by Michael Smith (Veshengro)
There is a serious danger of experiencing a burglary in one's home and/or office if, like so many, one announces that one is going on vacation on social networks.
Time and again on an almost daily basis, even amongst the people that I am in contact with, someone will post a notification that he or she is going to be away for a couple of days or weeks because of vacationing or trip to here or there, etc.
This is a virtual and real invitation to any criminal to scoot over and have a look at your place with the view of liberating a few of your possessions.
This is especially dangerous if you use Facebook's location service or it you happen to be careless with your personal information on Facebook or elsewhere in your profile. Neither your address nor other sensitive info belong there.
If you want to, at some stage, share this with someone you have come to know as trustworthy then that is a different story. On the general profile such information has nothing to do.
Also, unless you know that no one knows your direct location do not tweet or blog (on Facebook or elsewhere) as to your location of anything of that nature, e.g. being away on vacation in Timbuktu or even just in Blackpool.
Facebook plugins such as the “My Location” or whatever it may be called also does not belong onto your cell phone or laptop. While it may be nice to let everyone of your friends know how things are where you are there is a much better and safer way; it is called email.
Vacation updates on social networks are also a very bad ideas, as indicated, and should be an absolute no, no, and that even if you have not disclosed your location, your address, etc., in any of your profiles. Chances are that some criminal reading the entries might just know where you live and bingo. A nice opportunity burglary. Not something you would want.
If, as I have said already, you wish to share holiday information with friends and family do not do that via Facebook or Twitter or LinkedIn or MySpace or what-have-you.
Use email or instant messenger. You never know who is reading your blog entries and that includes material on platforms such as Blogger, etc. Blog about your vacation, you trip to wherever, or whatever, when you are back home safely.. Much better, in my opinion.
Let's remember that it is a jungle out there and the animals in this jungle do not play fair and by the rules.
© 2010
