people might not want to read a chart if there’s no time at all – that’s fair, because you decide what you want to expend your energy into. For me, I want to talk about placements– the way I see it is that, even without the birth time. There are still people who – with their birth-chart– would still struggle with understanding the signs expression/energy. Thus, there’s potential there to grow and learn, about themselves and their core bases. 

There should be room to grow and talk about that still — no one’s ‘advance’ is too advance for the basics, if they need to review/revisit/be reminded of their core foundation. I want to have that space/room to continuously grow and talk about these things, without that feeling of shame or separation of ‘oh im too advance to reconsider this now’ – which people can do sometimes too, y know? 💕❤️

🚫long post 🚫

It’s a very important question, birth times are very important for chart readings to actually get accurate information/be a reading of course! 💕❤️ There’s something to be said about what extent you should go through, to read someone, if the source time isn’t right/without consent❤️

(be conscious of what you’re saying in particular, and what you’re propagandizing for the general audience who might not know any better and start fear-mongering out of that reaction to what you said as well) 💕❤️ 

As well as in general-- how accessible and public is your platform, know what your impact/influence could have on others, and know what you’re saying-- how it could affect those around them to make a conscious choice about what you should be saying, because birth-charts do contain a lot of information. So you should to be responsible for what you put out too. ❤️

With that said, I do think you can talk about sign/placements as a way to understand the signs expressions and will of the planet. To me, it’s taking note of yourself and understanding your ‘core’ potential/good advice to help you be more/better you (not just for you either– be conscious, for everyone who comes across this as well) 💕❤️ 

Everything adds onto one another – signs, planets, houses, aspects, other techniques. I don’t think dismissing it all together and saying ‘oh I’ll just do it when I have the birth time’ would be helpful, since we also have so much material to learn. 

It’s a little like cramming, which isn’t a good study habit at all. Consistent learning and going over the materials helps, adding onto our knowledge and expanding ourselves– even if it’s just the sign/placements, it helps a lot with revision and learning about these things, so you can pin-point and expand on it later as well (be efficient! plan for the future) 💕❤️ 

I also think we should be conscious of that marginal area where we can’t assume/talk about everything– too much of one or the other (sticking exclusively to sign/planets and not expanding into houses with the same enthusiast, or sticking exclusively to ‘full sentences’ – houses and sign/placements, can make us stagnant in someways) – can keep us from being expansive and confronting our own problems (our reluctance to be this or that, or work in a truly challenging but effective manner). 

Thus, talking about it in a way that asks you why are you doing this, who is your audience, and what you want the influence to be – really, consciousness on the matter (and responsibility on your part) matters a lot! 💕❤️

It’s large and it’s vast, you can’t expect someone to pick up on signs + planets + houses + aspects in just a day! 💕❤️Just as you don’t expect everyone to have everything figured out and be fully developed already! 💕❤️It’s kinda like starting to cram once you realize the due date’s close, rather than consistently study and build up on what you have everyday so you won’t panic! 

With that we should familiarize ourselves with the materials we want to learn more about – so that we could add onto that information later on as well! 💕❤️ 

With this– I also think you can’t go wrong with having a stronger foundation. What’s impractical is relying on just a certain thing — revision and coming back to something– or in this case, talking about sign/placements – requires you to expand on those ideas and continue to actively interact with the materials. 

I’m not of the camp that certain things you ‘feel’ or ‘don’t feel’ about a sign/placements means that it is untruthful/wrong– bulking up on the foundation of the study is also immensely important to quell some of our worries. 💕❤️ 

A part of it is learning how to confront our fear of self-confrontations as well, and learning how to turn it for the better, see it and work with it, or self-acceptance in a way. In order to fully realize and ‘keep it moving’ into what we can do about our knowledge 💕❤️

Anyways, I hope this answer gave you something to think about? 💕❤️  For me, I was thinking about my idol readings. Most of it doesn’t have birth-times, but there’s still worth in why I do it and what impact it can teach/help people along the way because – contextually, it’s on a public blog. 

Being conscious of all this, I do want to keep doing readings for them in order to share this fandom experience with everyone. The way I see it – contextually, the pieces I’ve done are part of fandom (as a fan’s content creation). It’s written to be shared, be conscious of those who are new/want to get into astro or the fandom, or just simply allow people to understand their potential better through another person’s perspective. 💕❤️ 

Because it’s a part of ‘fan’s content creation’ – we also have to be aware of how it could impact the idol. That’s the entire point of why fandoms exists, we’ve aggregated here because of the common link– the idols. In order to create these materials/have muses together. So giving back– thanking them back– and being conscious of what you’re saying is important. Sometimes more than showcasing your ability as an astrologer. 

Just like how great writers or photographers/artists should also be aware of their impact on the artists, not just because they’re good at what they do? if that makes sense? 

But anyways 💕❤️ I hope you find strength! 💕❤️ Good luck with ur part! 💕❤️ 

#astrology asks #birthtimes #yoda's corner #yoda the astrology edition #yoda the life advice edition #anon #asks

[clarencenicholsonata]

7 Best Newsletter Sign Up Examples

Despite WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, Facebook, and the multiple apps for digital communication popping up on our phones and desktops, email marketing continues to be one of the most powerful methods to reach and connect with audiences meaningfully.

But for all the care that goes into making the newsletters, we still have to jump the first hurdle: getting readers to sign up.

No matter how good your emails are, it makes little difference if your audience isn’t reading them. And they should be! According to Constant Contact:

Email has higher conversion rates than social media and search combined.

For every $1 spent on email marketing, the average return is $38.

72% of customers prefer emails for business communication, and 61% report enjoying weekly promotional emails.

Those are statistics no modern company can afford to miss out on.

For any company struggling to grow their signup lists, we searched the web for popular email lists and found ones that genuinely made us want to subscribe. The following examples show how these companies won our trust - and our email addresses.

B2B and B2C Sign-Ups

With customers thirsting for personalized experiences, B2B and B2C companies have the most to gain from building email relationships with their potential customers, and the most work to do to make it happen.

In general, audiences will need to know that you’re not going to use their email just to sell to them, and that they’ll be getting something from the exchange.

General Assembly

General Assembly has a solid reputation already for digital courses and education, and knows what its audience is there for. Its sign up newsletter offers a solid exchange from the get-go: 25% off a course in exchange for an email.

A well-designed pop-up can boost conversions, if they’re attractive, to-the-point and offer your customers exactly what they want. Wishpond has a library of professionally designed pop-ups by industry and style, templates to help you craft your messaging and guide your target audience towards signups - try it for yourself today!

Smashing Magazine

Smashing Magazine dedicated a whole landing page to its newsletter signups, and let users know what they were getting: from frequency, to the subjects of back issues, to how much promotional material they could expect.

The social proof of how many other followers there are (written right on the CTA) appeals to our psychological desire to belong to a group. And, to top it off, you get a free eBook.

When you do sign up, you get a validating, ‘You rock!’ message, and a ‘thank you’ email along with your free ebook to ensure you feel you made the right decision and bolster your sense of loyalty.

Pro-tip: Thank you messages are important! Validate your subscribers with a welcome email, asking them their opinion or following up with offers to free content or more about your brand.

Non-profit Sign-Ups

This is a particularly challenging sphere. Unless you’re already on a person’s radar, it’s hard for non-profits to combat the image they have as guilt-mongering or fear-mongering. The last thing people want when they open their inboxes is to feel guilty, angry or afraid.

An NGO’s best tactic is to offer people inspiration and happiness, as the newsletters below did. People today are flooded with bad news, from climate change to famine to disaster. They are unlikely to respond to negativity and even less likely to invite it into their mornings.

What they are more likely to invite is positive stories, bright pictures, follow-ups to characters they’re invested in and a chance to make a real, measurable difference to causes they care about.

National Geographic

If it surprises you that National Geographic is on the non-profit sector of this, that’s a good thing. (Also, it surprised us too).

The publication is so high quality that we forget that it’s part of the National Geographic Society, a 501 c 3 organization whose remit is actually education and preservation.

They put a lot of effort into their newsletters, and offer on a variety of topics based on the reader’s individual interest. Each is filled with in-depth reporting and world-class photography.

National Geographic’s budget is out of most organizations’ reach, but their genuine dedication to quality and reader interest isn’t.

The British Heart Foundation

Even non-Brits can learn a lot from the designers and writers at the British Heart Foundation, who use bright colors, hopeful imagery and creative copy to connect with audiences.

Instead of ‘sign-up’ or ‘take action’, they use thematic plays on their theme, like ‘break heartbreak forever’, or ‘learn about will power’ (to take audiences to a section of their site on leaving donations in their wills.)

The playful copywriting takes what could be a grim theme and turns it empowering, delightful, entertaining, and something you’d want in your inbox.

Pro-tip: Putting care into the design and wording of your pages and sign-ups will go a long way to attracting subscribers. A simple, ‘sign up here’ is standard, but more eye-catching or personalized offerings let subscribers know that they’re inviting a distinct voice and brand and unique offerings into their inboxes.

News and General Interest

Curation is increasingly popular as a service, and although the space is crowded, many readers are overwhelmed by how many news sources there are, and will pay for trusted, comprehensible curation.

Bloomberg’s “Money Stuff”**

Bloomberg’s ‘Money Stuff’ is written solely by Matt Levine, and many readers are loyal to the column just for his style of writing. A former consultant-turned-writer, Levine’s irreverent, sharp, insightful writing is a roundup of the day’s most talked about (and most obscure) financial news.

The column’s subscribers come straight from Bloomberg readers who enjoy the column itself, and Levine promotes it with a pinned tweet on his own feed. (Not an insubstantial plug, from someone who has more than 80,000 followers).

hi 1. my newsletter is still free 2. it is called Money Stuff 3. you can sign up for it here https://t.co/mTlB1XlfU7

— Matt Levine (@matt_levine) May 9, 2018

Wait But Why

‘Wait but Why’ is a quirky, stick-figure blog-turned-professional(ish?) content site exploring - well - anything. Written by Tim Urban, it was a blog that built up such a following, it became some form of monetized on Patreon.

Its tone is as friendly and self-effacing as it is knowledgeable, and it often pokes fun at its own stick-figure drawings, although it doesn’t shy away from revealing each post takes research, effort and discussion.

This level of transparency is endearing to readers, as is the social proof on its subscription box at the side: by revealing its subscriber count, it offers potential subscribers the reassurance of belonging to a large club: nearly 700,000 subscribers can’t be wrong.

Additionally, in case you miss the side bar offering the mailing list, as you scroll, you’re greeted by a pop-up at the side of the screen. The tongue-in-cheek tone and illustration are endearing and eye-catching, are great for scrollers who ignore sidebar buttons and options (many, in the age of digital ad fatigue), but might be interested in the newsletter if they saw it.

Daily Pnut

Daily Pnut is a daily curation of global news. A mix of editorial and curation as a service, its landing page is geared entirely towards sign-ups, with clear CTAs, social proof, friendly, clear copywriting that mimics the newsletter itself, and minimal hard selling.

Its product offering is both aspirational and achievable (‘sound marginally more intelligent’) and comes with approvals from academic heavyweights like Noam Chomsky, Steven Pinker and Ian Bremmer.

Need help building a landing page to maximize your conversions? Wishpond’s library of templates, segmented by industry and type, is full of expertly designed pages to help get you started - no developer required.

Summary

Overall, these newsletters show there’s no one magic way to get people to sign up for your newsletters. But it undoubtedly helps if you include:

Discounts or sales on your products or services on sign-up

Pop-ups to draw attention to the opportunity to sign up

Creative copywriting (after all, if your sign up buttons are interesting, your emails probably will be too)

Social proof (like subscriber count or testimonials from current readers or writers)

Examples of past newsletters

Need Help With Your Email Marketing?

Book a free call to learn how our team of experts can help you create high converting email campaigns today.

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#IFTTT #RSSMix.com Mix ID 8230801

[jackalteeths]

People frequently will ask me, “Why do you so readily identify yourself as a Narcissist?  Do you not want to get better?  Do you want people to stay away from you? Who would openly admit to such a terrible thing?” This is the exact reason I am so open about my diagnosis.  If one searches “depression” online, they are greeted with hundreds of articles, support groups, blogs, scientific studies, websites, etc. all devoted to helping and supporting those with depression.  Many of the contributors to this body of media are people who openly identify as having depression.  With some negligible exceptions, those without depression who write about those with depression are writing about how to better understand and relate to their suffering.  The same is largely not true for people with personality disorders, especially NPD and ASPD.  

Searching “Narcissistic Personality Disorder” on Google will also gather many results.  There are still articles, support groups, blogs, scientific studies, websites, etc., but funnily enough, not a single one of those resources seems to be led by actual Narcissists.  Narcissistic Personality Disorder is discussed ad nauseum online, but almost entirely by people who are not diagnosed with it.  Narcissists are constantly referred to in the third person, or worse, their diagnosis is used as an accusation and a condemnation (i.e. Exposing the Narcissist.)  However, for how prevalent these writers seem to imply NPD is, there seems to be near zero online presence of people who identify as Narcissists. Unsurprisingly, widespread fear mongering and dehumanization of this demographic of people remains unchecked.   Because of this, I openly identify as a Narcissist.  Barring situations where it would be seriously damaging to my overall wellbeing, I’ll tell anyone who asks about it; how I struggle, my setbacks, my successes, my growth.  Not because I think my disorder is a positive thing or because I “don’t want to get better,” but because I won’t allow ignorant people to dehumanize and alienate people who share a diagnosis with me.  The first step in reversing this widespread view of all Narcissists as heartless monsters is being present, being open, and being a clear refutation of this accusation.  That way, when a group of people get together to discuss how terrible all Narcissists are, there will be people present to say “well, I know a Narcissist, and they would never do that.”  If Narcissists can speak about their disorder without fear of judgement and abandonment, maybe they can start a process of recovery so that one day they’ll no longer demonstrate the behaviors that are so widely demonized in the media.  

