Hiding in Plain Site

Fandango

Did you see what I did there with the title of this post? I used “site” instead of “sight” because I blog anonymously. I have a moniker for my blog. It’s Fandango. I use it instead of my real name for security purposes, as I’ve had my identity stolen from me three times already. I know that’s not a record, or anything, and it’s not something that can’t be undone by canceling all of my credit cards, changing all of my passwords, and making a lot of phone calls to resolve bogus charges and get my credit rating straightened out. But it’s time-consuming and it’s a hassle and I’d rather not have to experience it yet again.

Unfortunately, it’s something that we need to deal with in the online, connected world. As Marilyn Armstrong pointed out in this post today, “Humans seem unable to create anything without also weaponizing it. No matter how much good it could do, we always find a way for it to do more harm than good, or at least as much harm as good.”

So the wonderful technology that enables us to do almost anything online — shopping, banking, streaming movies and music, using social media, and even blogging on WordPress — can, and likely will, at some point, be used against us.

And as taciturn as we may wish to be, we can’t not talk about it. We cannot ignore it. We have to protect ourselves, even if it’s just being amenable to using a moniker for our blog.

Besides, you can make it easy on yourself by doing what I do. I put all of my various passwords on stickers and attach them to my monitor. That way I don’t forget them. Smart, huh?

Written for these daily prompts: Your Daily Word Prompt (moniker), Ragtag Daily Prompt (security), The Daily Spur (record), E.M.’s Random Word Prompt (undone), Word of the Day Challenge (taciturn), Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (amenable), and My Vivid Blog (stickers).

22 thoughts on “Hiding in Plain Site”

  1. Carol anne April 13, 2022 / 5:37 pm

    Thats smart to put the passwords on your monitor. xo

    Liked by 1 person

  2. Stine Writing and Miniatures April 13, 2022 / 5:40 pm

    I get the whole thing! I have my blog connected to Facebook because I have a few people that read it on there. I don’t know why they won’t just read my blog but…I have been selling a few things on Marketplace. The new thing, at least new for me, is to say “I’m going to send you a code. When you get it please send me the code so I know you are real.” Really? You want me to confirm my authenticity by using some google authenticator that has nothing to do with anything? The last “girl” who sent it to me was practically begging me to just “send the code”. I had already blocked her at that point but seriously…

    Liked by 1 person

  3. Stine Writing and Miniatures April 13, 2022 / 5:42 pm

    I really should try to include more than one challenge in my writing. It would save tons of time and I could actually participate in more of them. I do a few and get tired.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Fandango April 13, 2022 / 10:27 pm

      It’s fun to try and weave a number of random words into a cohesive post. Or at least try to do that. 😉

      Liked by 1 person

  4. Sadje April 13, 2022 / 5:46 pm

    You’re very right Fandango, we have to be very careful of our online security.

    Liked by 1 person

  6. Paula Light April 13, 2022 / 6:14 pm

    I hear you. Wish I could begin again anonymously. All this security is such a hassle!

    Liked by 2 people

  7. jilldennison April 13, 2022 / 6:48 pm

    Yep, been there, done that, and it is NOT fun! I’ve only had it happen once, but once was enough and I am very careful about security measures now (knock on wood).

    Liked by 2 people

  8. lifelessons April 13, 2022 / 9:27 pm

    I have never been quite sure if you are a man or a woman. I get hints, and then quickly forget what the hint taught me. Are you revealing that info????

    Liked by 1 person

    • Fandango April 13, 2022 / 10:31 pm

      That’s one thing I am revealing. I am a man. An old man, in fact.

      Like

      • lifelessons April 14, 2022 / 12:28 am

        I always thought you were, but then you wrote something that made me think you were a woman. Did you perhaps write something from the persona of a woman?

        Liked by 1 person

        • Fandango April 14, 2022 / 9:24 am

          I have been known to write from the female perspective upon occasion.

          Like

          • lifelessons April 14, 2022 / 9:32 am

            Okay, good. I have been known to write from the male perspective as well.

            Liked by 1 person

  9. Marleen April 13, 2022 / 11:07 pm

    Fun ending

    Liked by 1 person

  11. JT Twissel April 14, 2022 / 9:06 am

    I also write under a pseudonym … mostly because my real name is so unusual that I’m not hard to find.

    Liked by 1 person

  12. Marilyn Armstrong April 14, 2022 / 1:16 pm

    I’ve been scammed (NOT online) once and hacked (online) once and that was MORE than enough. The problem is no matter HOW paranoid you are, they can get you. Those hackers are clever and they don’t care if you are rich or poor. Whatever you are, they’ll take whatever they can get. Monstrous so-called humans.

    Liked by 1 person

  13. Neo Trinity April 16, 2022 / 3:52 pm

    It took me a while to decide to become anonymous once again. But I to now prefer to write under a pseudonym. The hardest bit was removing 500 posts. Renard post sent me here. Hello, pleased to make you aquantence.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Fandango April 16, 2022 / 4:51 pm

      Pleased to meet you, as well.

      Like

  14. leigha66 May 30, 2022 / 6:24 pm

    You should use post-its instead of stickers then you can move them around to confuse others. Ha, ha, ha!

    Liked by 1 person

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