Quote:
Originally Posted by kaz1961
I did not ask this question as a put down to anyone who blocks out their plates, if that makes you feel more comfortable than do it. I was just wondering what the reasoning was behind it. Havent seen anything in this thread that makes me think it is necessary so heres your picture.
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The simple reason is, you can be found / identified. If that doesn't concern you, then carry on. But if it does, posting your plate isn't a good idea.
Photo exif data is easy to remove, but for someone clueless about it, it's an obvious give away. But in cases when it's not there, perseverance can pay off.
Some people use their forum handle everywhere. With a simple google search, you can glean a lot of info about them from that handle if they tend to use it over and over. While they may not post their exact city in one forum, they'll post it in another. They may even post their real first name in some cases. They may post in Instagram, Facebook or describe their interests elsewhere. From that, you can often narrow their location down.
Now you've given them another clue by posting your plate. So a little perseverance and you can be found much easier.
If you don't care, like some others on here, that's one thing, but if you think you're safe because no one can look up a plate, you are mistaken.
Yes, you drive around with your plate in plain view, but besides that, you're anonymous and not under scrutiny unless you do something really dumb on the road. Also, how many people pay attention to your plate, or even see your car everyday while you're driving about?
In a social media setting online, things are different. You become more interactive, and based on what you say, you are under the magnifying glass more so than just driving around. And you're also in view of a whole lot more people. They pay more attention to you and your views. It's now much easier to become a target than just driving around.
It's a different situation.