#narcisissm #npd #actuallynarcissistic #actuallynpd #neurodivergent #text heavy #long post #littlejackal #narcissistic #personality disorders #NPD in the media

[paranoidsbible]

The Paranoid’s Bible 2.0

===The Paranoid's Bible=== Non-Profit and Free for Redistribution. Written on June 04th | 2014 Published on October 22nd | 2015 Runner Edition Written on April 11th | 2017 Runner Edition Published on April 30th | 2017   For entertainment and research purposes only

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ===DISCLAIMER=== The Paranoid's Bible and its writers hold no responsibility for the acts of others. The Paranoid’s Bible is for research and entertainment purposes only. **Reminder**: Links have been forced to HTTPS. If a link doesn’t work, try removing the ‘S’ in ‘HTTPS’. Please visit our blog for more guides and information: https://www.paranoidsbible.tumblr.com/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ===Preface=== The Paranoid’s Bible project is a series of guides meant to help the average internet user learn the rudimentary knowledge needed to prevent dox attempts and lessen their digital footprint through the use of information security (INFOSEC). Through this and other guides, the average user should be able to have not only a safer and more secure internet experience but also a more private one. This guide and many others by the PB team have been partially written by several individuals who’ve done this not for personal gain but just to share the knowledge. So, please, pass on the knowledge you’ve gained from this guide. Splice it, edit it, consume or repurpose it. It’ll always be free, like any information should be. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ===All About Doxing=== Doxing, a term that comes from ‘document tracing,’ is believed to have had a past in web 1.0 among the early internet users. The act in itself is the action of finding information on a target from an initial set of data, like a username or an e-mail address. This information can be found through the use of something as simple as a search engine or as time consuming as reading up on the target’s accounts across the internet. While there exists several services besides search engines to find this information, the most tried and true method is simply using the target’s own actions against them to discover their dox. It isn’t all about search engines and researching a target’s digital footprint, some individuals can and will try their hand at social engineering. The act of social engineering is accomplished through the claim of being someone they're not or through asking questions in order to gain access to more information on the target. While a gray area of being online and offline, it’s best to note that doxing isn’t only done online but also offline (E.G: posting fliers to ‘name & shame’) and that there exists numerous ways to obtain the information needed.  The act of doxing, though, is a neutral act that is free of political and moral responsibilities. Anyone can find another person’s dox and use it for whatever means they wish to use it for, like blackmailing, shaming or simply browbeating someone over different beliefs and opinions. It’s used by many groups and individuals that range in religious and political beliefs; ergo the person committing the act is the one that places any meaning onto it. The truth is that no one is un-dox-able. It’s speculated this is the end result of mob justice and social justice on the internet; however doxing is just something that won't go away. Just like its rise to infamy in the early 2000s, it'll always have its ups and downs. We just have to learn to co-exist with it and guard ourselves against any attempts. **Remember**: Anyone can become a target and victim of doxing. ___References___: https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/what-is-doxing-and-how-does-it-affect-your-privacy-makeuseof-explains/ https://www.techgyd.com/know-doxing-protect-yourself/6197/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doxing https://socialengineering.wikia.com/wiki/Doxxing https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/doxing https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=doxing ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ===Why You Should Fear Doxing=== Many would have you believe that doxing isn’t something to worry about and that it’s just harmless pranks done by adolescents on the internet… these people are wrong and sorely out of touch with the current climate online. Many of these people simply believe that not posting their name or address online means they’re safe, however they fail to realize that the interconnectivity of web 2.0 and the incoming ‘internet of things’ have caused many open wounds in everyone’s privacy that bleed an unhealthy amount of information. The average user is taught that the internet just works, sort of like magic, which severely stunts their understanding of the greater image. The internet is built upon decrepit code that’s held together with a programmer’s equivalent of gum and duct tape. Because of this, and quicky-fixes, it’s no wonder database leaks are becoming almost a norm for internet users; however those aren’t the biggest threat. Things like tracking cookies, Facebook spying (on logged in and non-logged in users alike), and things like digital witch hunts are putting innocent people in the line of a cyber firing squad whose main goal is to not only publicly humiliate and shame them but also take their means of living away from, causing complete isolation or ostracization for them and their loved ones. Innocent people are attacked all the time online for things like being the victim of Cat-fishing. In some ways, it’s like doxing and identity theft. You use someone else's information and identity to masquerade as that individual. You then, as this individual, take part in what many refer to as a "romance scam". This can be to try and stalk someone, milk them of their money, or to gain trust to commit a more atrocious act, thus leaving the victims to attack each other while the perpetrator takes their leave. Cat-fishing, although like doxing, isn't actually doxing or the biggest possible threat. Doxing to many is just pizza boxing and flooding a mailbox with literal junk. There are also prank calls, theft of mail and many other acts that can, to some degree, become worse. The issue isn’t that some use doxing as a means to gather information for identity theft. It isn't just ruining your credit or stealing your money, either. There are some individuals out there who'll use doxing as a form of abuse, isolating someone who is emotional to take advantage of them or enable them, which can lead to even greater forms of abuse. It isn't the stalking or physical abuse you should worry about, but the mental and emotional abuse. The stress alone can damage less-than-mature victims and cause a greater sense of isolation that can disrupt relationships. It isn't just pranks and unwanted food anymore; it's now a form of vigilante justice or revenge. It'll be done by those who see themselves as fighting for a cause. They'll ruin the livelihood of many due to any perceived wrong and they’ll continue their antics until the person they’re targeting is destroyed. ___References___: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catfishing https://www.drphil.com/articles/article/720 https://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/03/13/doxxing-it-s-like-hacking-but-legal.html https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/features/feature-0014-identity-theft https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Identity_theft https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/media/video-0024-what-if-youre-victim-identity-theft https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurashin/2014/11/18/someone-had-taken-over-my-life-an-identity-theft-victims-story/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ===Why You Should Care About Privacy=== Information is the new form of currency that transcends borders and time. It’s used by both the governments and corporations of the world. Due to this simple fact it’s not only a valuable resource but also an important one when you consider the worth of personal data. You as an individual aren’t worth much, however your personal data is, like what sites you frequent, which adverts you’ve clicked on or which articles you’ve read—your information is worth more than you. Even when dead, your information is valuable and can be sold, traded and collected like a baseball card. Many will remain apathetic about this fact, yet the truth is while you don’t have to worry when you’re dead… you’re alive now and should take precautions. Corporations and government agencies are putting your information into lists and dossiers. These lists and dossiers rest in the dark corners of some data center in Utah that is constantly crawling through the web for new data. Soon it’ll be near impossible for anyone to remove their information from online simply due to the insatiable thirst that the governments and corporations of the world have for data. Everything is being saved or is being scraped. Apps, websites and programs are doing this, quite legally, thanks to the fact that no-one bothers to read the TOS or understands the purposely confusing language that they use when trying to say they’ve a right to your words and ideas. We shouldn’t worry about the government at least, right? Well the government's known for ruining things you love; you should know this by now. You should be wary not of the government as a being but as an entity composed of individuals: • An individual can track an ex-lover • A group of individuals can target another group based upon their political beliefs • A group can view your pornographic viewing habits and use it against you The US government is but one of the major concerns for a person that's privacy minded. They not only spy on everyone, but they receive help from many corporations. These corporations make money off you and your information. They will buy, sell and trade with both the government and other corporations. Sites like Been Verified, Smart Zip and Intelius will gather and place your data on not only their sites but sell it to others.  Even search engines like Google or Bing have your personal information. These sites can have anything from your name to your address or even pictures of your house and vehicles. It may seem like fear mongering and a lot of fuss about nothing, but your information is used for anything and everything. Anyone can find it now and no-one can be too prepared when it comes to their privacy and personal safety. ___References___: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utah_Data_Center https://www.cnn.com/2013/09/27/politics/nsa-snooping/ https://dailycaller.com/2014/12/22/bombshell-report-irs-targeted-icky-conservative-groups/ https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20131127/00243625384/nsa-spied-porn-habits-radicalizers-planned-to-use-details-to-embarrass-them.shtml https://www.beenverified.com/ https://www.smartzip.com/ https://www.intelius.com/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ===Compartmentalization and You=== When it concerns information security, compartmentalization is the act of limiting access to information through a need-to-know basis to persons or groups who need it in order to perform specific tasks. The concept originates from the military when handling "classified information" and intelligence applications. The basis is that if fewer people know the details, the less likely a mission or task will be jeopardized and be risked. This helps limit the chance that data could be compromised or fall into the hands of enemies. This also explains the varying levels of clearance within organizations, like "TOP SECRET" or the highly restricted "TOP SECRET ULTRA". Like a well-oiled military machine, one must treat their online life like a separate entity that's in no way, shape or form related to their offline life. This is to prevent cross contamination of accounts and information. One such example of compartmentalization in cyber security, for the average internet user, is never using the same username or e-mail address for an account. Another example would be purchasing a subscription to a good, secure VPN to prevent your own IP and ISP from being detected. One other example is the use of add-ons to sanitize your referral links and randomizing your browser's user agent. In the end, the best practice is to treat each and every account as a separate entity isolated from your other accounts. A new e-mail address, username, persona and style of typing will be needed for each and every account you create to prevent possible cross contamination. Please remember these simple steps when creating your accounts: • A different username • A different e-mail address • A different password • Always ensure you never use real world information • Always ensure your avatar and/or signature is of an image you've used nowhere else • Where you can, use a P.O. Box • Where you can, use a pre-paid card instead of your credit or debit • Where you can, use a burner phone (pre-paid cell) instead of your landline or cell number • Use a word processor to double check your written content before posting • Try to limit the use of words you most commonly use • Try to limit what information you provide in your account's profile • Try to limit your overall account count to 10 or less • Never link accounts to each other • Never publicly post e-mail addresses or passwords • Never share or link your chat, instant messenger or social media accounts to people you don't trust • Never use your real name, nor should you ever post your real world information ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ===An Introduction to your Digital Footprint=== Transparency for the sake of online socialization and interaction is a threat. This trend won't die anytime soon, mind you. There are many reasons for this, such as the alarming growth of social networks and the demands for online passports or services like Klout. It's obvious that the need for privacy is in increasing demand, but the biggest setback for privacy is you. All those accounts you made in your early internet years? They have most likely left a nice trail that many can follow and use to learn about you and your posting habits. You see, it’s true; everything on the internet lasts. Unlike now, we weren’t taught to be as privacy-minded.  Governments and corporations are fighting to wave privacy off as a paranoid's fantasy, and many privacy groups exist and claim to fight for your rights against the invasion of privacy. But how many actually do help? Many are in bed with corporations and/or the government. Many just demand donations because of a believed slight. Others... others just steal content from each other. The Paranoid's Bible? We just want to spread and share knowledge (and that you shouldn’t pay for sub-par info) whereas others push the meme that just deleting an account will wipe all traces of it. It’s wrong to believe that deleting account actually deletes anything. By law, most sites and services have to keep everything on their servers for a few months to a year or more. So, in a sense, you can never delete an account, hence us telling you that you need to think carefully before creating an account. We believe your various accounts should be like any good camp fire: Well planned. You need to not only think it out but also plan it out and have an emergency plan in case it spreads too far, too fast. Plus it doesn't hurt to have a backup plan to extinguish it in case you no longer have control over it. Your online profiles and accounts shouldn’t just rot. They need to be removed and all traces proving its existence also doused out. Like any good woodsman or woman will tell you: A single campfire can destroy a forest. This is why you must always plan your accounts and profiles out. Like a campfire left alone in a forest, a single account or profile can destroy an entire life. Any one account and/or profile can devastate an entire person’s public image. Yes, in theory, everything will remain cached, copied or saved on some server till the end of days however there are some options still left for you to explore. You have an online footprint and anyone can find it, there’s nothing else to say other than that there are services for doing background checks on everyone and everything for any reason(s). You have a digital trail dedicated to all your old fanfics, photos or images and online debates… anyone who has enough patience can find out who you are online and where you are offline. There are steps that you can take to prevent your online footprint from growing. But nothing short of doxing yourself ([1] self doxing) and learning just how much of your information is online can help. One issue is how you interact with others online. Another issue is how much information you post on the internet. All we can do is give you some simple suggestions before providing you the tools needed to self-dox. Once done, save this information somewhere on your computer or a USB where other's won't find it. Hold onto this until you've read the rest of this guide as this information will help you delete and opt-out of as much as possible. • Self doxing isn’t the act of doxing oneself and posting dox for all to see, it’s the opposite. It’s the act of using the tools, tactics and knowledge often used in doxing to “meta-dox” oneself.  