Hi. I was just wondering if you guys plan to make this site secure. (This is my third time typing this thanks to baby hands)! I've have pictures stolen off my blog before, but was just wondering if you had this in your plans for the site! Thanks. Emily
#1 Website for Digital Scrapbooking and Hybrid Crafting.
Hi Emily. Can you explain a bit more what you mean by "secure"? Thanks!
I totally forgot about this! Sorry, I meant something along the lines, that people needed to be a part of the community to see the gallery. Thanks!
Thanks for the input, Emily. Making the gallery accessible to members only is something we would consider, based on user input, but I do have some reservations about the idea:
That being said, we want DigitalScrapbook.com to serve the needs of its users, so if this is something that people would like to see, we are certainly open to considering it.
Have you run into other digital scrapbooking sites that have private galleries?
I haven't, and I would imagine it seem to be a lot of work on your end to implement. I was just curious about it. I have had issues in the past with posting photos that have been stolen, and then more recently, family members using photos that then got distributed without my consent. So, I'm aware that I don't need to post all the layouts I do with my kids and family and whatnot, or participate in the challenges, I have no concerns about Pixelscrapper, but it is just something I've had to deal with elsewhere.
Hi, Jordan... thought I'd jump into this one briefly (hope you don't mind). I know what Emily is suggesting does exist & is possible, I just don't know how you do it (not a programmer here) or I'd try to help you out.
For example, I have seen galleries (maybe not at the digiscrap websites) that offer password-protected private galleries for privacy reasons - like babiesonline.com, for instance. I have an account with them (set up an account for each of my sons @ babiesonline.com just before they were born), and there I was able to create a web page all about them & attach a photo gallery to it. The public can see their main page, but are unable to view their private gallery unless they type in a special password which I've personally provided them with (which is completely different than your account login password). Photobucket also offers the same type of thing - I have an account there, too. I've been storing holiday photos of my family there, so family/friends that don't live nearby can see them, and they are only able to access the photos via a special password I give them (it's a "guest" password for viewing only).
Scraps and pieces gallery is private. And I honestly prefer this one, because I often lose the good layouts I see there. I like to pin the layouts from this gallery that I really like on Pinterest, and I guess if it was private either I couldn´t pin them, or, as happens on the other gallery I mentioned, the pinned url would direct to the main page istead of the page where it´s posted, which I also don´t like, because it difficults credits identification.
If I had concerns with the privacy of one of my photos (for example if I made a layout showing the front of my house, or with someone´s kids), i´d blur parts of it, or even substitute it for a public domain picture for the reasons of posting online. I also saw people that post the layouts without the photo, but I don´t think it´s the best solution.
@ Lorien: I agree with your assessment. We post our layouts for recognition and pride, if the gallery is deemed 'private' to members only that seems to defeat the purpose of what a gallery is for. Blurred features seems the best choice I have seen in galleries.
If I have a photo that I do not want shared or contains others children (like the layouts I do for my husbands class, I do not want to post layouts of his students on the internet) I either blur out their faces or I have put a blank box (colored to match my layout) in place of the photo. If I do the blank box then in my credits I will put why there is a blank box.
perhaps we could have an option to make layouts private or public?
I think we all have to remember that whatever we post or upload via the internet, and even from our
cell phones, that it is no longer private or protected...no matter how many security measures are taken.
I don't think that posting layouts with images of our family members is taking a high risk with our safety
as much as the journaling that is added to the layouts.
Here's an example of what I mean:
Many of the kits I've purchased from some well recognized scrap stores have contained layouts used for
examples in the downloads. I've been very shocked at the info that they contained re: their own young
children! There was so much info in the journaling, that if I was a pedophile or someone looking to snatch
a child...well...they would have made it very easy for me to do.
The journaling contained full birth dates, ages, full names and even schools and pictures of easily
identifiable favorite places/parks they go to often, right near where they live. Many of them even named
those parks and lakes.
All of those kits I'm talking about had between 12 and 20 layouts in them, more than enough to also learn
what pets and siblings (including names) that these children had. The more layouts there were...the more info
they had given to get a full view into their little lives and were they live. They might as well have added a
road map right to their front door.
So whether or not a decision is made to limit access to the gallery...I think we all need to take responsibilty
for what we put out into cyber land. There is only so much Jordan can do to protect what you post...especially
if you are first uploading that layout to somewhere like Photobucket. You've already put that image out there
before even adding it to this gallery or any other one. It's the same thing if you post on Facebook. You need to
decide if you're adding too much info to those layouts before posting them. Maybe limit the final journaling until
after you save a copy of it to add to Photobucket or the gallery without all that info. Or use a replacement image
on the posting version or blur that area like some of the suggestions already made here.
