Photo & File Sharing (Tips and Tricks)
Smart Online Photo Sharing
Online file sharing sites have made it easy for us to post photos of ourselves and our loved ones to share with others. Sometimes we do so to make it easy for distant friends or relatives to see them, not realizing we are exposing our pictures to the world.
Privacy Concerns
A surprising amount of information can be revealed about you in a photograph, particularly in background details. A picture of your child could reveal the name of her school. A family photo might show the car's license plate or the house's address. An indoor photo could inadvertently include a credit card bill lying on the table. Often online photo sharing is linked from a blog that contains more personal information such as the city you live in or your future vacation plans. This makes privacy issues even more serious. Even if you don't reveal information that would be useful to a stranger, you could still be revealing private information to a boss or ex-spouse that can be used against you.
Are Your Photos Yours?
Most people assume they own their photos. Most online sites require you to relinquish ownership when you post your photos on their site. Some online photo sharing companies contain fine print in their terms of use that gives them ownership of anything you post. For example, photos posted to public areas of Facebook, Flickr or AOL can be used by the owning companies without your permission and without compensation. You could find pictures of your kids used in an advertising campaign. You might become the poster child for herpes medication or adult diapers. Your picture could even be modified, which opens up a whole host of embarrassing or damaging possibilities. Even if you post to an online photo sharing site that allows you to retain ownership, some individuals won't respect that. You never know where your face could end up. MyOtherDrive never attempts to take rights to your private files.
Protect Yourself
Use a little common sense before using online photo sharing. Choose publicly posted pictures carefully. Look them over at their full size to be sure there is no personal information depicted. Think before posting a picture that shows you in a compromising situation. Would you want a future job interviewer to see this? Or your in-laws? Or a judge at a DUI hearing? This is why MyOtherDrive private file sharing is so important. Control who can view your shared files by building a group of friends, family, team members, etc. and sharing your files only to that group. Photo sharing is a great way to share pictures with friends, but you can't forget that the Internet is the most public forum that has ever existed. Stay smart and use our private file sharing and you will keep yourself and your family safer.