This act's done in private, not in the public's eye. You're to find and delete any traces or information that's found through the self-dox. This is to prevent possible doxing in the future. (E.G: Opting out and having your information deleted from Spokeo, or deleting an old account you’ve associated with your real name). **Remember**: Before deleting any information, read this guide fully. You’ll need to do so to understand what you’re about to partake in and work on. ___References___: https://www.wired.com/2012/07/ff_kaspersky/ https://www.wired.com/2012/04/ff_klout/3/ https://paranoidsbible.tumblr.com/ https://www.hackcommunity.com/Thread-DoX-DoXing-and-How-To-Prevent-It-being-anonymous-within-your-identity?pid=73506 https://minichan.org/topic/7866 https://www.hackcommunity.com/Thread-Tutorial-Maxx-s-Anti-Dox-Handbook?pid=180063 https://offbeathome.com/2013/03/how-to-keep-your-personal-information-private https://netsecurity.about.com/od/perimetersecurity/a/How-Criminals-Use-Google-Maps-Street-View-To-Case-The-Joint.htm https://www.abine.com/blog/2012/how-to-delete-things-from-the-internet/ https://null-byte.wonderhowto.com/inspiration/dont-get-doxed-5-steps-protecting-your-private-information-web-0133806/ https://thebot.net/general-tutorials/233339-how-doxing-works-protect-yourself/#post2372672 https://soyouwannalearnhowto.wordpress.com/2011/05/22/so-you-wanna-learn-how-to-prevent-doxing/ https://school-of-privacy.com/selfdox ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ===Finding your Digital Footprint: A Dossier=== The reason to why we’re opting to use a dossier is because it’ll allow you to sort the information that you find on yourself. It's an easy-to-use format, too. This serves as your go-to document, which we recommend that you save in a .txt. We know many will not believe this to be useful as many will say you can't stop the government or corporations from spying on you; however corporations and government aren't out to ruin your life or financial security. The people you have to worry about getting a hold of this information are civilians. They'll contact employers, family and friends all under the guise of social justice or correcting perceived wrongs. Anyone with the right combination of information can guess passwords and security questions, thus accessing your accounts and e-mail addresses to further ruining you and what you’ve built for yourself. The below contains some simplified descriptions of why each piece of information is useful. Name: Even if common, a person’s name (first and/or last) can help verify information. Age: Can confirm certain information. Birth date: Used to verify age and name, plus other information. Location: A general location, like a city or state, can help locate an address. Phone number: Verify name and location. Home address: The home address can usually turn up images and misc information through Google and realtor sites. Possible relations: Relatives, significant others and friends. Usernames: Using the same username over and over again can create a trail. E-mail addresses: The e-mail address can lead to many things, like accounts or possible data-dumps. Accounts: Links to accounts found on various websites can be used to keep a list of where you’ve been. Websites: Most likely has information you don’t realize, like your site’s whois. Misc information: Miscellaneous pieces of information that may seem crucial or of interest. Possible accounts: Similar username or other items that seems to be possibly related. Images: Can verify accounts; find Exif data…ETC. Make two dossiers. One with the information you know and recall, then a second one with the information that you've found online through the use of this guide. Remember to keep these two separate once done as you don’t want to contaminate the information that you remember with the information that you’ve found. Compare them only after you've read this guide fully. ___References___: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WHOIS ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ===Finding your Digital Footprint: Resources=== It’s important to keep track of the information found through the use of the provided dossier. We suggest that you also keep track of how each piece of information was found, as well as what led you to that discovery. This way you’ll be able to provide us with more insight and knowledge on how to prevent information from leaking besides helping us figure out how to remove it. Remember, though, it isn’t who you are but who you used to be and what you’ve once said. This is what most people look for when they wish to dox someone. It's the key to ruining someone’s image or brand, no matter how liked they are online. Knowing what someone said or did in the past will help ruin their present self and devalue their credibility. Now, before you start, put yourself into the shoes of a stranger and think back to previous scenarios or cases where you’ve heard of doxing. The reason we ask this is simple: To see just how varied doxing can be and just how unethical it can get at times. Think of it like this: Imagine someone you’ve argued with and them being so thoroughly upset they’re now wishing nothing short of a pox upon your genitals or the death of your dog. This person has decided to track down every piece of information possible on you that exists online. This hatred is what usually drives people onward toward their goal of doxing. They need to find information on someone and put them in their place or it’s because they believe it’s their moral obligation to track down those who wander away from the status quo or go against the will of a group. Once you get into this frame of mind, don’t think of the information you know, but search for what you don't. Search for items posted in the present and past. You must find this information and use it. Add it to your dossier. You'll get a glimpse of what others see when they comb through your blog and internet past. Now, to make this simpler for you, we're going to end this part with a links and miscellaneous resources. Username:  * https://www.namechk.com/ * https://www.knowem.com/ * https://www.namecheckr.com/  * https://www.checkusernames.com/ General: * https://www.spokeo.com/ * https://www.pipl.com/ * https://www.wink.com/ * https://www.peekyou.com/ * https://www.yoname.com/ * https://www.linkedin.com/ * https://www.search.yahoo.com/ * https://www.google.com/ * https://www.bing.com/ * https://www.reddit.com/ * https://www.aad.archives.gov/aad/series-list.jsp?cat=GS29 * https://www.numberway.com/uk/ * https://www.vinelink.com/vinelink/initMap.do * https://www.jailbase.com/en/sources/fl-lcso/ * https://www.publicrecords.onlinesearches.com/ * https://www.www.abika.com/ * https://www.www.freeality.com/ * https://www.radaris.com/ * https://www.twoogel.com/ * https://www.advancedbackgroundchecks.com * https://www.yellowpagesgoesgreen.org/ * https://www.Intelius.com/ * https://www.PublicRecordsNow.com * https://www.Smartzip.com Social Networks: * https://www.twitter.com/ * https://www.facebook.com/ * https://www.deviantart.com * https://www.xanga.com/ * https://www.tumblr.com/ * https://www.myspace.com/ * https://www.yasni.com/ * https://www.socialmention.com/ * https://www.whostalkin.com/ * https://www.linkedin.com/ * https://www.formspring.me/ * https://www.foursquare.com/ * https://www.about.me/ * https://www.profiles.google.com/ * https://www.blogger.com * https://www.photobucket.com/ * https://www.quora.com/ * https://www.stumbleupon.com/ * https://www.reddit.com * https://www.digg.com * https://www.plixi.com * https://www.pulse.yahoo.com/ * https://www.flickr.com/ Location: * https://www.whitepages.com/person * https://www.maps.google.com/ * https://www.411.com/ * https://www.192.com/ * https://www.zabasearch.com/ * https://www.zillow.com People: * https://www.123people.com/ * https://www.peekyou.com/ * https://www.peoplejar.com/ * https://www.anywho.com/whitepages * https://www.yahoo.intelius.com/ * https://www.findermind.com/free-people-search-engines/ * https://www.ipeople.com * https://www.facebook.com/directory/people/ * https://www.skipease.com/ * https://www.zabasearch.com/ * https://www.wink.com/ * https://www.dobsearch.com/ * https://www.searchbug.com/ * https://www.nationwidecrafts.com/ * https://www.everyone411.com/ * https://wwww.Acxiom.com/ * https://wwww.MyLife.com/ * https://www.Zabasearch.com * https://www.ussearch.com/ * https://www.peoplesmart.com/ * https://www.usa-people-search.com/ * https://www.spoke.com/ * https://www.SOBSearch.com/ * https://www.beenverified.com/ * https://www.peoplefinder.com/ Phone numbers: * https://www.whitepages.com/reverse-lookup * https://www.freecellphonedirectorylookup.com/ * https://www.fonefinder.net/ Images: * https://www.tineye.com/ * https://www.saucenao.com/ * https://www.photobucket.com/ * https://www.revimg.net/ * https://www.iqdb.org/ Programs: * Skype Add-ons (for Firefox): * Exif viewer Whois: * https://www.networksolutions.com/whois/index.jsp Caches: * https://www.archive.is  (Can be used to make your own caches of pages) * https://www.archive.org/   You may have come across similar links from such sites as insurgen.cc or maybe from an image board with an /i/nvasion or /i/nsurgency board. You could've even seen it on some blogger's how-to, but these links...? They're actually well known and have been the staple of a lot of lists and guides on how track a person or persons down. These links will help you find your own information and thus help you dox yourself. **Please remember**: This is but a sampling, if you wish to see a larger chunk of the iceberg that invades our privacy then look at the supplementary guides. Please hold off on the opt-outs until you’ve read this whole guide. We’ve organized the opt-outs to help you speed along with the removal of your information and ask you to wait as we also have various tips and tricks to ensure you do it right. ___References___: https://www.propublica.org/article/privacy-tools-opting-out-from-data-brokers https://consumerist.com/2010/06/21/giant-list-of-data-brokers-to-opt-out-of/ https://money.cnn.com/galleries/2010/technology/1012/gallery.data_miners/index.html https://www.privacyalerts.org/data-brokers.html https://www.privacyrights.org/online-information-brokers-list https://unlistmy.info/sites https://consumerist.com/2010/06/21/giant-list-of-data-brokers-to-opt-out-of/ https://www.cnet.com/how-to/how-to-take-back-your-privacy-from-data-brokers/ https://silversteampunk.tumblr.com/post/70232779066/i-used-this-image-because-ive-seen-it-posted ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Finding your Digital Footprint: Tactics When one looks for information online, there isn’t just one single way to go about it as it’s a mess of tactics, resources and searching until one’s fingers are raw from typing. Because of this, we’ve created a series of simple tactics for you to track down your information online. We also wish to show you how to counteract these tactics due to how commonly used they are by those searching for information on a target. -------------------------------------- Applies to Tumblr only * About Me Leads to About You: Simple and fast, always the first thing you should do when going over a blogger’s profile--Look at the about me or description and see what information is there. • Name? • Age? • Nicknames? • Previous usernames? • Links? • List of tags or posts? Whatever there is, it leads to valuable information that can pad out the dossier. **Counteract**: Never use your real name online, nicknames, or anything of value. This should apply to any and all accounts you own. * Counter Crawling: Use a publicly displayed counter or your own to track someone’s IP and browser print down. **To do this**: Check for a Statcounter or tracker made public, or use your own and bait the target. Now look at what information is displayed and/or look for /blog/username links. Use these to find meta-data like: • Blogs • IP address • General location (ISP or host’s location) • Referral information **Counteract**: Many add-ons help prevent this, like Umatrix or Ublock Origin. You should always use one or more of these add-ons and also look into ensuring that if you host a site that you’ve sanitized your Whois. * Tumblr Cataloging: This is quite simple in all actuality as it only requires time, patience and lots of reading. To start out, one goes to the target blog, then you comb through the /archive/ link or by finding the last page of a blog. In theory you need to find the oldest (the first) post made on the blog and from there, working your way up to most current, you go from page-to-page. You skim posts for key pieces of information that can be used to find information elsewhere or used in a search engine. Things you'll look for: • Exif data from images • Linked image albums • Alternate blog or account links • E-mail addresses • Wish lists • Personal rants • Family or pet names • Real life locations or school names The older the blog, the more likely there are pieces of information that can be used to find their accounts elsewhere online. **Counteract**: Don’t be ignorant or rash, think before you post and watch what you post. Ensure you don’t leak real world information. Remember:  Save images as PNG and always scrub the Exif data. Be careful and post smart. * Tag Hunt: The trend of having to tag every post caused people to be obsessive with certain tags, and to profit from this, one has to check for a tag list or commonly used tags like ‘my face’ or ‘me’. Depending on whether Tumblr pulled an Imgur and removes exif data, images can lead to real world information. **Counteract**: Post smart, save images as PNG and always scrub Exif data. Be general and misleading about things in reality (when discussed online). Swap real names for generic names or handles—High school is now your high school, not Mt. Rush High. * Tag Search: Search the blog’s username and/or title on Tumblr search and Tumblr’s tag search and you can also search previous or past usernames/titles. You can find a lot out on a blogger and who they hang out with by searching them on Tumblr. If they have a previous blog name/title, it can be found by using the “Tumblr cataloging” tactic. Example: 1. Party H re-blogged and responded to Party B. 2. The post Party B re-blogged was from Party A. The post from Party A is on Party H’s blog. 3. Party H is the source but older posts  (re-blogged by others) show it re-blogged from Party A. 4. This means Party H and Party A are one in the same and that Party H changed the name/title. Searching their previous names/titles on Tumblr can and will usually lead to excellent information. Remember though, you’ll need patience and to take some time going through these tags. **Counteract**: Don’t change your title/name or do so often enough to limit each change’s exposure. You’ve done all that you’ve could on Tumblr; you’ve gotten some information… now what? Well, it’s time to breakout Google or some other search engine and start using various combinations of the information that you’ve found to see what trails that you can uncover. -------------------------------------------- General information and searching * Account Hopping: The older an account, the more likely it will link to another account somewhere else. Similar to a few of the Tumblr tactics, one just has to search tags, keywords, and comb through the accounts. Usually it’s a comment or even a keyword itself.  This has better success on Wordpress or Blogger accounts, also in descriptions on profiles. **Counteract**: Always wait a month before deleting an account. Remove any and all posts, texts, and information. Before deleting the text or posts, first fill them with random characters/text. This is to force a new cache from various search engine and services. This should render previous ones inaccessible and only leave traces of nothing. **Example**: Instead of a lengthy diatribe against your old significant other, it’s ‘sldknlskndlfkndlkslfksldkfndslksdnflksklnfdslkfsdnklds’. Also, for images or videos, upload blank images and static filled videos. * CTRL + U sourcing it: Check custom layouts on various blogging platforms for websites and links. Various sites allow individuals to add their own custom flair to things, for example a layout and separate page designs. You can find links to storage accounts or image upload services by checking the source. This usually leads to photobucket accounts, imageshack accounts or personal servers. It could also expose a cloud storage account that can be searched or forced into exposing more information. **Counteract**: Use the month rule and the random text/character trick before deletion. You should also name all images randomly instead of using actual words. Don’t put anything in obvious order and always ensure your password is strong to prevent brute forcing or guessing. **Note on passwords**:  8 to 12 characters long with random letters, numbers and characters. * E-mail address surfing: Using any number of websites or search engines, one can enter an email address to lookup. Using its variations (@gmail, hotmail, yahoo…ETC) you can find miscellaneous accounts. This can also lead to information and possible dead-accounts or addresses. You could use a dead address and resurrect it anew to claim accounts and to learn information like passwords and IPs or offline information. **Counteract**: Use a different e-mail address for each account and ensure to have a separate secondary account for it. Don’t display your E-mail address and never give it out, or at least use a secondary-secondary as a fake for public display. * Face snipping: Find a picture of someone online. Crop out everything but their face. Using the (cropped) image of just their face and/or head, go to Tineye and see if you can find results. Usually you’ll be able to find accounts. Using this, you can find abandoned social media pages that contain information about relatives, schools and businesses. **Counteract**: Never post your image online, ever. Also scrub exif data. * Forum scouting: Find an account on a forum; search the forum for more information. Most forums have a search function that allows you to search a username plus keywords, it’s simple and quick. Search specific things like: • Social network names • Usernames • E-mails • General keywords (example: email, account, art, location, school) Double check posts for signatures or avatars that can be traced back to other accounts. If that isn’t possible, then check the user’s profile for a post counter that may or may not be clickable. This will usually lead to all their posts. **Counteract**: One month wait before deletion, plus random characters in the posts. Also request the owner/mods/staff to delete account and all posts. * Gaia sleuthing: Go to their forums and search them, or profiles for similar usernames and information. Check against a search engine with things like “Username,” “Gaia,” “E-mail” and whatever else. This usually leads to various forums and other accounts. This tactic can also be applied to Neopets, among other sites. **Counteract**: Follow the deletion trick of random characters…Etc. Don’t giveaway your items. Don’t donate your gold or cash. Just delete everything within the month rule. * Photobucket jumping: Just searching usernames against account links like ‘photobucket.com/user/-username-‘ or ‘photobucket.com/profile/-username-‘ to find an account. Once an account is discovered, people can search parts or the whole URL of any direct image link. This allows people to find where you’ve posted your images and thus your accounts. **Counteract**: Delete your images and photobucket account. Don’t put a password on it and don’t let it idle…it’ll lasts forever. Remember to use the one month rule and blank image trick. * Username searching: Search the username using a search engine or one of several username check websites. Just find any and all accounts with a similar username and then check its information against that in the dossier. **Counteract**: Never use the same username twice. Always change it, no matter what. Never share your accounts with anyone or announce your accounts elsewhere and never inter-link accounts. -------------------------------------------------- Vanity Searching (Ego hunting/surfing | Kibozing) In simplicity, vanity searching is the act of searching one’s own name or pseudonym on a popular search engine or the internet at large to find results on one’s self. Most individuals usually do this as a meta-checkmark on what information of theirs or concerning them appears on the popular search engines or websites accessible to the public. Now vanity searching is a great tool to find those golden little nuggets of information that you didn’t know existed online. While many just stick to variations of their name, we’d like to suggest the below list of searches you can make plus some combinations to help you on your way to digital freedom. Common Vanity Search Queries: 1. Full name (First, Middle, Last and/or marks JR/SR/2nd/ 3rd…etc) 2. First + last name 3. First name 4. Last name/home address 5. Name combinations + birth-date 6. Name combinations + home/street address 7. Name combinations + school 8. Name combinations + work 9. Name combinations + vote, voted or voting 10. Street address 11. Relatives names + name combinations 12. Usernames + name combinations 13. Usernames 14. E-mail addresses 15. E-mail addresses + usernames 16. Websites or accounts + usernames 17. Websites or accounts + e-mail addresses 18. Usernames + city or state 19. Name combinations + city or state 20. The above + IP addresses or ISP 21. The above + known leak or dump searches (E.G: Have I Been PWNED) ------------------------------ These tactics are but a sampling of what many people do on a daily basis to find the information of others. We just list the most common and easiest to do for you to help you find your online footprint but you shouldn’t believe that this is it, really look into variations and be creative when trying to find your own information… you’ll be surprised by just how much of it exists online. ___References___: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egosurfing https://haveibeenpwned.com/ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ===Finding your Digital Footprint: Things to know and do=== This chapter is