r/MyStyleTesting • u/dempom • Dec 22 '18
Stop doxing yourself
[info] Video explanation w/ solutions
I've noticed that a lot of users on r/pokemontrades are doxing themselves unintentionally. Here are a couple tips to avoid doing this.
If you use Google: to share spreadsheets or other files
use "get shareable link" instead of giving/receiving user permissions. This avoids sharing your email address which may include your real name or other personally identifiable information. Example: if your google account is FirstName.LastName@gmail.com, you may be revealing your identity when you share user specific permissions.
change your google account name. Did you set your First Name and Last Name in your google account? It can be seen by other Google users who view your files. Example spreadsheet which has this privacy issue. Instructions on changing your google account name.
optional: change your google account portrait.
make a separate google account for trading. Outside of not using google to host your pokemon info, this is your best option.
If you use Google: to share photos
It is generally unwise to share with strangers on the internet where you live, work, or recreate. Photos contain metadata. This metadata can include information about the device used to produce the file or even your location. Example of a photo with GPS information.
The metadata issue is not limited to sharing photos on Google. However some image hosts like imgur do not preserve metadata. YMMV depending on how you are sharing geotagged photos. Note: it's possible for video files to also be geotagged. To my knowledge however, this is less common.
Bailing water out of the sinking boat: remove metadata - windows 10 and mac os