Ignorance is not a bliss!
By Toni
@toniganzon (72517)
Philippines
August 22, 2011 7:20pm CST
We all know how dangerous the internet can be if we are not careful. People get scammed everywhere. Some terrorists use this as a tool to destroy another country. Criminals use this to harm others.
I made my msn account about 6 years ago and i filled out everything in the information box including my phone number at that time. Little did i know that everybody would be able to see that and it wasn't safe at all. I was ignorant but i was lucky nobody harmed me or scammed me at all. Nobody seemed to be interested in my number! 
Until i met this young fellow from England last year who told me i was stupid to display my number to the world. At that time that number doesn't exist anymore. But i have learned my lesson. Never give out too much information in the net. It isn't that safe at all.
Until i met this young fellow from England last year who told me i was stupid to display my number to the world. At that time that number doesn't exist anymore. But i have learned my lesson. Never give out too much information in the net. It isn't that safe at all.4 people like this
13 responses
@toniganzon (72517)
• Philippines
24 Aug 11
That number i gave out doesn't exist anymore and i have three different cellphone numbers. One for business, one for my family which is very private and the other one for friends. So i know whether to answer the call or not. I don't usually answer numbers that don't exist in my phonebook.
@chicksdigscars (5483)
•
23 Aug 11
i like your thinking.. when i started using the internet when i was 15, which is like 10 years ago now, i put all my information everywhere, because i wanted people to see i was really me and upfront and honest! but it could have got me in trouble with people less upfront and honest! i'm glad you protect yourself more now :)
1 person likes this
@toniganzon (72517)
• Philippines
24 Aug 11
I was innocent then and just enjoyed the net without thinking the harm it can do.
@chicksdigscars (5483)
•
24 Aug 11
oh me too, although i think it actually was safer then. all the creeps and scumbags hadn't fully utilized the internet yet for their devious ways!
@KrauseHome (36447)
• United States
19 Nov 11
Personally this is still the issue many times, as too many people are too trusting sometimes when giving out things on the Internet, and never stop to think who might be able to access that information for sure. I know even with Facebook, etc. it is asked for a lot of times, and most people think nothing about having it there. I personally prefer not to share a lot of my personal information until I feel it is worth it for sure.
@Professor2010 (20162)
• India
23 Aug 11
Right now i have responded to your discussion in which you talked about your pictures, and this one is about numbers, we need to be cautious and careful to the maximum extent..
Thanks for sharing
Best of luck.
Professor
Best of luck.
Professor
@toniganzon (72517)
• Philippines
23 Aug 11
And what is the ideal number? I would like to know your opinion on that one.
@miadsoriano (884)
• Philippines
23 Aug 11
Bravo! My thoughts exactly. This is very timely because I also decided on quitting my mommy blog due to issues of privacy. I didn't set out to deliberately "expose" my life but that's what I think will happen if I don't stop it. Lesson learned. Thanks too for posting this as I am also in the habit of posting my number when filling out information on the internet. Sigh!
@toniganzon (72517)
• Philippines
24 Aug 11
I did it only once in msn for my hotmail account. That number no longer exists and since then i haven't given my number to any sites at all.
@dpk262006 (58678)
• Delhi, India
23 Aug 11
Hi toni!
You are absolutely right that we should not disclose too much personal information while opening a new mail account of while registering at any new website. We should only part with mandatory information. I do not ever mention my phone number on any site. I remain careful not to disclose unnecessary information, which could cause trouble to me in future.
@mensab (4200)
• Philippines
23 Aug 11
well, there is always a risk in anything we don online. the hackers and scammers are always scouring for potential victims. even the secure websites of powerful institutions such as fbi and governments are being attacked and hacked. how much more our own site or account? however, it is advisable to always be careful of the information we send out and show to others.
@salonga (27775)
• Philippines
23 Aug 11
Oh yes that is a very good lesson that you learned. I used to be like you until one day I find my own fault. I tried searching my own name on the net one day and I was surprised to see that all my personal data were freely displayed in one of the sites I joined several years ago. I thought those data are only for my personal account and could not be seen by others. I immediately erased all those data and removed my membership in that site. Now whenever I search my name I still could see my works, my articles, my blogs and all others but never my personal data. So being ignorant is not really a bliss. It can bring you into risk.
@toniganzon (72517)
• Philippines
23 Aug 11
Yeah and it's good that i've learned from that very important lesson.
@thesids (22180)
• Bhubaneswar, India
23 Aug 11
Hi toni
Perception!
If you were unmarried, and someone called you seeing that number on msn, and that started the love between you two, and both of you eventually got married and were quite happy, you would have appreciated the fact that "Ignorance is Bliss".
But yes, in today's world, it is not that blissful to be ignorant and one should always be watchful and careful.
Now this discussion raises a question - I am launching my web-hosting website and had planned to put out my cell number on this one. This discussion leaves me confused - should I or shouldnt I?
Perception!
If you were unmarried, and someone called you seeing that number on msn, and that started the love between you two, and both of you eventually got married and were quite happy, you would have appreciated the fact that "Ignorance is Bliss".
But yes, in today's world, it is not that blissful to be ignorant and one should always be watchful and careful.
Now this discussion raises a question - I am launching my web-hosting website and had planned to put out my cell number on this one. This discussion leaves me confused - should I or shouldnt I?@toniganzon (72517)
• Philippines
23 Aug 11
I like the first paragraph and yes i would be thankful and ignorance is such a bliss indeed. But like what you've said, we'll never know what might come up nowadays because there are just so many we people trying to take advantage of others.
Now with regards to your web-hosting thing. If you can get a cheap prepaid number then give that number instead of the one you are using. Would you believe that i have three cellphones and three different kinds of number. One of them is my private number that only direct family knows about. One is for business purpose and i know when to answer the call or not. And the other one is for friends.
@petersum (4522)
• United States
23 Aug 11
You shouldn't give out any information about yourself at all, but people will still ask for it. The insanity of the Internet will continue forever.
Take for example the new IPv6. Now the old IPv4 didn't have enough address space for every user. IPv6 has enough space for the entire population of Earth, regardless if we are using the Internet or not! Every man, woman and child on the planet could have a unique, identifying number.
That's all we would need! No name, date of birth, country, password, etc.
So will we be issued this number? Of course not! They (whoever "they" might be) will still want your name, address, telephone number... and all your personal details so that other people can steal, buy and sell it.
@SIMPLYD (90721)
• Philippines
23 Aug 11
That's why i have trepidations of fully divulging information about myself on the net. I always have that shield before me , which i always put on, so that in one way or another, i wouldn't be an open target to misdoings of others in the net. 
I think, i have to hide my face again in an avatar.
I think, i have to hide my face again in an avatar. @Helensa (28)
• China
23 Aug 11
i think the personal information should not be put on the internet. we give personal information to others when we want to connect with others. but if we put information on the internet, it has no effect for we don't know who will know the information. and in that situation our nomal lives will be in danger.
@toniganzon (72517)
• Philippines
24 Aug 11
That's why ignorance is not a bliss! NObody thought the internet could be as dangerous as it is now the first time we used it. LUcky for those who just started using it and is knowledgeable of the consequences.