dedicated to providing you with various steps that you can take to prevent cross-referencing through multiple accounts. A single piece of information posted in one location can be used against you and lead to another account. If not taken into careful consideration, something as simple as your first name could lead to your inevitable doxing. Imagine if you will that you have an account on a site about model trains. You signed up with your first name and used your old AOL e-mail address. Someone looking for you discovers you like trains; however all they have on you is an old username. They search this username, which is used in your old AOL e-mail address. They discover your model train account and first name. Search with various variations of your e-mail address and name, thus discover a newsletter of your town’s local hobby shop and model train group. They now know your full name, your hobby group, your old e-mail address and several other pieces of information that, when combined, lead to your home address. Congratulations, you have been doxed. The below information serves more as a guideline than actual rules, which should be followed but can be modified or ignored based upon the individual and their privacy needs. These are just some ways to deter information from getting away from you and being used by others to discover your information. So, please, do see the below as some daunting task but a series of suggestions. When leaving an account: o When leaving, don’t announce it. o Tell no one that you’re deleting your account. o Delete your account only after a month of inactivity and delete it only after switching it to a *‘Dead E-mail address’. • Note: An e-mail address used to take ownership of an account that you’re deleting/deactivating. Steps to take before deleting an account: o Before deleting anything, wait a month. o Anything you can edit, do so with random characters and text. o Images should be replaced with a blank temp image (pure color image). o Videos should be replaced with either a solid color or static. o Once a month is over, you can delete that account. o But before doing so, delete the account’s items one by one. o If you can’t delete something, ask the staff/owner/webmaster/mods to delete it for you. o Stating that someone is stalking you is usually enough to remove the information. o If they won’t remove, try to edit it once again with random text. o If you can’t edit it, ignore it. o If it’s a blog, change titles and/or usernames. o Preserve the original URL or username on a blank blog or account. o Never leave your old username or URL up for grabs. On removing an old E-mail address: o Never delete an e-mail address, simply switch accounts and other items accordingly. o Mark everything else in it as spam, but only if you can’t unsubscribe. o Log into it at least once a month to prevent deletion. o You can most likely delete it after not using it around a year or two later. o Always make sure the e-mail is no longer tied to any accounts or personal information. o Always wipe it out like any other account by changing as much as possible to randomized text. On account maintenance: o Never use your real name. o Never upload an image of yourself. o Never use your real location. o Never discuss your time zone. o Never discuss your current time. o Always use English, at all times. o Never discuss events happening in your area. o Never mention race or skin color. o Never mention religion. o Never mention sexuality. o Never discuss your hobbies in great detail. o Don’t talk about your fetishes or kinks. o Accounts shouldn’t be cross-linked to other accounts/sites. o If you do, make sure no username is the same. o And make sure no e-mail address displayed is the same. o Use a different e-mail address for each account. o Keep accounts separate if not needed to be linked. o Never link RP accounts to other accounts and social networking profiles o Don’t mention how many pets you have or their names. o The same applies to family members, neighbors, friends and significant others. o Scrape as much information off of something as possible. o Boil it all down to the core basics. o Never keep an account longer than a year (some exceptions apply). On talking to strangers: o Never display your messenger, Skype or chat names anywhere online. o Give it to others only if they ask you (and you trust them). o Keep all forms of instant messaging and chat private. o Don’t save logs. o Only give out to trusted individuals. o This applies to IRC channels and chat setups. o Lock down as much as possible. o Never use real names or information, ever. o Don’t tell other people who you talk to online. o Never place your full name on Skype (or any service). o Limit the profile you have on Skype (and any  other service). o Make sure all options are set to private. o If it can’t be set to private, then set to contacts. o Like Skype, any chat client or instant messenger should be locked down. On behavior: o You’ll most likely have to change the way you behave online. o Sharing interests is fine, but getting too obsessed is bad. o Never admit to liking any specific thing. o This can help people tie other accounts to you. o Admitting to things like your favorite food can be used to trace too. o In general, you need to keep yourself and your information limited when on the internet. o Instead of admitting to liking a song, just say you like the band. o This applies to specific bands in smaller genres, too. o Or any form of entertainment that you specifically like. o Instead of specific parts you like in a game, you just like the game. o Remember: don’t talk about your location. o Don’t talk about your general location in detail. o Don’t mention what it’s known for (produce, exports, colleges, universities…etc). o Don’t make mention of recent weather, as that can be used in junction with other information o Don’t say the exact time. o Be wary of saying exactly what the temperature is. o If the person you’re talking to uses Celsius, then tell the temp in Celsius. o If the person you’re talking to uses Fahrenheit, then tell the temp in Fahrenheit. o Don’t make mention of general information like school names or street names. o Don't make mention eateries/restaurants as they can be unique to your location. o Always refer to your city/town as a college town. o Never post selfies. o Never post nudes. o Never post porn. o Never post erotica. When getting personal: o Don’t discuss siblings or family members to great extent. o Don’t drop pet names. o Don’t drop the name of anyone related to you. o Don’t drop the name of friends. o Don’t drop the name of politicians. o Don’t drop the names of people you’ve had relationships with. o Keep age to a general rounded number, like, the 20s…etc o Keep personal descriptions down. o Keep weight to a more general descriptor (overweight, obese…etc). On talking about life experiences: o Never do so in the first place. o If you do, don’t let incriminating evidence be traced back to you. o Or at least make sure you can discuss such things in a secure environment. o Also don’t attach anything about you to your online personas and/or accounts. On using custom domains: o Ask your host about Whois masking. o If they don’t offer it, check into other services. On online relationships: o Don’t do online dating. o Don’t sext. o Don’t cyber. o Don’t do erotic roleplay. o Don’t go to online dating websites. o Don’t take part in relationship, dating, sex…etc help sites/forums/chats. Just use common sense. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ===Deleting Your Information=== Using what you now know from the above chapters, it’s time to work on deleting your information, old account and general internet presence. While it may seem hard to do and quite the task to take up, understand it’s for the greater good. By doing this now, you’ll have less to worry about in the future and won’t have to worry about things coming back to haunt you. No more embarrassing teenage antics or silly digital slap fights, only a clean and fresh digital presence that the civilian population and potential employers can critique or use against you. This chapter will be quite short as all the information above should not only be beneficial but enough to get you going, however there are still a few things to point out just so you’re prepared to dive in and work yourself ragged to cover up the fact that you used to like a certain animated series. First off, before we begin ensure you’ve read the above fully and understand what’s been written, from there compare the dossiers and see what information you know VS the information you found. Now ignore any people search engines and focus only upon accounts. Pick an account and work on that one only, as that’s going to be the only account that you’ll be working on until you’ve finished ‘sanitizing’ it. To recap, remember the One Month Rule: 1. Wait a month before deleting an account. 2. Within that month, hide and/or delete all comments that you can that aren’t yours. 3. Modify and change everything that you can. 4. Any editable text should be randomized (E.G: wodegnoi2n402) 5. Images should be changed to a blank or solid color image. 6. Videos should be changed to a solid color or static video. 7. All CSS and HTML, that’s editable, should be wiped out. 8. Change the e-mail address used to register the account with something else. 9. Check your e-mail addresses against HIBP to ensure nothing has been compromised. 10. Repeat the above steps for each account and e-mail address. Once done, before deleting the account, head over to the Internet Time Machine and contact them at this e-mail address: [email protected]. Request their archives of your account to be removed, simply state it’s for privacy concerns (or if you’re being stalked or doxed, state safety) and provide them a screen-cap of you being logged into the account. If the account is attached to any groups or similar items, and you’ve made or own them, please also request the removal of those archives too. Now, while you’re waiting for the month to finish up, move onto your next account and repeat the above steps and recommended procedures. Keep this up until all of your accounts have been modified, sanitized and deleted (once the full month is up). If your Social security number, a credit card or debit card number or any other private information is attached to it (or if you own some digital content exclusive to that account) don’t delete it, yet, just follow the above and let it rot (sit and not touched) in case you need to access that account again. With accounts like Discord, Skype and Tox (among similar items) can be removed following the above yet with minor modifications. You don’t want to delete these accounts, just nullify them and cut all contact with anyone attached to them. You have to remove all custom labels/nicks/nicknames for your contacts, block each one and delete them from your contact/friends list. Then, fill it out all profile entries with underscores ( __ ) if you can blank them out or delete items you’ve entered previously. Ensure everything has been changed to private or contact, too. You should be able to use the above plus the previous chapters in order to remove and sanitize any of your information that exists on the internet. Slight modifications may be needed, however this should be enough for you to cover your tracks and prevent any potential dox or attacks. Accounts like Steam and Origin shouldn’t be removed or deleted (even if you could) as these are either tied to private information or purchases. Just blank out as much as possible and adjust profile settings to whatever max privacy is considered. You shouldn’t have these accounts mad public in the first place; always ensure they’re set to invisible and restricted access or no access. Now, everything should hopefully have been removed and you’ve been able to do everything in your power to lessen your digital footprint. Move onto the below chapter, but remember this: Keep a list of all your usernames that you’ve used, these can be applied to another tactic in later guides. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ===Opt-out Master-list=== The purpose of this chapter is to provide you with an up-to-date listing of any and all opt-outs for people databases or search engines. This means you’ll be able to opt-out of not only known data brokers but several unknown brokers. You'll even cut down on physical mail and e-mail. Many feel this isn’t needed as you have to provide information to remove information, but this is what’s needed. Not just by the law but also for business records. Opt-outs are just you acknowledging a contract made without your knowledge. Instead of ignoring them, you’re stating you don’t want them using or selling your information. It not only helps reduce your online footprint but also helps you cut back on carbon emissions and overall exposure across the internet with things you didn’t know exist (E.G: Opt of one site and others follow suite). For now, we've only include the online opt-outs in this PDF. We suggest you finish those and those alone as most of them are interlinked to many of the phone and fax opt-outs. Once you finished those you should wait a month or two before doing other opt-outs. A lot of information will be expunged as you opted out of one or two other sites. Online Opt-outs: These are opt-outs that can be done online through forms or simple links without a pay wall. https://www.10digits.us/ https://www.10digits.us/remove • Requires photo ID upload + e-maill addess + page link. • Make sure to search using all three methods. • Repeat for each immediate family member in your residence. https://www.411.info https://www.411.info/contact/ • Find your info, copy the link. • Go to the contact link and ask them to remove your info. • Provide the link(s) in the message. https://www.500millionphonerecords.com/ https://www.phonedetective.com/PD.aspx?_act=OptOut • Follow the instructions on the Phonedetective opt-out link. • Repeat for each individual in household and any and all numbers you've owned or recall owning. https://www.accutellus.com/ https://www.accutellus.com/opt_out_request.php • Follow the instructions on the opt-out page, repeat for all individual in household. https://www.Acxiom.com/ https://www.isapps.acxiom.com/optout/optout.aspx (Cookie opt-out can be ignored if you install ad blocking and privacy based add-ons on your browser) • For the actual opt-out, just follow the above link and follow the instructions, repeating it for each residence in your house. • After each successful entry fill out, you’ll be taken to a new page with a capatcha and a field to confirm the e-mail address. • Log into your e-mail account, find the confirmation e-mail, and follow the link provided. • Repeat for each individual in household. https://www.addresses.com/ https://www.addresses.com/optout.php • Follow instructions on page, repeat for each individual in household. https://www.addresssearch.com/ https://www.addresssearch.com/remove-info.php • Follow instructions on page, repeat for each individual in household. https://www.allareacodes.com/ https://www.allareacodes.com/remove_name.htm • Follow instructions on page, repeat for each individual in household. https://www.archives.com/ https://www.archives.com/ga.aspx?_act=Optout • Follow instructions on page, repeat for each individual in household. https://www.checkpeople.com/ https://www.checkpeople.com/optout • Follow instructions on page, repeat for each individual in household. https://www.corporationwiki.com/ https://www.corporationwiki.com/profiles/public • Follow instructions listed on their website. • Very few cases, only for businesses and their executives. https://www.coxtarget.com/ https://www.coxtarget.com/mailsuppression/s/DisplayMailSuppressionForm • Wait until you’ve received your next ‘ValPak’ packet\envelope. • Go to the opt-out form\link above. • Enter information as it is on the envelope. • You’ve opted out. https://www.datalogix.com/ https://www.datalogix.com/privacy/#opt-out-landing https://www.aboutads.info/  (More info here) • Find this sentence ‘If you wish to opt out of all Datalogix-enabled advertising across channels including direct mail, online, mobile and analytic products, and click here.’ • Follow directions, repeat for each resident of household. https://www.dexone.com/ https://www.dexknows.com/ https://www.dexpages.com/index.asp? https://www.dexone.com/privacy-policy https://green.dexknows.com/DexGreen/selectDexAction.do • Enter zip code. • Follow directions. • If you can’t opt-out, you can do so VIA the Yellow Pages opt-out. https://www.directmail.com/ https://www.directmail.com/directory/mail_preference/ • Follow directions in second link. https://www.dmachoice.org/ https://www.dmachoice.org/register.php • Follow directions on website. • Have to create an account for each member of household. https://www.dobsearch.com/ • Search yourself; address; phone number…etc • Find info. • Look for ‘Is this you? Manage your listing!’ • Follow instructions (You’ll need a valid e-mail address + landline or cell). • Repeat for all residents in house (One per 24 hours). https://www.donotcall.gov https://www.donotcall.gov/register/reg.aspx • Follow directions. • Enter phone numbers, cell and/or landline, and an e-mail address. https://www.ebureau.com/ https://www.ebureau.com/privacy-center/opt-out • Same as DMA choice opt-out, but no accounts; you’ll have to do this with previous addresses too. https://www.emailfinder.com/ https://www.emailfinder.com/EFC.aspx?_act=Optout • Follow instructions on screen. • Repeat for each resident in household. https://www.epsilon.com/ https://www.epsilon.com/consumer-preference-center https://www.optoutprescreen.com • Go to third link and follow their process (only needs to be done once). https://www.everify.com https://www.everify.com/legal.php#2 https://www.everify.com/legal.php#remove • Follow instructions on page, repeat for each individual in household. https://www.experian.com/ https://www.experian.com/privacy/opting_out_preapproved_offers.html https://www.optoutprescreen.com • Go to third link and follow their process (only needs to be done once). https://equifax.com/ https://help.equifax.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/2/noIntercept/1/kw/prescreen https://www.optoutprescreen.com • Go to third link and follow their process (only need to be done once). https://www.everyone411.com/ • Go to contact page @ https://www.everyone411.com/contact • Provide listing links. • Request removal. • Repeat for all individuals in household. https://www.freephonetracer.com/ https://www.freephonetracer.com/FCPT.aspx?