A Devil Of A Past In The Internet Age

[Dana1010]

How do you deal with all these networks wanting you to post pictures and details about yourself online? Personally, it drives me crazy--how can they not know that some people aren't comfortable with that? I don't even go near the social sites like Facebook, but now I'm finding web platforms associated with some work that I do begging for headshots and biographies. I guess I could pull off the bio part by keeping identifying details out, but there's no way in hell I can post a headshot. I'm on the run from my entire family and all kinds of negative characters from my past. I need to be totally anonymous.

It's bad enough that having no presence on any of the social sites is pretty much an admission to others that you are hiding something. Now this crap is cutting into my livelihood, and it's making me awfully angry. I can live without Facebook friends; I can't live without paychecks. Has anyone found any crafty ways around this? Is it okay to use a picture of a paid stand-in instead of yourself? What lines can you use that don't automatically make people think, "This weirdo is hiding sh*t?"

 

[Spiderallis]

How about an imaginary pet? Your user image could be the fictional pet and mentioning it in the 'about me' section would throw people off if they had bad intentions. I'd fake having a cat because I'm known to like dogs and reptiles, rearrange the assortment of possible pretend pets until one seems right. Maybe you've got an exotic fish tank, or a ferret?

I gloss over portions of my life as "Younger and dumber", and "you know, college stuff"

 

[shimmerz]

I have the same issue. I don't work right now so it isn't affecting my livelihood, but man oh man, do I get what you are saying. What type of business are you in? Kind of a rhetorical question, but what I am trying to get at is, is it possible for you to post someone else's picture as your own? Do you need to meet with clients who expect you to be 'the person in the pic' because you have meetings with clients?

Is it possible to take a shot of yourself but leave out anything but your mouth? Can you take a picture in the dark - so one can see only your shadow?

I guess what I am thinking here is, does access to social media matter to you only? If so, can you 'fake' your picture somehow?

 

[Friday]

It's bad enough that having no presence on any of the social sites is pretty much an admission to others that you are hiding something.

Nearly no one I know in law enforcement or the non-political side of govt. (career, not voted in) has Facebook or social networking pages. In point of fact, one has to list and then have their pages vetted both before hire, and then periodically reviewed in many agencies.

Has anyone found any crafty ways around this?

Of those who do? They usually have artsy or sporty pics. The kind of thing that is completely non-identifiable, but if you saw them in person? You'd recognize them if you looked for it. Body type/ race/ etc. Usually distance shots of 100' or so; hiking, silhouette in the sunset or sunrise, etc. Not something that could ever pop on facial recognition, or be used by criminals to target them and their families.

 

[Dana1010]

Nearly no one I know in law enforcement or the non-political side of govt. (career, not voted in) has Facebook or social networking pages. In point of fact, one has to list and then have their pages vetted both before hire, and then periodically reviewed in many agencies.

Sorry, I'm not really getting the point in this. It's interesting--are you saying that people who know/care about personal security are wary of social media? Even if that's so, it doesn't stop average folks from thinking, "Oh, you're not findable online? That's weird."

Usually distance shots of 100' or so; hiking, silhouette in the sunset or sunrise, etc.

I posted one from ten feet away once, and a rep from the site was caling me on the phone (yes, really) to tell me that my photo was hurting my prospects because it was not a headshot. No, I didn't have to heed his nagging, but it sure was annoying.

is it possible for you to post someone else's picture as your own?

This is a really creative, if dicey, idea. If they bear a reasonable resemblance to you, I think it could be okay even in cases where you do have me to meet. I mean look at your worst picture, and then look at your best picture--they could be two different people, right? I thought there must already be people doing this, but my Google search turned up nothing. Also, where would you find someone who'd agree to let you use her picture?

 

[Ronin]

It is not anyone's business.

If they're in the talks of 'Oh, what is Dana hiding?', you can always question them back 'Why do you not even think for yourself and post everything online? Why don't YOU care for ____ people to protect them by not being findable so much', etc.

Turn that elephant on its ear.

& personally I don't give a f*ck what does anyone think I'm hiding or not. It's interesting to watch what they think, as that's material I can operate on, knowing their suppositions, but that's about as far from truth (or as close to it) as one gets.

Besides, do you have to post your pics at places? I use substitutes about everywhere, & blurred & bad quality photos if I can't do that. Party & clubbing photos have their use, shit lightening. :P

& You can still lie about it not being you if you really need to. There's so many look alike people even for rather unusual bodytype people.

 

[Dana1010]

@Cashew, It's commendable that you don't care what other people think, I guess, but I sort of do, because when you have secrets, the last thing you want to do is make other people suspicious. Maybe you don't have all that much to hide. Also,you referred mostly to the social sites, I think. This is to do with sites tied to work I do specifically asking for headshots.

 

[Ronin]

@Dana1010, it's not as much 'don't care', more like 'I'm going to work with what I can, and effect everything else has on me'. You could do a cost analysis of this. What's the worst realistic cost of you being exposed this or that way, to you and people you care for? Go from there.

Either you'll find out some things are worse than you thought, and steer in the way of caution for the next time, or you find they're not, and have a reason to put some major worries of now, to reexamination and rest.

Headshots and documentation photos can still look rather different from how you look and present live.

& if it makes you that deeply uncomfortable / is triggering specifically, why not go for employment where they won't require these? Or work around it, not sending CVs and the like prior and appearing in person, instead?

 

[Dana1010]

why not go for employment where they won't require these?

Such as? This crap is all over the place now. Goods and service providers are found online now. It is what it is. I can't just take up a new trade like it's changing clothes anyway. What I have to offer is what I have to offer.

 

[joeylittle]

It's bad enough that having no presence on any of the social sites is pretty much an admission to others that you are hiding something.

No, it's just that you choose not to; don't let your hyper-awareness lead to reading more into it. A common response to "why don't you do Facebook?", is, "I just prefer not to." And if someone is rude enough to press, let them know that you prefer to keep up with your contacts directly, and that you've found it doesn't hurt your business.

For the headshot: develop a logo, if you don't have one, and use that. Or, depending on the kinds of places you work with, you could be more hipster-ish about it and use some app to build a cartooned avatar of yourself (if you search the phrase 'cartoon yourself', you'll see some options).

I know it can be frustrating, but there are lots of reasons folks don't want to put their stuff all over the web, and it's not to do with hiding, it's just to do with appreciating privacy. I doubt peoples' first thought is to be suspicious; it's more likely to be 'oh, that's a little old-fashioned'. If you can live with that, you're good.

 

[Ocean5]

If you don't meet person-to-person with clients. Use a stand-in, or creative aviator. Plenty of places to buy stock photos of people.

Sometimes it's best not to be found. Hang-in there.

Use other sites like Pinterest, Linken, and Twitter. So if people search your name those come up.

 

[Dana1010]

I want to bump this thread up due to a recent development.

The main platform I work on just sent me a message. They said they've hidden my account until I upload a picture of myself. Not just any picture, but a portrait that shows no more of my body than my neck and shoulders (no long shots).

WTF?