"Roger Long" wrote:

You know, Doug. *A very parallel attitude to what we're talking about here
would be:

Don't ever take you boat out of the harbor because, you might run aground, a
storm might come up, a big ship might run you over, etc. etc.


That must be why Willllburr and Bob etc etc don't ever go actually
sailing on a real ocean. just think of the perils they'd be exposed
to! It's *dangerous* out there in the real world (as opposed to the
nice safe internet).


The worst thing that ever happened to me as a result of my refusal to hide
under a rock is having people come up to me in airports and say, "Didn't I
see you on TV?"

Well, I've never been on TV but we've met a number of very nice
people.


WaIIy wrote:
Doug makes a valid point. *I wouldn't plaster my wife and kids on the
internet with times and places.

It's just not a prudent thing to do.

Ask the cops in your home town if people who have travel blogs get
robbed more often than people who don't. Or better yet, ask your
insurance agent, he is more likely to have accurate & up-to-date
statistics.

FWIW I agree that it's poor strategy to put a detailed itinerary of my
travels on the Internet. So I don't. As for using my real name (which
I do) perhaps that's not a great idea either, security-wise, but the
internet was a very different place when I started and that horse is
out of the barn. So far the only trouble has come from a pimple-faced
****** who was pretending to stalk me and was nowhere near as smart &
computer-savvy as he thought he was. And by using my real name, people
don't mistake me for a pimple-faced ****** when I make the occasional
blunt remark!

OTOH I do maintain a cruising blog, and my boat is *very*
recognizable. And I like it that way.

Like I said, we've met some very nice people who've said "yes, we saw
you on the internet." And I have met some of the people who post here
(and in other sailing/cruising forums). No problems.... of course, I
don't go out of my way to meet the assholes & ******s, but most of
them would be panicked to meet a real sailor anyway.

Oh and I started using the salutation "Fresh Breezes" way back then...
it seemed friendly and on topic.... nowadays it seems corny but my
fingers just type it automatically

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

Actually, I was agreeing with Doug (I think).

I've always been careful not to post anything on the Internet that would let
someone contact my kids in a way that could fool them into thinking it was
someone who knew me. Their names have never appeared for example.

The position that being anonymous about yourself, your boat, and your
cruising is a significant safety issue is a very different one however. To
the original point raised, I would suggest that those kids on the boat in
the OP are a hell of a lot safer on a boat close and under the supervision
of their parents than home alone in almost any town in the US. There are
some dangerous characters down Mexico way but I doubt they are cruising the
Internet selecting their next victims. The are out cruising in their boats
looking for the next yacht that comes along. Any danger to those kids is
simply
due to being cruising with their parents and not their father's blog.

--
Roger Long

wrote in message
...
big snip

Oh and I started using the salutation "Fresh Breezes" way back then...
it seemed friendly and on topic.... nowadays it seems corny but my
fingers just type it automatically

Fresh Breezes- Doug King


"Corny" is hardly the right word. "Gay" is a better fit.

Wilbur Hubbard

On Sat, 29 Nov 2008 09:05:54 -0800 (PST), wrote:

On Nov 28, 2:03Â*pm, Bob wrote:
I am absolutly appauled when a man posts his children and wife online
for every pedafile and perve to watch and jerk off to.

In other words, you're a pedophile?

Frankly, most of the world knows how to deal with stalkers & perverts

I do not believe in having my behavior governed by fear. The fact that
-you're- afraid to use your real name says far more about you than
about anybody else.

Exactly. There are lot of flavors of anonymous posters.
Some are naturally private, but honest.
Others are clinically paranoid.
Then some are plain malicious.
It all comes out in the wash.
Regarding the website in question, I've read a number of such internet
sailing journals, and without exception they are a boon to those who
put them up.
All good, and no bad, save the occasional bitching e-mail.

--Vic