_act=OptOut • Online opt-out form, follow directions. https://www.health.com/health/ https://subscription.timeinc.com/storefront/privacy/health/generic_privacy_form_offline.html?dnp-source=E%20AND%20 https://subscription.timeinc.com/storefront/privacy/health/generic_privacy_form_online.html?dnp-source=E • Fill out with your information, repeat for each individual in your household. Make sure to check all boxes in the two opt-out links. https://www.ims-dm.com/ https://www.ims-dm.com/cgi/optoutemps.php • Follow directions on second link. • Enter up to three emails. • Fill captcha. • Clear cache and repeat as necessary. https://www.infousa.com/ https://www.infousa.com/StaticPage/PrivacyPolicyInfo.htm • Look for: Opt Out Policy–Upon a visitor’s request, InfoUSA Inc. • Read it carefully, scroll down and find the ‘E-mail form’. • Fill it out, include your name, birth date, address and phone number. Request all information of yours to be removed, especially anything related to the info you just provided. https://www.infospace.com/ https://www.support.infospace.com/privacy/ • Search for ‘Choice/Opt-out’. • The link there is old, use this one: https://infospace.com/contact/index.html • Select 'General inquiry'. • Provide your name, birth date, address and phone number. • Request all information of yours be removed, especially anything matching or related to information you just provided. https://www.innovis.com/ https://www.innovis.com/InnovisWeb/pers_lc_opt_out.html https://www.optoutprescreen.com • Go to third link and follow their process (only needs to be done once). https://www.instantpeoplefinder.com/ https://www.instantpeoplefinder.com/optout.php • Follow on page instructions, repeat for each individual in household. https://www.locatefamily.com/ https://www.locatefamily.com/contact.html • Search for your name on the left side of the site. • You’ll find a page or pages containing Names, addresses and phone numbers. • Find yours; take note of the number next to it. • Go to the contact page. • Scroll down for the opt-out\removal form. • Follow the directions. • Make sure to provide the information you want deleted in the ‘Comments’ box. • Repeat for each individual in household. https://www.lookup.com/ https://www.lookup.com/optout.php • Go to the opt-out link. • Follow the directions. • Repeat for each individual in household. https://lycos.com https://info.lycos.com/resources/privacy-policy • Search for: How can you access or edit your information? • Follow directions. https://www.mobilephoneno.com/ https://www.mobilephoneno.com/help.htm • Search for: How do I delete my entry? • Follow directions. https://www.militaryavenue.com/ https://www.militaryavenue.com/Contact.aspx • Businesses only. • But, if you have your information up there, somehow. • First find said info. • Go to the contact page. • Select, from the drop down, “Incorrect Business information”. • Provide link, info, and ask for removal. https://www.myyp.com/ https://www.yellowpagesoptout.com • Follow instructions on second link. https://www.nationwidecrafts.com/ • Find listing. • Click the suggestion link/light bulb icon. • Request removal. https://www.orientaltrading.com/ https://www.orientaltrading.com/ui/help/processRequest.do?requestURI=link.removeForm • Follow instructions on second link. https://www.peekyou.com/ https://www.peekyou.com/about/contact/optout • Search for yourself. • Locate your profile and right-click then select 'copy link'. • Then open a new tab and go to their opt-out page and follow the instructions provided. • Repeat with each individual in household. https://www.peepdb.com/ • Enter full name + state. • Look for city + state in results. • Can confirm by partial phone number listed. • Click your result. • Scroll down. • Click ‘Remove This Listing’. • Follow directions. • Takes 10 business days. • One request + IP every 3 days. • Repeat with each individual in household. https://www.peoplebook.com/ https://www.peoplebook.com/support.htm • Search for your people book’s results. • Confirm it’s yours. • Grab link. • Go to the support link. • Follow directions. • Repeat for each individual in house. https://www.peoplefinder.com/ https://www.peoplefinder.com/manage/ https://www.peoplefinder.com/optout.php • Go directly to the opt-out link. • Fill in your information. • Select from the drop down ‘General privacy concerns’. • Enter the code word and click submit. • Repeat for each individual in household. https://www.peoplefinders.com/ https://www.peoplefinders.com/manage/default.aspx • Search your first, middle and last name in search. • State + city, too. • Find your listing, click ‘this is me’. • Skip the AD and\or sale section. • Takes anywhere from an hour to a month. • Repeat for each individual in household. https://www.peoplesearchpro.com/ https://www.peoplesmart.com/optout-go • Go directly to Opt-out. • Enter your name + city and state. • Find it, click it, and follow directions. • You will have to make an account. • Repeat for each individual in household. https://www.peoplesmart.com/ https://www.peoplesmart.com/opt-out? • Follow the People Smart opt-out instruction. • You’ll be shown a page of results, locate yours. • Click the ‘This is me’. • Look at the ‘Business’ listings, find anything of yours and click the “This is me” or skip the step if none exist. • Uncheck all options, except the last two. • Click ‘Save Settings’. • It’ll have you create an account, make sure to use a unique password only for this site and use nowhere else. • Repeat for each individual in your household (sans the account). • Repeat search, but this time with home address applied. https://www.peoplewise.com/ https://www.peoplewise.com/show/optoutdisclaimer • Go straight to the opt-out link. • Make sure JS and Cookies are enabled. • Follow the steps; make sure to read the red text. • When you find your list, click the ‘Removal’ test under the blue button. • When you’re on your page, within the red text, is a blue link, click it. • Enter your email address + security code. • Repeat for each individual in household. https://www.phonebook.com/ https://www.whitepages.com/ https://www.whitepages.com/privacy_central#6 • Go to Whitepages.com • Create an account. • Search for your information VIA address, name, phone number...etc • Claim each and every piece of information that's confirmed as yours. • Verify through e-mail and phone. • Then go to your profile. • Scroll down and request your information to be hidden\removed from the directory. • Follow the on screen prompts. • Logout, clean cache. • Create an account for each individual in household, repeat until finished. https://www.phonebooks.com/ • Search your name + city and state. • Find your listing in the results. • Click on said listing. • Locate ‘Remove this person’. • Follow directions. • Repeat for each and every individual in household. https://www.phonedetective.com/ https://www.phonedetective.com/PD.aspx?_act=OptOut • Go directly to opt-out page, follow directions. • Repeat for each individual in house. • Also repeat with each phone number you have or recall having. https://phonenumber.com/ https://www.whitepages.com/ https://www.whitepagescustomers.com https://www.whitepagescustomers.com/draft-how-do-i-remove-my-people-search-listing/ • Create an account . • Search for your information VIA address, name, phone number...etc • Claim each and every piece of information that's confirmed as yours. • Verify through e-mail and phone. • Then go to your profile. • Scroll down and request your information to be hidden/removed from the directory. • Follow the on screen prompts. • Logout, clean cache. • Create an account for each individual in household, repeat until finished. https://www.poedit.org/ https://www.poedit.org/auth/removal_request.html • Search for your page/information. • Take link/URL. • Copy it to the appropriate area listed in the second link. • Submit. • Find confirmation e-mail in inbox. • Repeat for each individual in household. https://www.privateeye.com/ https://www.peoplefinders.com/manage/ • Go to the People Finders link. • Enter your information. • On the results page you can refine your searches with age + birth-date. • Find your results and click ‘This is me’. • Follow instructions. • Repeat for each individual in household. https://profileengine.com/ https://profileengine.com/#/help https://profileengine.com/#/claimprofile • Search for profile. • Look for the claim profile option. • If not present, try the claim profile link above. • Follow instructions. • Repeat for each individual in household. https://pub360.com https://pub360.com/s/faq • Search for your name. • In results, look for the 'Information Removal' tab. • Follow instructions provided. • Repeat for each individual in household. https://radaris.com/ https://radaris.com/removal/ https://radaris.com/page/how-to-remove • Search for a name. • On the search results page, select the name that is most appropriate. • On the profile page, click the down-arrow to the right of the name and select ‘Control Information’. • From the information control page, choose ‘Remove information’. • Here you can choose to remove all information, or to delete specific records. • Confirm your real name matches your account and profile name. • Enter your cellular phone to receive a verification code. • Once the code has been entered, the profile will be private. • Repeat for each individual in household. https://www.redplum.com/ https://www.redplum.com/tools/redplum-postal-addremove.html • Follow the instructions provided on the second link. • Per known address. https://www.reversephonelookup.com/ https://www.reversephonelookup.com/remove.php • Go to second link. • Follow instruction provided. • Repeat for all known and owned phone numbers. https://www.searchbug.com/ https://www.searchbug.com/help.aspx?WHAT=people • Search for your name + city and state. • If ‘Free record’ is shown, you can click the garbage can\remove link to have it removed. • Repeat for all individuals in house. • Note: Premium records can't be removed through this process as they require manual removal and cost payment to do so. https://www.Spokeo.com https://www.spokeo.com/optout • Go to Spokeo. • Search your First, middle and last name. • Find your profile/listing by go to the bottom of the page and select ‘open advance filter’. • Fill out your information. • Find your profile/listing, copy the link (note: Right click+ copy link to have a ‘Clean link’ copied). • Go to the Opt out link. • Follow instructions to opt-out. • Repeat for each individual in house. • Hint: You’ll need a different e-mail address after so many removals. • Hint: You may have multiple profiles/links due to previous addresses. • Hint: Make sure HTTPs is not at the start of the link, if it is just remove the 'S'. https://www.usa.com https://www.peoplesmart.com/ https://www.peoplesmart.com/opt-out • Follow the People Smart opt-out instruction. • You’ll be shown a page of results, locate yours. • Click the ‘This is me’. • Look at the “Business” listings, find anything of yours and click the “This is me” or skip the step if none exist. • Uncheck all options, except the last two. • Click ‘Save Settings’. • It’ll have you create an account, make sure to use a unique password only for this site and use nowhere else. • Repeat for each individual in your household (sans the account). • Repeat search, but this time with home address applied. https://www.usa-people-search.com/ https://www.usa-people-search.com/manage/default.aspx • Go to the ‘Manage’ link. • Enter your information. • Find your listing. • Enter Captcha and tick both boxes. • Repeat for each individual in house. https://www.usbizplace.com/ https://www.usbizplace.com/contact-us.html • Find your listing with your information. • Follow directions on the contact-us page. • Repeat for all listings of yours you wish to remove. https://www.webcrawler.com/ https://www.webcrawler.com/support/privacypolicy https://www.webcrawler.com/support/contactus • Go to Webcrawler.com, search for your info. • Select link + note its order in the listing. • Contact them at the 'Contact us' link. • Request removal due to privacy concerns. • Repeat for each individual in household. https://www.whitepages.com/ https://www.whitepagescustomers.com https://www.whitepagescustomers.com/draft-how-do-i-remove-my-people-search-listing/ • Create an account. • Search for your information VIA address, name, phone number...etc. • Claim each and every piece of information that's confirmed as yours. • Verify through e-mail and phone. • Then go to your profile. • Scroll down and request your information to be hidden\removed from the directory. • Follow the on screen prompts. • Logout, clean cache. • Create an account for each individual in household, repeat until finished. https://www.valassis.com/ https://www.valassis.com/1024/Contact/MailingListRemoval.aspx • Follow instructions on second link. • Repeat for all known addresses. https://www.valpak.com/ https://www.coxtarget.com/mailsuppression/s/DisplayMailSuppressionForm • Wait till next envelope comes in the mail. • Enter the info exactly as it is on the envelope. • Repeat for all known addresses. https://www.wyty.com/ https://www.wyty.com/optout.aspx • Enter cell number (or phone number). • Select 'Request'. • Should be removed within 24hrs to a month. • Repeat for all known numbers. https://www.yellowbook.com/ https://www.yellowpagesoptout.com/ • https://delivery.ypg.com/en/US/Home/Index/ (Canada opt-out). • Follow directions on 'Yellowpagesoptout' link. • Enter zip\area code. • Create account. • Select items to opt-out. • Repeat for all known addresses. https://www.yellowpages.com https://www.yellowpagescom.intelius.com/optout.php • Fill out opt-out form. • Repeat for each individual in household. https://www.yellowpagesgoesgreen.org/ https://www.yellowpagesgoesgreen.org/terms_of_service.php?#privacy • On the page with your information, look for ‘Are you the business owner’. • Click it, select ‘Delete\remove listing’. • Simply state your privacy concerns. • Repeat for each individual in household. https://www.ziplocal.com/ https://ziplocal.com/online-privacy-policy/ https://www.ziplocalonline.com/manage-listings • To update your listing, use the search box above to look for your business. • When you locate your business, simply select the Update Business link and follow the instructions. https://www.zoominfo.com/ https://www.zoominfo.com/lookupEmail • You'll be asked to provide your e-mail address. • They'll search your address against their database. • You'll receive an e-mail concerning whether or not they've your e-mail address. • If not, nothing to worry about, but if they do they provide a means to opt-out. • Repeat for each individual in household. --------------------------------------------------- Miscellaneous Opt-outs: This list contains opt-outs that have no direct place but have proven useful. https://www.ameridex.com/ https://www.ameridex.com/privacy.html  (review privacy policy for more info) 1. Another website that wants you to send an e-mail or send direct mail\snail mail opt-outs. 2. Also needs court order or proof of potential harm. https://archive.org/ https://archive.org/about/exclude.php https://web.archive.org/web/20140812200246/https://www2.sims.berkeley.edu/research/conferences/aps/removal-policy.html 1. If you're allowed to modify your account or website's HTML, add this somewhere in between the <head> tags. 2. <META NAME="ia_archiver" CONTENT="NOINDEX, NOFOLLOW"> https://www.Bing.com https://ssl.bing.com/profile/history?oma=toggle_off 1. Disable personalized nonsense and ads. Remove your property's street view on Bing Maps: 1. Go to: https://www.bing.com/maps/ 2. Type home address. 3. Get to street view. 4. Center squarely on house. 5. Look for (?) question mark near bottom right. Be careful as it can be hidden sometimes. 6. Click it. 7. Select ’Report an image concern’ 8. You'll get a pop-up or new tab with a panoramic image. 9. Select your house, a little red square will appear then. 10. Voice your privacy concern, stating vandalism and potential break-ins by criminal elements who use online maps to scout\case potential targets. 11. Fill out the rest of the form + Capatcha, wait. 12. Save ticket (#) Number. https://www.catalogchoice.org/ 1. Join site with an e-mail and password used nowhere else. 2. Search for the catalogs you’ve received. 3. Follow instructions to opt-out. 4. This site just organizes websites; they aren’t associated with any of them. https://courtclick.com/ https://courtclick.com/terms.php https://www.courtclick.com/support/ 1. Look for ‘Opt Out Policy: Note that public records such as court records can be updated or corrected, but not removed unless expunged, sealed, court ordered or the like.’ 2. You'll need to have your records sealed first. https://www.emailtracer.com https://www.emailtracer.com/tos.php 1. Search for ‘Opt Out Policy’. 2. Only under certain circumstances. https://www.facebook.com/settings?tab=ads&view 1. Edit button in your Ads settings page, selecting No one and saving your changes. https://www.Google.com https://plus.google.com/settings/endorsements https://www.google.com/ads/preferences/ https://history.google.com/history/ 1. These links help make sure your Google data stays yours. 2. You can opt-out of having your likes and such shared. 3. Help limit ads and similar issues. 4. And even help prevent your history on your account from being given out. Remove your property's street view on Google Maps: 1. Go to Google Maps and type in your address. 2. Bring up the street view of your property. 3. Look to the bottom right hand corner of the screen you should see an Icon Labeled ‘report a problem.’ 4. Click on ‘report a problem.’ 5. You will get a page labeled “report inappropriate street view.” 6. Look for the words “Privacy Concerns” and click on them. 7. If you want your house blurred, click on ‘my house.’ Then choose the option ‘I have a picture of my house and would like it blurred.’ 8. Adjust the image and show Google which part of the photo needs blurred. 9. Type the verification code at the bottom of the page into the box provided and click submit. 10. Check back in a few days to see if the image has been blurred. https://www.lexisnexis.com/ https://www.lexisnexis.com/privacy/directmarketingopt-out.aspx https://www.lexisnexis.com/privacy/for-consumers/opt-out-of-lexisnexis.aspx 1. requires you to have a court order or police report, but you can remove \some\ information through the Direct Marketing Opt-out, though. https://www.locatepeople.org/ https://www.locatepeople.org/index.php?xpath=privacy https://locatepeople.org/index.php?xpath=lp_optout 1. Can Opt-out only by certain circumstances. https://www.jailbase.com/ https://www.jailbase.com/en/opt-out/ 1. Follow instructions on page, only under certain circumstances. https://www.justmugshots.com/ https://support.justmugshots.com/forums/21326676-Removal-Services 1. An odd one, but has shown some use. https://www.Publicrecordssearchonline.org https://www.publicrecordssearchonline.org/new/faq.php 1. Search for ‘Q: How can I remove my information from the Public Records Database?’ 2. Follow directions provided. https://twitter.com/settings/security  1. Through your profile, go to your security settings page and uncheck the box under the promoted content section. https://www.Yahoo.com https://www.info.yahoo.com/privacy/us/yahoo/opt_out/targeting/details.html https://www.search.yahoo.com/preferences/preferences? 1. Log into account. 2. Disable ads and personalized stuff. https://www.Yahoo.com/maps 1. Visit https://www.Yahoo.com/maps 2. Drag the gray icon that resembles a person (top-right) to your street (If it won’t drag, then your street has not been photographed for Yahoo.). 3. Click on ‘report image’ at the bottom-left of the screen, it will take you to a different website. 4. Click on ‘request blurring,’ and follow the directions. https://west.thomson.com/ https://static.legalsolutions.thomsonreuters.com/static/pdf/opt_out_form.pdf *Only under special circumstances* https://haveibeenpwned.com/ https://haveibeenpwned.com/OptOut 1. Check your e-mail accounts against HIBP 2. Opt-out once you copy the information to a .txt ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ===Afterword=== So ends the Paranoid’s Bible. No matter what you do, as long as you read this and the other PDFs/guides in the ‘Blue primer series’ you should be fine from citizens and most employers. You won’t be able to outsmart the government and your more tech savvy corporations, just yet. This guide and the ones found in the blue primer are meant to help you prevent spying from the average internet user—to prevent dox, stalking and identify theft. We’ll make more PDFs/guides that’ll help you lessen even more of your data footprint and lower your chances of being spied on, however, for now… worry about the citizenry hunting you down like it’s the Salem Witch trials all over again. We recommend you give the OPSEC guide a read and then checkout the Meta Data and You guide followed by Uncle Daddy’s Big Book of Deception guide. These three guides will further lessen your chances of being doxed and/or stalked besides providing a wealth of information on how to create some common canaries and red herrings.

