far out...

now with the new postal code database and google maps, you can easily zoom into users' actual streets and maybe even houses! (just zoomed into pooga's crescent and idjit's block). won't honeybabe have a field day with conspiracies on THAT!

but in all seriousness… the old mapping just narrowed it down to a sortation area – now i can see where all my "favourite" CMTers live! kinda takes the challenge outta cyber-stalking, but, what the hey…

whaddya mean it's a violation of the administrator said would happen with our personal information?! he's never mislead us before, why would he start now?!!!

What's the worst thing that can happen to a parnoid schizophrenic / conspiracy theorist who thinks that agents of the fedreal government are out to get them?

Discovering agents of the federal government (DR) REALY ARE out to get them!

Discovering agents of the federal government (DR) REALY ARE out to get them!

What???? When did this happen??? I didn't get the memo…..

rudyk:

If you like the new full window Google maps, wait till I get the maps embedded within a pop-up window and am able to put little 'pins' where are the hits have been and such. I've signed up for a Google mapping API account so even better things are in the works. But you'll have to come back to check them out. :)
-dr

wait till I get the maps embedded within a pop-up window

So how will that affect those of us who regularly use a pop-up window blocker?

This will be a pop-up window that appears as a result of a click. Any good pop-up blocker (ie. Firefox) will allow those. And if you're using a good browser (ie. Firefox) then you can also specify which sites are allowed to pop-up windows and which are not. Everyone else can either switch to a decent browser or suffer without the nice, new stuff. :)
-dr

dr replied:
If you like the new full window Google maps …

well, y'know i guess subtlety ain't what it used to be so i'll just flat out say that i think that the new precision with which the locations of hits is displayed is a dangerous thing and should be discontinued, post haste. for example, if i know that a certain tracker in saskatoon is prone to leaving large stacks of stamped and unstamped banknotes at his residence (i know this because i have read that in the forums) and then i can track down his general locale to the nearest side of the block governed by his postal code (or better still, know what kind of business he operates) then i would say that that certain tracker had better hope the hell that i am the moral person that i am. i am concerned because if locations are given and then, say, as happens frequently, a tracker says in the forums "i'm going out of town for two weeks" (and likely leaving my domicile unattended), that tracker has been opened up for all sorts of predation.

what i'm saying also is that the system should be changed so as to not give such precise location of people's usual residences (for some people, they may be the only ones to have a particular postal code). failing this, i would certainly be seeking to have all of my personal records stricken from the database (including all hits given and received) so as to not place MYSELF in jeopardy. i would caution all registered users to carefully consider this matter.

My 2 cents in this… although I agree with you St Rudyk ;)… I haven't read the terms of use nor the fine print, and not sure if its in there… BUT, maybe it is written in there, that if you register to this site, you are not 100 % guarantee of privacy.. bla bla bla..

Just like entering a contest, most ballots have, you agree to have your name posted in bulletins bla bla bla…

On the flip side… I think a few of us here, know exactly where each other live. But there is also the one person that may eventually sign up who is actually lookin' for people who have piles of bills in their residence that their wife can't spend (or doesn't know about).

I will quit bla bla bla'ing

j-Lynn mysteriously agreed with me…

My 2 cents in this… although I agree with you St Rudyk ;)… I haven't read the terms of use nor the fine print, and not sure if its in there… BUT, maybe it is written in there, that if you register to this site, you are not 100 % guarantee of privacy.. bla bla bla..

oh, by the way, the privacy policy is right here. it makes jolly good reading! and it certainly seems implied that information of the sort being shown is protected by the policy (viz "there are no specifics about any particular user"). this is certainly what i agreed to when joining the site…

The user location data still seems a bit vague. If I were serious about a 'foul deed', I would check the phone book for your actual address instead relying on a Google map.

st rudyk.. i always agree with a saint

always

st rudyk.. i always agree with a saint

always

While I understand your concerns about privacy and such (believe me, I shred any paper with my name/address on it), I think that you're overreacting with respect to the new mapping system. First, it's not the fact that I'm using Google that has made it so specific, it's the new, updated postal code database that gouche92 purchased for the site. The old DB had lat/longs only for the FSA (the first 3 charcaters of the postal code) while the new DB has lat/longs down to the individual postal code. Second, a postal code is pretty specific but still covers a range of houses (more so in rural towns). Still, go to the Canada Post website and do a reverse lookup on a postal code. Take mine for example. It covers 8 properties on my street, two of which are condo/apartments. That's a lot of properties to be guessing as to which one might have a couple hundred dollars in cash on them. Personally, I think most break and enters are 'crash and grab' types where they are looking for easy to take electronics and simply go from house to house. The other B&Es are targeted but are most likely involve expensive jewelry and paintings and such. Perhaps I'm wrong.

