Posted: 3/17/2010 6:44:05 AM EDT
|
One of the tidbits I really didn't care for when I started sticking my finger in this ham stuff was that a simple search of the FCC ULS or through QRZ.com could retrieve every name and address of every ham operator. Search criteria could be state, city, county, zip code, Maidenhead grid and probably a few others I haven't tried. And this got me to thinking ...
What if some creative bad guy wanted to rob my crib? Better odds if I'm not home. Simple thing to monitor say the local repeater and hear "KF5WTF mobile and listening". Search KF5WTF and find the home address. Dude is mobile so he ain't home. Got the address so let's hit it. What if some creative bad guy wanted my guns? Search this and other boards for the ham call signs. A quick search and it's possible to find one in the bad guys local area. Besides I just wasn't comfortable with putting my home address out there for the planet to search. A simple solution. A post office box. In my case a 3x5 box was $28 a year. Cheap for the security. Besides I can now have my bullets for reloading that are shipped flat rate held at the post office and I can quit POing my mail lady. No big deal to update the FCC ULS with your new address once you get a box. FFI: http://www.usps.com/receive/businesssolutions/poboxservice.htm |
|
Quoted:
That's what I did. My front porch has been consistently devoid of homocidal maniacs, so it must be working.  Yeah, yeah I'm a bit paranoid. However just because you're not paranoid doesn't they aren't out to get you. Having your address plastered across the digital billboard of the FCC database just screams "look at me". If some miscreant really wanted to find me it wouldn't be difficult at all. Having the PO box just makes it a little harder. |
|
Quoted:
One of the tidbits I really didn't care for when I started sticking my finger in this ham stuff was that a simple search of the FCC ULS or through QRZ.com could retrieve every name and address of every ham operator. Search criteria could be state, city, county, zip code, Maidenhead grid and probably a few others I haven't tried. And this got me to thinking ... What if some creative bad guy wanted to rob my crib? Better odds if I'm not home. Simple thing to monitor say the local repeater and hear "KF5WTF mobile and listening". Search KF5WTF and find the home address. Dude is mobile so he ain't home. Got the address so let's hit it. What if some creative bad guy wanted my guns? Search this and other boards for the ham call signs. A quick search and it's possible to find one in the bad guys local area. Besides I just wasn't comfortable with putting my home address out there for the planet to search. A simple solution. A post office box. In my case a 3x5 box was $28 a year. Cheap for the security. Besides I can now have my bullets for reloading that are shipped flat rate held at the post office and I can quit POing my mail lady. No big deal to update the FCC ULS with your new address once you get a box. FFI: http://www.usps.com/receive/businesssolutions/poboxservice.htm Doesn't the same exposure occur for your drivers license and if you have one pilots license? In many areas your professional licenses are also searchable, as are certain court actions, property tax records, vehicle titles, loan/securities, liens, political donations, tax records,........... Some specifically disallow PO Box addresses, which is really annoying. You are likely identified a 1000 ways come sunday many times over. What happens when you update with the FCC? Maybe you can "secure your record" on a forward basis, but both in on-line archives and in all those old Hamcall Disks your old addresses live on. Using all this sort of stuff to find you - skip tracing - is an art you are very unlikely to avoid location, unless you basically don't interact with society. As for "bad guys" tracing your location to target you, how would they pick you out from the crowd and why would they risk lead poisoning trying to rob a known armed household? The ones that might be more a worry are the "official types" who might get up to mischief, but they are the ones with relatively unfettered access to all the data. Interesting area of thought and conjecture, even if we are all naked & exposed regardless in the end. |
|
Doesn't the same exposure occur for your drivers license and if you have one pilots license?
Not sure of the drivers license. Didn't try that. However for my pilots and other airman certificates searched through the FAA database you have to enter a name, and address and the search page made it real clear your URL will be recorded. What popped up was my certificates and ratings. No address or certificate numbers. Just a name. Reasonable privacy considering.
Interesting area of thought and conjecture, even if we are all naked & exposed regardless in the end. Can't agree with you more. However I still want a fig leaf to cover Mr. Weasel if at all possible.
|
|
Quoted:
Doesn't the same exposure occur for your drivers license and if you have one pilots license?
Not sure of the drivers license. Didn't try that. However for my pilots and other airman certificates searched through the FAA database you have to enter a name, and address and the search page made it real clear your URL will be recorded. What popped up was my certificates and ratings. No address or certificate numbers. Just a name. Reasonable privacy considering.
Interesting area of thought and conjecture, even if we are all naked & exposed regardless in the end. Can't agree with you more. However I still want a fig leaf to cover Mr. Weasel if at all possible.
The FAA asked you as the Searcher to enter your data, then it is a free for all. You can also download the whol database and others have it on-line - like http://www.landings.com/ Drivers Licenses depend on class & state. They generally can be gotten for a small fee. Criminal records are often on-line, so if you ever got a speeding ticket..... example, check out Wisconsin's On-Line Court Records: http://wcca.wicourts.gov/simpleCaseSearch.xsl It is an interesting area, eh? 73 |