#paranoid's bible #paranoidsbible #security #privay #infosec #opsec #perse #anti dox #dox #doxx

[emotionallaborunion]

Against "do you want fries with that?"

I don’t usually cross-post between my blog and Tumblr, nor do I usually try to give advice to younger people (unless they ask), but I do want to say this and I know a lot of people who follow me here are younger than I am. So, here’s the contents of a blog post.  

Compiling what I wrote in an impromptu Twitter thread: I saw a tweet that said: "English major = 'Want fries with that?' 🍟. Pick something that will give you enough money to write what you want." (In the interest of discretion, I won't say who wrote this, but you can find out if you go to the thread.) This is bullshit. I have a computer science degree and thus all the money I want and no emotional energy left after work for writing. If I'd majored in English (like 13-year-old me wanted) I wouldn't have gone down the path of lots of money and spiritual/artistic vacuity. (Maybe more like 10-year-old me wanted; 13-year-old me wanted to be an editorial cartoonist and major in sociology or journalism in order to get there. 10-year-old me maybe had the best plan.) I was in debt -- student, medical, or both, at various times -- from September 1997 to January 2017. Now that I'm out of it, I can choose what to do next, so the point here isn't "cry for me". It is: Please do not pretend choosing an economically useful major while telling yourself you can do your important work "in your free time" (imagine all the finger air quotes there) doesn't have a serious, permanent cost. It does. You can never get back the time you spent doing stuff you don't care about for people who despise you. You need money to live, but time is the most precious resource you have because when you lose money, you can get it back; when you lose time, you can never get it back. Me, I didn't even choose computer science for the money (that came later). I thought, at the time, that I'd enjoy it more than I enjoyed writing or playing music. (I didn't enjoy playing music at all at the time, because I spent most of the first 16 years of my life playing classical music not because I wanted to, but because I had a parent who was foisting "what I didn't get to do when I was younger" onto me. I did get over that, but it took me about another 20 years. That's another story.) Anyway, once you get into industry, you realize the real day-to-day work isn't much fun, or that there are fun things about it but not the ones you anticipated, and a whole lot of soul-sucking baggage that's the price of both the fun and the money, but by then the money has you trapped. So if somebody had said all this to me when I was 18 (which they probably did, but I also had a parent yelling at me pretty loudly to be practical so I could support her when she got old (joke's on her, she's old now and I haven't spoken to her since 2014 and never will again)), it wouldn't have mattered -- I thought I was choosing the major that was what I wanted to do most, and I was pretty solidly on the side of telling my peers to do the same, and grieving with the ones who had parents who felt their tuition money was buying them permanent control over their children's lives. I would hate to see someone who doesn't even like computer science, though, choose it anyway because of shaming from people using the 🍟 emoji (and by the way, there is zero shame in working in food service -- someone has to cook for the people who get to spend their time writing), because of middle-class anxiety over the psychic cost of being one of the people their parents or grandparents stepped on to achieve middle-class status. It's one thing to choose it because it seems like the most fun thing at the time, another to hide your light under the barrel of "a stable job, a practical career." So if you're reading this and you're a teenager, choosing a major, or choosing whether to go to college at all, and you want to write or make art: write. Make your art. Put your first energies into those things, build whatever scaffolding you need to in order to keep your first energies there. (And if you change your mind later, that's cool too.) If you de-center those things in your life now, it will never get any easier to center them again. Do what it takes to survive, but never pretend that what fuels your fire is secondary and "real jobs" are primary; know it's the other way around. If you're 28 and in a "good" job and you want to write or make art but you're afraid of losing safety, know it'll never get any easier. So you might as well do it now. If you're 38 and you want to write or make art but you have 2 kids to support, I wish you the best. We -- as in, we adults who've had our dreams beaten out of us -- terrorize kids with a lot of fear-mongering about starving artists and starving musicians. The truth is that artists and musicians have always found ways to survive in a world hostile to art, so long as they're lucky enough to get taught that the shame of not being affluent must be avoided at all costs. (There are a few other kinds of luck that I'll talk about a little later.) Sometimes there's a very strong reason to pick the "I'll make a lot of money, then I'll do what I want" path: medical bills or responsibility for children or parents or both, while living in a society that is vicious towards young, old, sick, and disabled people. But ask yourself: If I'll be able to do The Thing later, when I have X amount of money, can I do it now without the money? And likewise: If I'm afraid to do The Thing now, will having X amount of money actually address the root cause of that fear? Because "I need to have X amount of savings before I do Y" tends to turn into "no, no, I was wrong, I need X*Z amount of savings first". The goalposts never stop moving. When you were 12, maybe you thought all you needed was rent money and enough food to eat. At 25, maybe that turns into a down payment on a house, and at 30, maybe a hot tub in the yard, a nice car, and a vacation home. Centering yourself on what really matters now builds a foundation on which it remains easier to not forget what mattered to you in the face of the distractions capitalism will try to sell you (especially when you spend all day in an office with people who also believe they can buy their way to personal fulfillment). Another thing to keep in mind: even if you are a person who can put in 8+ hours a day at a professional job, then leave and spend 6+ hours on your art (and not sleep much), you don't really know how much time you have before becoming too disabled to do both. Might be 60 years. Might be 1 year. All abled people are temporarily abled, and some of the most common disabilities and chronic illnesses take your excess energy first. Not to mention that chronic stress both from toxic jobs and double-timing tends to trigger any latent predispositions to those illnesses. Especially now, in 2017: there is only the present; stability in the future is a lie. Keep in mind reading all of this, I don't necessarily know the answer or the plan, not even for me and certainly not for you. I'm 36 and still in a job I'm ambivalent about on the best days, and I want to buy a house and adopt kids; renting a room doesn't afford much space for musical instruments or my sewing machine or more animals, much less kids. At this point, I don't have the conviction that the writing and art I want to make are worth delaying those plans for (the plans that more closely resemble the lives of my peers, my college friends and my office co-workers, and have their own appeal). A few months ago I was driving through Iowa and bought a new hardcover copy of Bruce Springsteen's autobiography on impulse. When I started reading it, I loved the writing but I had to set it aside because some uncomfortable feeling overwhelmed me, and a little later I realized it was envy: of people like him and his friends who got to spend their time, from early teens onwards, playing the kind of music they wanted to play. I was playing music when I was a teenager, too, but I hated it, and stopped as soon as I had the freedom to. It took me my entire adult life so far to want to do it again. My other musical hero, John Darnielle, worked day jobs for most of his career. Envy, as well, because I can't seem to find work that isn't primarily emotional labor (even when my business card says "engineer") and that doesn't leave me with much at the end of the day to put into art. So while part of me knows it's not too late, part of me is too busy grieving over all the time I lost to be able to make a new plan. If you're younger, and don't have as many sunk costs, maybe listen to whatever inside you makes you feel the most alive. And if you're older than me, do it too so I'll have more examples to look to. Another reason why the original advice is garbage: yes, Wallace Stevens was an insurance agent. But I suspect that if you look at the writers you like, you'll find more people who can write because they have a partner who financially supports them than you'll find full-time engineers or lawyers who are part-time writers. This is sort of a dirty little secret. The best thing you can do to be a successful artist is major in whatever you want, then marry rich. This doesn't mean you should marry for money. It does mean that "bust your ass doing 2-3 jobs if you want to earn the right to be an artist" is toxic victim-blaming capitalist pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps bullshit, because a lot of the artists you admire got there because someone else worked full-time to support them, not because they moonlighted. The good luck of being loved by someone with money should not be confused with hard work. Aside from economics, something I think stops a lot of younger people from following their vision is belief in scarcity: there are a lot of people who want to be musicians and writers, and many who are more talented than you, so why bother? Even if you make a living off it, you won't be famous. There are too many novels and no one will read yours; too many bands and no one will go to your shows. Sound familiar? It does for me. The more time passes, the more I think that's a seductive lie, too, not because you will get famous, but because that probably isn't what you want anyway. What you do want is time to spend doing the work that makes you feel whole. 'You hold onto Berryman’s line – “It is idle to reply to critics” – and understand that the actual work isn’t the thing you make, but the process that makes it, whose inherent value and dignity is well beyond any debate, because it is an expression of your self and therefore nobody can really judge it.' -- John Darnielle

[laurenelizabethmclaughlin-blog]

Real Life Demagoguery’s Relationship to Identity

Particularly more so now than ever, identity has had a direct correlation to demagoguery (aka exploitation of ignorance and prejudice), and people making decisions based on what they think they should believe due to a way they categorize themselves. I covered a little about identity and politics in my last blog post, but what this means is that people believe something or trust someone simply because they think that they should, based off of a way they have chosen to align themselves. Patricia Roberts-Miler, a professor of writing at the University of Texas at Austin, discusses in her book, Demagoguery and Democracy, how the way that people identify politically leads to how they perpetrate demagoguery. In her book, Roberts-Miller frames the idea behind identity leading to demagoguery pretty well saying, “The argument was about loyalty and identity. Instead of engaging the arguments and evidence that were presented, too many people dismissed claims on the basis of who was making them, and dissent was treated as treason. It was demagoguery” (Roberts-Miller, 2017, pg.5). It is too common now a days for people to make decisions or dismiss someone strictly because of a label that they put on themselves based on the politics they align with. This hits both sides of the aisle though, politically speaking both liberals and conservatives have been guilty of defining themselves and their beliefs by their party in the past. The polarization of politics as we know it today relies heavily on people identifying strictly with their party’s ideas and policies and forgetting their own personal values and morals. 

