Miscellaneous Forum

I quite agree Gerald. In fact I desactivated my FB account because I didn't want any of my pics (with or without family) showing on there.I even made my son take me off of his page on there, because I didn't feel comfortable about it. I have had requests from different sources to use some pics for their FB cover, but I systematically refuse. Here on VT I feel a little differently about it, as we have more a community feel and it's nice to be a part of that.

Im with you on this Gerald and Paul....I feel here at VT the pics/video will reach the small audience that was intended whereas at FB it only takes one mistake and anyone can see it...Here we are among friends and on FB thats not necessarily the case....I simply dont see the need to post any VT related photos anywhere else ...

That is why, if I could, refuse to have any of my pics, not necessarily of myself)from here on VT, being used even on the VT FB pages. BTW Kirsty, I couldn't find your T'logue photos of Bergamo yesterday, are they there ?

I am on the fence about this. I don't enjoy being filmed or have pictures taken of me on a constant basis unless I approve or am ready for it. I hate being asked to join a group of people for a pic op unless I'm comfortable with that group. On vacations, Ed and I seldom take pictures of ourselves other than perhaps one or two good ones at a designated stop/visit to a city or landmark. As to the FB vs VT thing, I disagree. Far more people have access to your VT pictures than on FB. If you're on FB for instance, even if you are a friend of a friend of mine and I go to click on your link to check you out, I cannot without your permission to view your albums or pictures. I have to ask for permission first sent in the form of a request/email. You have to approve. Then and only then am I able to see your picture(s). Here on VT, with over a million members and 3+ million planning their trips on a monthly basis, ANYONE who joins can scour the forums and check your profile, albums, home page picture, travelogues - in short, anything you post. Even people who do not join VT can do so from the outside. Anyone looking at VT can easily check out a forum and click on your profile or pictures. The only thing they are limited to not being able to do is actually post a question. think of that. Homer

I don't post pictures of people here on VT and very rarely on FB. If I do it on FB then their photos are already there and okayed. I restrict my pictures to scenery or people who are far away and unrecognizable. I think if a photo is going to be used, permission must be granted. I am very much opposed to seeing pictures of children on either forum. But I guess that is another subject.

I think if you have a web presence of any sort then you must accept that you may sometimes appear in photographs elsewhere. I prefer to minimise my exposure and have successfully done so over the years. To think that a photo on VT is less likely to be seen than anywhere else is somewhat naive, imo. As noted above, VT content is freely available to anyone anywhere whereas many/most photos on FB are *not* open to the public. It is also possible for you to refuse to be 'tagged' (i.e. named) in any FB photo (security settings). But if you are serious about web anonymity then it is sensible to a) never upload any photos of yourself anywhere b) never ever use your real name on the web and c) avoid being photographed by anyone whom you feel will not respect your wishes.

I'm on the fence as well but understand that my photos here on VT or any taken of me in public places could very well end up on the net. I do make a real effort to dodge the lenses of certain individuals I know who have used photos on their FB pages to embarrass or deeply hurt others: a pox on these people. No, I would not give my consent for use of my FULL identity to anyone - even family - for use on FB or any other social networking site as I simply can't trust someone else's vigilance with their privacy controls. You all know what I look like here on VT but not my last name, address, actual city or age. There are a few snaps of unidentified children on my pages that were taken at public events but no more than would be taken for a local newspaper and even safer as those publication often publish the child's full name.

I am certain that there is no less exposure here than on FB J, as I just "googled" my user name and I have over 28000 pages, some people on here must have oodles more. I just have this feeling that people don't or wouldn't come on here with the express purpose of stealing a photo, whereas on FB, before I desactivated my account, I had found 3 different pics of mine "floating" on sites and being used abusively, and those pics could have only been taken from FB, they are not on here nor my Africaguide photo pages.

Glad you did that, Paul. As you can imagine, googling my VT username comes up with nothing useful at all..there are zillions of 'leics' sites! :-)

Haha, I daren't google Paul Smith anymore, since HE became famous, plus there's another film director with the same name.

Maybe the time is approaching when we have the option of a ' no photos please' sign at large events. The one thing I don't like about large VT meetings is the constant picture taking. We all like to have a photographic memory of the event but is it necessary to take photos of people constantly ? IMO, the answer is no but I have found that most people are fairly sensitive to this and won't point their lens at you if they know you don't want them to. The other way I would like people to show sensitivity is by only uploading pics that people look reasonably normal in. Again, most people do this but occasionally you see really awful photos uploaded and that's not very considerate. With cameras taking over every minute and aspect of our lives, there's definitely a need for photography etiquette.

It does not bother me to have pictures on there. Although no one seems to get them of me real often. Actually if I could get my sister to post the pictures she took on my bike trip I would be happy.... stupid camera got legs out of my saddle bag, so I don't have any pictures. Please consider what your wife might be hearing when you say to take your picture down. I know this is not what you mean, but it very will could be what she is hearing... "I don't want my picture with you in such a public place." In other words, you are ashamed. She may not even be able to verbalize what I just said, women often feel more than they can pinpoint a reason. But it the difference in how we think that makes us complete.