In any case, you can't go through life being paranoid about everything. If you want your entries changed over to anonymous, put in a request and when I find time to deal with all the site's criticism, I'll try and get around to it. But only after I work on adding features for those of us who wish to have some fun. Ya, sounds harsh, but you know what? I spent a few hours last night deploying a new version, another few hours importing the new database (thanks again gouche92), not to mention the hours spent trying to improve the speed of the site. The least you could do is wait a few days after a new version before dumping on me.

And for the record, I'm sorry you feel slighted but I never mislead you. When I said I didn't want to ever have advertising, the typical ads found on sites were flashing graphics advertising smileys or something stupid, not low-key text based ads. Also, I was single and running my own business and had both spare time and work time to spend on the site. And I had a business that allowed me to write off some of the expenses. That said, I also said I would likely never get married and would probably never have kids. And no more pets. But things change. And now I'm married and I have a dog.
-dr

Dr Said"That said, I also said I would likely never get married and would probably never have kids. And no more pets. But things change. And now I'm married and I have a dog."
I guess next to change is kids!! :)
I don't know why anyone would not want kids.
I am a proud poppa to be.. Coming soon Dec. 2006!!

For those who are concerned about their exact location being displayed for their home. Find the postal code of a high rise, an office bldg or strip mall close to your home…within a km or so, and use that as your 'home' postal code. It won't mess up your stats much as distances go, and would give you a degree of security.

I am a proud poppa to be.. Coming soon Dec. 2006!! - Lord_Comedy

Well then, I guess congratulations are in order then, aren't they…… :o)

well i am happy to report that if my home was to become a target or my business … the crooks would have to fend off two dogs at each location. then they would have to be able to open the safe with thiry seconds before the alarm went off and the police arrive t

dr. not all of us dump on you in fact a large number of us think the world of your site and what you do for us. many people in here have stepped on me from time to time and when i was first a member here i was lead to believe you were more of a dictator than a creative fun loving person. after my over two years on the site my opinions have been drawn from my own experience now and i find you to be a hard working dedicated man with high morals and family values. i still do not understand how anyone could expect you to run this site without any financial renumeration to at least cover your costs. my support is with you dr. 100%.
thanks for the great site with all the features and fun.

…I wonder if there was this much fuss over the first phone book…

…I wonder if there was this much fuss over the first phone book… - Idjit

I believe that the only one doing the fussin' is rudyk… no…

I wonder if there was this much fuss over the first phone book… - Idjit

not to mention www.canada411.com

just thought of something funny, for a u.s. phone number you can dial 1-800-free411 and it is free. I have used it. but DONT dial 1-800-411free or you get porn. LOL.

well take it from someone thats been stalked…. if someone really wants to get close and find you now days… they can get all the info they need from a pc or the old Henderson's directory which gave your full name, kids names, address both of home and work, your place of employment and your job…. this is our world now days

I hate to say it but that has been our world for many years now…..

oh, by the way, the privacy policy is right here. it makes jolly good reading! and it certainly seems implied that information of the sort being shown is protected by the policy (viz "there are no specifics about any particular user"). this is certainly what i agreed to when joining the site…

Having read the Privacy Policy, and having looked at the address that corresponds to the postal code of the bills I have entered via the Google map interface, here is my half a cent worth (after taxes of course).

The policy does state that the personal information that you give to the site upon registering will not be used to identify you in a specific way, only is a General way.

As a postal code is not required to or even asked for when registering for the site the policy has not been violated as it is this data that is used to give Google Maps the Long ans Lat for the Map information.

The Postal code data comes from The Enter a Note page, and does not require that you enter your postal code, it will allow you to enter any postal code, if you are worried about your privacy, find the postal code for your city/town's main post office and use it. So unless you live right beside the main post office (and if you do you have bigger problems, like if someone goes postal) You should be okay from the Stalker point of view..

If you are worried about it, I am sure that DR could put together a quick query to change all of your bills from your postal code to the one of the main post office in your city.
That is if you asked nicely, and directly.

The postal code for yours by the way is "S4P 0B0"

James

P.S.

For people who would rather criticize a site admin on any site
and not offer a solution other than "Fix it" I have a suggestion. Take a couple thousand dollars out of the bank, then take about an about 500 hours transforming all of the money into a Giant origami statue, and put it on display for the world to see. Then sit there and smile when people walk by and say now that was a stupid waste of time and money. And not offer you the one suggestion that would make the whole experience wonderful.

Remember that sites like CMT are labours of love, not vast cash generators, so if you would like something changed, or see a problem, be part of the solution not just part of the vast number of people who find it easier to complain and expect the rest of the world to come up with their solution.