Over the course of the past few weeks, there have been a few alarming cases of real life demagoguery that many can argue was fueled by strong or even radical political ideologies. In my opinion, there isn’t just one way to view identity and demagoguery. The opposite of people perpetrating demagoguery because they identify themselves to align with certain beliefs is people spreading demagoguery based off of how other they identify. Meaning, projecting your own hatred on to someone based on something that they consider themselves. This has become much more common over the past few years, and even more so in the past few days, Heinous acts have taken place lately and two horrific shootings earlier this week have left America devastated, and rightfully so. A gunman who felt that President Trump was not radical or anti-sematic enough for his liking opened fire on the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, PA on October 27 killing 11 people. This shows both ways that identity and demagoguery relate. Someone who identifies as an anti-Semitist decided to shoot up a place of prayer simply because the congregates identify as Jewish. Similarly, a few days before, a white gunman opened fire on two black people in a supermarket parking lot in Kentucky. According to a Reuters article, a nearby citizen with a concealed carry license began a shootout with the suspect, and “Ed Harrell told the Louisville Courier Journal that he pulled out his pistol as Bush approached him in the parking lot and Bush told him not to shoot as ‘whites don’t kill whites’” (Hay, 2018). This is just another instance of senseless violence based on who someone is or how they identify. 

Demagoguery in rhetoric has taken on a new, much more real form as of late. When demagoguery was just words, it was one thing. However, as they say actions speak louder than words, and many have been putting that age old saying to the test. About 2 weeks ago in Turkey, Turkish reporter Jamal Khashoggi, who has been known to denounce Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Salman, disappeared within the Saudi consulate in Istanbul. Khashoggi was a writer for The Washington Post, and covered a range of topics, mainly dealing with war and politics. Although the body of Khashoggi has not been recovered, it is believed that he was murdered within the consulate by various members of Saudi officials. This can be seen as an act of fear mongering, that those who voice their opinion and condemn what they don’t agree with are subject to violence, or even death. Although this did not happen in the U.S., it should spark conversation here about the fact that people are attempting to silence others based on their opinions. Back in our neck of the woods though, something a little less deadly happened last week, as pipe bombs were being sent around to politicians and news sites. The politicians included notable democrats, with the Obamas, and Hillary Clinton being sent pipe bombs to their private residences. In addition, CNN, a many times more left leaning news source was sent pipe bombs to their headquarters. Luckily, none of the bombs detonated, no one was hurt, and a suspect, Cesar Sayoc, is in federal custody for the crimes. However, in my opinion both instances, the killing of journalist Khashoggi and the circulation of the pipe bombs, can definitely be viewed as an act of domestic terror and fear mongering. Inducing fear in people can be an act to attempt silence them for their opinions and work to spread truths. That is the opposite of what our democracy, and the American people’s trust in journalism and the circulation of news attempts to accomplish. 

An extremely interesting article I found from Vox highlights an experiment that was done regarding how people identify politically, and it showed that people will believe what they want, strictly based on what their political party thinks, “Partisans with weak math skills were 25 percentage points likelier to get the answer right when it fit their ideology. Partisans with strong math skills were 45 percentage points likelier to get the answer right when it fit their ideology. The smarter the person is, the dumber politics can make them. Consider how utterly insane that is: being better at math made partisans less likely to solve the problem correctly when solving the problem correctly meant betraying their political instincts. People weren’t reasoning to get the right answer; they were reasoning to get the answer that they wanted to be right”. This once again shows that the way people identify politically has a huge impact on their thoughts and decisions. Based on the earlier evidence I provided, it’s also clear that this identity can cause people to act as demagogues and perpetrate violence and hatred against others just because of the way they identify as well. This is not something that we as an American people can be ok with, and we must work together to end violence against others just because we don’t see eye to eye on the same issues and share the same core values.

[lopezdorothy70-blog]

Parenting in the 21st Century: Big Government (and Your Neighbor) Is Watching You and Your Children

Commentary by Terri LaPoint Health Impact News

Parents of 20-somethings probably recall the “Mommy Wars.” Parenting magazines and mainstream media frequently addressed the cultural battle between mothers who made different parenting choices – stay-at-home moms vs working moms, breastfeeding vs formula feeding, homeschool or public school, or epidural vs natural childbirth.

With the advent of social media, the term “Mom-shaming” came into use. Passionate advocates took to Facebook and blogs to promote their perspective on the “right way” to parent.

As emotionally brutal as the Mommy Wars or Mom-shaming could be, they pale in comparison to the new reality facing parents today in trying to navigate the often stormy waters of parenting.

There is now a whole other dimension added to the mix. Mothers (and fathers) now face the real possibility that someone who disagrees with their choices will call the police and report them to Child Protective Services.

Parental refusal to bow to the opinions of those around them can carry drastic consequences. Families can literally lose their children, even permanently, because someone who doesn't like their parenting style decided to invoke the strong arm of governmental authority.

The fears of others, even irrational or statistically-unlikely fears, are becoming codified into the social “moral” fabric of modern society. Self-appointed, cultural watchdogs, who would have been called “busybodies” in times past, are no longer content to wag their fingers or type out a nasty post.

By involving Child Protective Services, these fear mongers often subject the children to the possibility of far worse conditions than anything they could be “rescuing” them from.

Separation of parent and child is devastating emotionally and psychologically to children.

Children are at least 6 times more likely to be actually abused, raped, molested, or killed in foster care than they are in their own homes, even if that home is a “troubled” home.

Children who are wards of the state may legally be used for medical research or pharmaceutical drug testing – essentially becoming lab rats – without their parents' knowledge or consent.

Children in the foster care system are at much greater risk for being victims of child sex trafficking.

A neighbor called CPS when she heard Devani's parents arguing. Social workers placed her with a man who is now serving a 17 year sentence for running a pornographic pedophile ring out of his home with foster children. (See her story.)

These are very real risks that are incurred every time someone decides to call CPS on a parent just because they don't like the way things are being done.

Lest the reader think that frivolous calls do not end up with children being taken from their families, the experience of far too many families has been that once CPS has a foot in the door to their home, social workers may lie or twist the most innocent thing into, somehow, being grounds for taking the child.

See:

Judges Reject Claim That Social Workers Didn't Know Lying In Court to Remove Children Was Wrong

Child Sex Trafficking through Child “Protection” Services Exposed – Kidnapping Children for Sex

The U.S. Foster Care System: Modern Day Slavery and Child Trafficking

It is heartbreaking when we hear from innocent parents who tearfully tell us that they let CPS social workers in, because they had nothing to hide and thought that all they had to do was to “show them” that there was nothing actually wrong, only to find themselves fighting the battle of their lives for their children.

New York Times writer, Kim Brooks, found herself on the defensive end of another person's fear about a parenting decision, and she faced the possibility of arrest and losing her children. She wrote an opinion piece entitled “Motherhood in the Age of Fear,” in which she eloquently describes the escalation of the Mommy Wars into a very battle for our children, themselves.

She writes:

Women are being harassed and even arrested for making perfectly rational parenting decisions.

Fortunately for this mother, her own story ended well. Child Protective Services did not take her son away, she was not arrested, and she was not put into the child abuse registry.

As our readers know, the situation could easily have ended much worse.

Societal Fears Have Changed the Way We Parent

The nostalgic days of children staying outside, riding bikes, and roaming the neighborhood till suppertime are but distant memories of a bygone era.

Children cannot play in their own front yards, or even a fenced-in backyard, for fear of someone reporting them to CPS.

If a creative child manages to outwit the locks on his house and get outside, police can be called, and the parents could lose custody of all of their children.

According to the NY Times:

We read, in the news or on social media, about children who have been kidnapped, raped and killed, about children forgotten for hours in broiling cars. We do not think about the statistical probabilities or compare the likelihood of such events with far more present dangers, like increasing rates of childhood diabetes or depression.

Statistically speaking, according to the writer Warwick Cairns, you would have to leave a child alone in a public place for 750,000 years before he would be snatched by a stranger. Statistically speaking, a child is far more likely to be killed in a car on the way to a store than waiting in one that is parked.

But we have decided such reasoning is beside the point. We have decided to do whatever we have to do to feel safe from such horrors, no matter how rare they might be.

  The Meitiv children were seized when their parents allowed them to walk to the neighborhood park. “Free range parenting” came under attack. (See story.)

Societal norms have changed. Some have even flipped. Behaviors that were once the way that most parents did things are now vilified and, sometimes, even criminalized. Other behaviors once thought depraved and unthinkable are being shoved down our collective throats.

If enough people disagree with a particular parenting philosophy, those at the other end of the spectrum become victims of social enforcement via CPS and the police.

It used to be that we respected the right of people to think differently from us. “Live and let live” was a common attitude. We didn't have to agree with our neighbor to respect his right to have a different opinion from ours.

Examples of the fears of one group being imposed on another are abundant. Whether the issue is education, breastfeeding, childbirth, vaccines, circumcision, bedtime, playing outside, watching TV, or the choice of friends, one has only to open up social media or turn on the news to find examples of one group seeking to force another to conform to their way of thinking.

No matter how much research that a parent may have done to arrive at his or her parenting choices, all it takes is a phone call from someone who disagrees to bully the parent into submission to another's philosophy.

In describing the experience of mothers who fell victim to such bullying, Kim Brooks writes in the NY Times article:

These women's critics insist that it's not mothers they hate; it's just that kind of mother, the one who, because of affluence or poverty, education or ignorance, ambition or unemployment, allows her own needs to compromise (or appear to compromise) the needs of her child.

We're contemptuous of “lazy” poor mothers. We're contemptuous of “distracted” working mothers. We're contemptuous of “selfish” rich mothers. We're contemptuous of mothers who have no choice but to work, but also of mothers who don't need to work and still fail to fulfill an impossible ideal of selfless motherhood. You don't have to look very hard to see the common denominator.

The “Mommy Wars” have escalated. The parenting “thought police” now have the weapon of Child Protective Services at their beck and call, and the effects are devastating families.

Comment on this article at MedicalKidnap.com.

See also:

Does the State Ever Have a “Right” to Remove Children from a Home?

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[thecorteztwins]

Munday

I didn't post a Munday last week because I was too upset about Dodger, so here's the Munday I was going to post then, which is mostly about my vacation.

- There was a little white boy with red hair by the pool who was speaking Spanish. Fabian is real, you guys.

- I saw real live sea cucumbers for the first time! There had been a storm and it had stranded some on the beach. I threw them back, of course!

- Florida deer are smaller than regular white tail deer, like large dogs, and ADORABLE. Some were right near our car when we drove through a park! - How u kno ur high femme: packing 3 purses for a weekend trip

- If I were an animal, I'd be a hamster. Not a rat. Rats are far more social than I am. Hamsters, like me, are cute but sleep all day, only care about food, and hate everyone. Okay, I don't hate EVERYONE, maybe I'm more a chinchilla---they're very sensitive and very selective about people, and they're not unfriendly but also are not “cuddly” types like rats.

- When we went here last year, I went to a restaurant on my own while my parents did other things. The waiter very clearly thought I was underage (the hotel staff did as well, they didn't give me the pass for drinks like my dad got until he told them no she really is over 18---I'm 27 you guys) so he was really nice to me and talked about things to go see and stuff. I enjoyed the food so I came back this year, and once again I was solo and while I got a different server (who was wearing a FANTASTIC 90s-chic choker + velvet dress combo) the waiter from last year saw me and came up to me and was like “you're here alone again?” and basically acted like a dad, it was a very sweet.

- I've got my next LARP character planned for once I get settled with my current one, but at some point I also wanna just...play a super sleazy guy and flirt with all the girls. I am predictable, no?

- Okay, so while on vacation I got the phone game “Vampire Prelude: We Eat Blood and All Our Friends Are Dead” to play in the car, and I recommended it here in an OOC post. That said, I have found out some information that I hadn't been aware of when I purchased it. The artist and writer, Zak Sabbath, is an established serial harasser. Pretty gross, from what I understand. There's like...so much out there on the matter that you should probably just Google his name if you want details.

There were also some very legitimate complaints online about one of the characters, a vampire named Avery  who is one of your allies. She's a transgender woman who works in porn, and she hunts by calling uber drivers. If they're a man, she gets in with them, flirts, informs them she's trans, and asks if they want a handjob. If they've been dicks or said they voted for Trump or something like that, she feeds from them (I can't remember if she kills them or not, she gives you good information on how NOT to kill someone while feeding, which you didn't know how to do before) But if they were nice dudes, she just gives them a handy and sends them on their way. So, it's a very sexual portrayal of a literally predatory trans woman who may also (depending if she kills them or not) technically be a serial killer. Which is about as cliché as you can get in terms of negative fear-mongering portrayals of trans women.