Please keep in mind...this holds true even if you're emailing finished versions to family members.
Once you hit that send button...it's out there.
The internet can be a wonderful tool for us if we just monitor what we do. This forum is proof of that.
The caring and compassion from the members here is a beautiful thing. I think we've all grown since
finding this site because of so many taking the time to explain how to do things, give feedback on layouts,
and someone is always willing to help when we say we need help with something.
Sorry for the lengthy post and if you're still with me...thanks for taking the time to get to the end of this...LOL!
~Hugs everyone and happy scrapping~
@Kathie: good reminders.
I personally don't see sharing my name and photo as a big risk, because in this day and age financial institutions and such are highly aware of the fact that you can find almost anyone's name and photo on the internet--which means that you need a lot more than that to be able to effectively impersonate them, or steal their identity. The vast majority of information that criminals are looking to steal are things along the lines of credit card numbers, pins, bank account passwords, etc., and generally the techniques used are automated (fake emails from your bank, viruses, etc.).
But like you said, Kathie: everyone should be aware that once they post something to cyberspace, it's "out there." There is a certain amount of "security through obscurity," because the internet is just so vast, and there is so much information floating around... but relying on obscurity for security is probably not a great idea.
One technique that could be used for posting layouts with lots of sensitive journal text is to replace the journal text with dummy text. This site is great for generating natural looking dummy text (I use it all the time for web design): http://lipsum.com/ (just choose how many paragraphs you need, then click on the "generate Lorum ipsum" button.
Thanks Jordan for the link to lipsum...I already have it bookmarked now!
This will come in very handy for text on journal cards and scrap papers.
I wish I would have known about this site 2 years ago...LOL!
RE: online safety...I agree completely with you that using my name and photo are not a safety
risk. Most people have tons of personal pictures on FB, so their easy to find. Google has
taken anonymity away from everyone!
I'm more concerned about things like Target, Hotels, etc having their systems accessed and
having everything from account numbers, passwords, and even Social Security numbers stolen,
just from swiping a debit/credit card.
Now that is scary!
@Kathie: NO KIDDING!!! and we've had both our cards used at 3 locations now that have been HACKED and had to change our CC and Bank cards... NOT to even mention our STATE SS TAX office was hacked and our identities at risk. Our state has paid for the last 2 years for protection watch but I'm told that it usually takes those types several years before they use what they stole. That they wait a while until everyone gets lackadaisical and forgets about it, then WHAM they use your SS# and identity.
I've also heard you can be at a greater risk from predators (like sex offenders & the likes) stealing your id from your mailbox, old mail etc, as they are always trying to hide the fact they are a predator & use fake identities. And I guarantee you most people would be VERY surprised to find out HOW MANY registered offenders live very close to you (even in them fancy fancy neighborhoods). Now THAT'S some scary stuff!
Goodness, this is one grim line of thinking. All very true, and very frustrating. I guess I may need to rethink some of my layouts in the future...potentially use the lipsum site that Jordan recommended. That said, I guess moving as frequently as we do may not be a bad thing (8 times in the last 10 years). Ha!
I wish I could like or heart a reply to the main post! @Kathie, I think you are absolutely right, we should be careful! Thanks for the reminder
Cathy Zielske has shared little circle pngs for free that say "kid privacy" and a couple variations, so you can pop those over faces if you need to not share something - or you could put them to the side of a photo with blur, just to explain why something might be entirely blurred in the online version. See here: CZ privacy pngs
I know that I have replaced contact information with scribble lines in one of the layouts I've posted here, and the "lorem ipsum" text generator is a perfect idea to replace journaling for an online share!
@Meg....thank you Meg!
I've come across a few replies I wish I could have added a heart to, too, but for now our
only option is to heart the original post. It would probably be a huge amount of programming
work to make a heart available to every reply.
Thanks so much for the link to those privacy png's. I went and checked them out and they are
a fabulous idea and so kind of her to share them with everyone. Great find!
I post fake names, dates and sometimes locations for every personal image that I upload. No real names are used. Ever. I have also used the lorem ipsum text on occasion.
Likewise, I don't upload identifying information on my children in the slightest. I have a somewhat public presence online due to being a freelancer, among other things. But on Facebook, my children get code names that my family members have been requested to use as well (no real names). Their birthdays don't get noised about on any public posts. The layouts I've uploaded here so far don't have journaling of any sort, but that's the sort of thing I would blank out before uploading, and use fake info or lorem ipsum for sample layouts.
Even if I can't completely keep people from digging up information on me, I can at least keep them out of my children's lives as much as I can.