Lee I get your point and I am sensitive to that. Thanks

Gerald, I've never worried much about my photos being placed on FB or VT, though the truth is, that there are few photos made of me so it doesn't happen that often, in fact my VT photo was about twenty years old when I put it up because it was the only decent one I found. My niece plasters practically every photo she takes, on to her FB page including a few of mine, I guess. My mom and aunt didn't like that and told her to take theirs down. She did. I don't think it's a big deal but I do understand those who don't want anyone to post their image. I think we each should have a say about presenting our own image--for whatever reason we may have. I'm sorry that your wife doesn't get it and doesn't seem to respect your choice.

This is to anyone. I'm curious as to why do you feel the way you do about not having a photo/video of yourself on the web?

I don't worry about my own photo being on FB or VT but I do make sure I respect the privacy of others and either ask first or don't post at all. Some people are very concerned about their privacy and feel a photo destroys that.

I think that, if for instance, in a large meeting, if one wants their picture taken and placed on either VT or FB, it should be done with the person's own camera, i.e., if I so desire to have my picture taken with you or you with I, then it should be up to us to release that picture or pictures as we so please. I think the tasteful mandatory, expected group picture is fine and tradition but even this one can opt out of. It's the constant barrage of pictures (Ed and I avoided it like the plague in Portsmouth) that gets to me. As to your pictures being lifted from FB, you obviously didn't have your privacy settings set correctly on your account. You cannot go into my FB account and lift any of my thousands of pictures which I have on there.

>why do you feel the way you do about not having a photo/video of yourself on the web? It's not so much that as having the photo/video AND being identified in it. There are some trouble-making characters in my past that I've no wish to have locate me so I go to great lengths to avoid having my identity/location made public on the web. These individuals are highly unlikely to find me on VT as I have very little in my profile to identify me by, and they won't find me via my member photo unless via a chance search for travel info that brings up one of my reviews: also highly unlikely as they're not travelers.

Kate, those in my past who I don't want to find me... know they would die if they bothered me... Oh wait, did I just post that LOL

But I'm not totin', Lee!!! :)

Just tell them you know me... *inserts evil laugh

Pfsmalo, I wonder why you have so many pictures of other people on your VT pages when you feel uncomfortable posting your own picture? Just curious...

>why do you feel the way you do about not having a photo/video of yourself on the web? It is not the image per se, it is the the tying of my name to the image. I can't clearly articulate what makes me uncomfortable, other than to say that most of us would not like to wear name tags when we walk around on the streets. Those videos of the VT meets are extremely unflattering to some (eg. the camera inadvertantly dropping from face, via nametag, to crotch & hips) and these will stay in public until the victim sees it and scrapes up the courage to object.

I see your point Gerald.

"Maybe the time is approaching when we have the option of a ' no photos please' sign at large events." you can bet your mortgage that that will be the MOST photographed image. Just the same as the goodness-how-many recordings are made at concerts, etc, in direct contravention of the "rules"; I have a DVD of a Dara O'Briain show where he saw AND SPOKE TO somebody filming him, who carried on doing it; (you wonder, though, if it was set up)

@Dennis, As I've said, here on VT, it doesn't worry me, there are photos of me on here with other members from the VT meet last year in Paris and I have no objection whatsoever to them, that is part and parcel of the meets. As to using other peoples photos, I always ask before I take a photo of anyone close up, if the answer is ok, why should I have a problem putting them on here. If somebody says no, well then I don't and if somebody asks me to remove a photo, I have no problem with that either. As to privacy settings on FB, mine were only set to "friends", but it only needs 1 "friend" to lift a photo, put it on their wall, and one of their "friends" likes that photo, and on and on and as they say in French "le tour est joué". No, my objection to FB is more the whole conception of it, supposedly "social". I only joined FB, at the beginning after being convinced by my kids. After a couple of months I then realised that we were't getting 'phone calls anymore, they were writing to me on FB!!! One more reason for me to desactivate my account.

There's no way to avoid being in photos at large events. Everybody appears in the background, in groups etc. What I was referring to is the 'portraits', especially the ones that are truly cringe inducing. So probably the only 'no photos please' badge that would have any hope of working would be the one where you are upfront about your attitude and tell people when you don't want them to take a photo. And I'd like to reiterate that I don't have a problem with photos as such but do find it intrusive to have a lens pushed in my face without my consent.

Paul, you are correct, not belonging to FB does make my kids call me too! They send out information about parties, graduations that sort of thing on FB, but they have to call me to get me there. :-) I like that better. >>>It's the constant barrage of pictures (Ed and I avoided it like the plague in Portsmouth) that gets to me. LOL!! Thanks Homer for the first laugh of my day! Not only am I not usually included in the barrage of pictures at a VT Meet, but my name is left out as being there, about half the time. It's all just your fault, because you are so popular and everyone wants to have a photo of you and Ed! LOL!:-) Lee Ann, it's not the picture I'd avoid, but I would not tell everyone about my gun. I'd rather it come as an unpleasant surprise. LOL!

I dont need a photo of Homer..just to shake his hand!

"not belonging to FB does make my kids call me too" Funny you should write that: ym daughter is away for almost three months in the US, and she actually phoned within the last half hour. She realises that FB is so low on the radar of Mrs Z and me that using the phone is the only way.