And in most contexts I would be no-holds-barred pissed at that. But in the context of this game, you (the player) and ALL your allies are like that. Even after you learn from Avery how not to kill when you feed, you still murder a dude at a party because you were hungry (though you kind of have to because you CAN'T follow her advice, you're a thinblood and don't have fangs so you have to kill with a knife) Your other allies are Alfonso, Morgan, and Izzy. Alfonso is a tattoo-faced punk who kills cops for food, fun, and politics. Morgan, also a trans woman, was a vegan in life and feeds on vegans now. Your friend Izzy is the only one who doesn't kill anyone, I don't think, but he accidentally makes a guy into his slave and is fine with that. Everyone is awful, it's just the villains are even worse. Much like the Bloodlines PC game in that regard, actually---no good guys, including you. So like, on the one hand, a sexualized transgender predator is a super horrible trope. But on the other hand I'm not sure it's the same when in context, she's not remarkable/unusual for that, and is in fact one of the “good” guys, and there's also another trans woman who isn't portrayed at all in the same stereotyped sensationalized way (though technically still a predator because she's a vampire too but again, EVERYONE is a vampire and not the nice kind) so I feel like context matters.

But I'd still be iffy AT THE LEAST about it except that the other writer BESIDES Zak Sabbath is Sarah Horrocks, a transgender woman herself, who responded to the matter by saying that she personally finds “bad bitch” types like Avery, be they trans women or cis women, to be empowering, and a lot of personal stuff about why she wrote Avery how she did that I think is better told in her own words, so you can read the conversation on her blog here: http://mercurialblonde.tumblr.com/post/157525001658 I think that her being written by a trans woman makes a huge difference, definitely, than if a cis person had done it. Like even with all the characters being murdering vampires I was still like “ummm” until I read her statement. But I am cis myself, so I am no authority on portrayals of people who are trans, so I urge you to just make your own judgment (hence my relaying all this information) about whether you want to buy the game or not. I probably would NOT have bought the game if I knew then what I do now concerning Zak Sabbath. But I didn't find all this out until I was almost done with it, and I can't say I regret playing it. I enjoyed it, even if it got into edgelord territory a lot at the end.

(Also I...have a huge crush Avery now because I too am weak for that personality type ><)

#munday #mun monday #out of cortez

[paranoidsbible]

Ending Hate & Bullying

Ending Hate & Bullying Non-profit and free for redistribution Written on November 08th | 2014 Published on November 08th | 2015 For entertainment and research purposes only

================================================= DISCLAIMER The Paranoid's Bible and its writers hold no responsibility for the acts of others. The Paranoid’s Bible is for research and entertainment purposes only. Please visit our blog for more PDFs and information: http://www.paranoidsbible.tumblr.com/ ================================================= Contents DISCLAIMER    2 Preface    4 What is Bullying?    5 Freedom of Speech and Bullying    6 Trolling Isn’t Bullying    7 Cyber-Stalking Is Not Real    8 You’re Not Your Sexuality    9 Don’t Be a Bully    10 AFTERWORD    11 ================================================= Preface The who: People that have decided to combine their resources to create a repository of information. The what: A guide to helping people deal with hate and bullying online. The where: The internet: An abused form of communication, education and betterment of mankind. The why: To give people the tools needed to survive. ================================================= What is Bullying? According to Wikipedia, Bullying is described as thus: “Bullying is the use of force, threat, or coercion to abuse, intimidate, or aggressively dominate others. The behavior is often repeated and habitual. One essential prerequisite is the perception, by the bully or by others, of an imbalance of social or physical power, which distinguishes bullying from conflict.” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bullying) It seems pretty straight-forward, especially with the types of behavior they describe as bullying, which include things like coercion, threats, physical assault, or even verbal harassment. Wikipedia even goes on to claim that supposed rationalizations by the "Bully" include things like, social class, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, appearance, behavior, body language, personality, reputation, lineage, strength, size or ability. The page from Wikipedia also explains that bullying by a group is called mobbing and that the U.K. has no official definition for it, whereas some states within the U.S. not only do have an active definition, but also laws against it. The issue with Wikipedia’s description, and the overall belief of bullying, is that “digital harassment” / “cyber bullying” somehow warrants the same actions and laws as the bullying that takes place in the physical realm of the offline world. The problem with “cyber bullying” itself is that, unlike bullying in the offline world, you can remove yourself from it. Cyber bullying is also undefined and is usually used as a blanketed term to cover something that upsets or offends people.  The cyber bullying many people discuss, especially the mainstream media, is one that amounts to coordinated harassment in the form of unwarranted comments, private messages, e-mails and overall childish and immature antics like for example: A constant, steady stream of spam that is usually filled with racial and/or sexual expletives. Another issue is that with current trends, people have taken to calling anything and everything they feel offends them or a perceived minority as cyber bullying. This is mostly seen, though, on social media and networks like Facebook, Twitter, Deviantart and Tumblr. By labeling anything and everything as trolling, cyber bullying or overall harassment… we end up with a diluted sense of what is or isn’t actual harassment and bullying. This causes the most minor and/or accidental forms of aggression to be seen as an act of all out war against someone. To cut the fear mongering created by the government and various charities that make money off the “bullying scare,” we’d simply like to state this: You can prevent a lot of so-called cyber bullying. ================================================= Freedom of Speech and Bullying There have been several attempts at removing freedom of speech (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_speech) from not only the offline world, but also the digital one. Some people propose the removal of the limited anonymity of the internet to a full-fledged war on privacy itself through permanent IDs and horrendous acts of censorship VIA the removal of one’s internet connection. Many people think a means to end bullying, online or offline, is to stifle and censor people through a bastardization of social justice (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_justice) or through the use of forced “self-policing” created by identity politics (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Identity_politics), but it isn’t—it only serves to stifle and censor any and all who dare question those in charge. Freedom of speech, at least in the U.S., will always be about your right to say and state your opinions and ideas without fear of government retaliation or censorship however you want, wherever you want, within reason. You see, freedom of speech means you can say whatever you want, however you can’t go into a privately owned residence or establishment and start spewing whatever it is you wish. People have their rights to privacy, speech and security just like you, yet that doesn’t mean you’ve the right to invade their area with your speech. This though is easily measured in several easy to remember rules: • Is this a privately owned establishment or residence? • Have they stated or placed a set of rules stating what I can and can’t do? • Is this place for a specific group (members…etc) only? • Have they personally committed an act of aggression against me? • Are they near public property that I or others may use to voice our issues? • Are they a private citizen, a celeb, a business owner, religious person of importance (priest, pope…etc), an activist or a politician? • Have they set aside a “Free speech zone”? • Does my “Freedom of speech” violate other rights? • Have I asked permission to use their property? While many will bring up the harm principle or some other such argument, you should think for yourself and think before you act. Assess the situation, look at what you want to say and/or do, then look for other methods to deliver your message (like a flier or pamphlet), but we digress. Unlike the physical realm of the offline world, people can actively silence (ban) you by removing you and your account from their website(s). Websites and the communities created on them have to follow the laws of the U.S., and other countries’ laws, to an extent. This doesn’t mean they have to respect you or your feelings, though. There are no laws stating you’ve the right to not be offended and because of this you must realize you’re ultimately at fault if you become offended or attacked over something you or some else has said. Remember: You don’t have the right to an account or say on anyone’s websites or their communities or accounts. You must follow their rules, guidelines and TOS—you’ve no rights online, no matter what you think. If you dislike this, then you can make your own website, forum, chat or whatever you wish. Trolling Isn’t Bullying Trolling is described as, “someone purposely being chaotic and sowing discord amongst a community or individual profile.” This is supposedly done to either bait a person into doing something idiotic or to take away from a topic being discussed. Others also will describe trolling as similar to performance art where only the most subtle and intelligent can successfully pull off an attempt, whereas even more will claim it is a sub-culture based around a meme or some silly image of a stylized smiling face. Regardless of what you think, trolling isn’t truly bullying and never will be due to the simple fact you can not only ignore, but also block so-called trolls. Many people will proclaim that someone typing mean things and sending it to another user is bullying, yet as the old internet adage goes “Don’t feed the trolls!” -- This adage is something all should take to heart, as simply ignoring someone and the things they say can defuse a situation on the internet quite quickly. Bullying isn’t textual, nor is it someone spamming you with racial epithets. You can ignore those things quite easily with no real physical or mental abuse ever being possible. Growing your figurative “thicker skin” will help you out a lot in the end when it comes to the internet. You must realize, though, that the internet is like the Wild West and once you start participating instead of lurking, you open yourself up to the criticism and opinions of others. No matter how much this upsets or offends you, the more you push to silence or ban others, the more people will push back at you. Take breaks often and learn compartmentalization. The less people know about you, the less they can harass you for something offline. And please, learn, the internet is akin to shoveling manure. The more of your manure (opinions) that you fling around, the more others will fling back twice as hard. ================================================= Cyber-Stalking Is Not Real Before you discontinuing reading and disregard this entire PDF, let me explain – Cyber-stalking (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyberstalking) is stalking. There are no differences between the two once it delves into the offline realm; however cyber-stalking still doesn’t exist. Someone following your digital footprint from one account to the next and connecting the dots by cross-referencing the information, that you provided on those accounts, is nothing more than simple deduction. A lot of so called cyber-stalking (sending harassing e-mails or IMs, etc) can be likened to that of trolling. If you ignore the person and not feed them any attention, they usually give up and leave you alone. However, if you’ve a multitude of accounts across the internet, and you’ve shared a lot of information, then it won’t be as easy to simply ignore the person. Again, we’ll state that simple OPSEC (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operations_security) and compartmentalization (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compartmentalization_(information_security)) goes quite far in small doses. There are a few, very simple steps that you can take to ensure your safety when creating an account online. Now, of course, you can head over to our blog and click on our library link for PDFs on a plethora of topics that range from anti-doxing to OPSec or even things like cosplay safety, but we digress. If you simply want the Reader’s Digest version of the safety tips, then continue reading! Tips for creating a secure account: • Always use a strong password created by using special characters, upper and lower case letters, and numbers (Example: *_9233(DAv234)-) • Always ensure the password for each account is different and is at least 8 to 10 characters long • Always use a new e-mail address for each account, never using the same one for an account • Always use a different username for each account that’s in no way connected to your name or nicknames • Never post your real world information online (name, age, address, city, state, time zone, school name…etc) • Never cross-link accounts on other accounts (as in don’t tell people about your other accounts) You also want to try and lessen your already existing digital footprint by checking out our PDF called the “Paranoid’s Bible” at our library link on our blog. This will provide you with much more information that you can use to further lessen your footprint and ensure you have a safe and enjoyable internet stay. Other than the above, we can’t provide much on actual stalking as once you believe someone from the internet is stalking you offline (as in physically, not just dox) then you need to tell an adult, if you’re not one, and contact the police as quickly as possible. We also have a home safety and security PDF in our library that can help you secure your home and lessen intrusions. ================================================= You’re Not Your Sexuality Many people online love to treat every little thing about themselves like an attribute or a part of a description of some character or another. This, however, is quite dangerous as this provides other individuals with cannon fodder to be used against you. It may seem like someone oppressing you or trying to stifle your freedom of expression, yet it isn’t anything like that. On the internet, people love to generate drama from nothing for the simple mission of creating the illusion that there exist some great inequalities still happening in today’s day and age. While there are some hiccups, in today’s society, we’re still one of the more equal and diverse to ever exist. The issue is that the safer we become, and the number of inequalities becomes less, people will look to provoke an issue in order to use it for their own personal or political gain. This isn’t to say people out there pick on others because of who or what they are, but that people look to groom other individual, especially underage people, by manufacturing hate and inequality. This pseudo-hate is done those who think that if their group is seen to be as equal as the majority, then they lose their minority status that they treasure due to the attention it heaps upon them. Some minority groups try to fight this fake hate and rabble rousing, however within minority groups like the LGBT+ it becomes harder and harder as people pollute it with variants of already existing sexualities in order to take hold some of that attention. This is usually seen as teenage girls claim to be bi-sexual, yet only ever having feelings for their male counterparts. Because of this happening for so long, many bi-sexuals are attacked and mistreated by those within the LGBT+ due to the assumption that the majority of bi-sexuals are fake or somehow lesser than homosexuals. You’ll also see this happen with asexual and lesbians, yet this doesn’t mean it’s always gay men who commit these acts. Depending on the minority group, some people who’re legitimate will seek out young individuals to attack and shock in order to “rescue” and ultimately groom into following their preferred path of activism and political belief. It’s a sad state of affairs, but even those who’re most like you can abuse you for their own profit and/or goals. So, in order to prevent this, learn to distance your online self from your offline self. No one needs to know your sexuality, preferences or any other information about yourself. You’re not a character from an RPG; no one needs a back story or list of attributes. This isn’t to say you shouldn’t have pride in yourself, but only that the internet and its denizens will twist and turn everything about you and what you say into a perverted shadow of itself to use and abuse. It’s better to be some random anonymous individual online than a 15 year old, African-American, bi-sexual female who suffers from allergies. If people knew that you’re such a thing, then they already can work out how to prey upon you and get under your skin. Compartmentalize, don’t let people know too much about you. They can egg you into saying or doing something that you’ll ultimately regret. ================================================= Don’t Be a Bully Everyone has a right to freedom of speech and creativity, which means, as we said earlier: You don’t have the right to not be offended. This means, if someone says and does something you don’t like, ignore it. Don’t attack them. Don’t exploit their past or something they said. Don’t drive them to suicide—don’t be a bully. People don’t realize that they, themselves, might just be the bully. Attacking and censoring someone just because they did something they don’t like or approve of, which is quite ironic as most people nowadays hide behind the anti-hate and anti-bully ideologies while being some of the worst bullies themselves. You need to learn to accept the fact that not everyone is going to fall in line and sync up to your beliefs and ideals. No one will fully cooperate with you 100%, and that everyone has the right to draw, say or act as they want. You, though, don’t have the right to attack others or bully them into marching to your drumbeat of life. They’ve a right to march to their own tune and express themselves in their own way. We know this will upset many and provoke some undue hate, but that’s ultimately why a guide like this one is needed—people need to accept the fact that political and religious beliefs will be as varied and as diverse as the people who hold them. Learn to ignore and grow thicker skin. This is a part of growing up and being an adult, forgiving and forgetting the little things that upset you or make you mad. And, truthfully, people need to realize a life isn’t worth a fandom or a head canon. Move on with your life and shrug off the miniscule idiocies of the internet. ================================================= AFTERWORD In the end, it’s all down to you and how you act online. If you say or do the wrong thing, it can end your life and possibility to be hired. Leak too much information, and people can dox you and harass you offline. It all comes down to you and what you say and do—use common sense, think before you say or do anything online.

#bullying #stalking #cyber bullying #cyber stalking