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Google Voice is especially bad. It has tentacles into all sorts of other apps and Google's business is based on data collection, so you can be sure they keep all that they can. If you want to keep things private, don't use Google Voice on your phone. Other social media apps like Facebook want to access your other data (photos, etc.) too, so they don't belong on a private-use phone either. I use Google Voice, but I only use it through my phone's browser--and a private one at that. It pretty much sucks, but I don't need the GV # very often so I live with it. If I were a provider, I'd definitely invest in a separate phone. There are some really good cheap Androids out there (Xaiomi has an awesome one). As long as they are compatible with your carrier, you can just drop the SIM card in and go.

Hey all, I go to great lengths to keep my hobby persona safe, but in a recent post I saw that there are others who don't have any safeguards in place. I'd also appreciate any tips anyone else has. Here's my setup: I use Veracrypt to create an encrypted container on my computer. In that encrypted container, I have installed Firefox portable. That way all of the tracks left by browsing are contained within Firefox portable and they don't leave the encrypted container. As an added bonus, because it's in its own little hidden box, I can use tools like LastPass to keep track of my passwords and stuff without it ever encroaching into my normal life. I also keep a text document or two and a spreadsheet in there of providers I would like to see or have seen with notes so I can remember why I want to visit them or why I would (or wouldn't) return. For my phone, I use Google Voice. I don't like it much. It can be flaky and Google isn't known for keeping data private. Because I'm an infrequent hobbyist, though, it's good enough for me. I have a burner but I don't use it because I usually don't hobby often enough to keep the minutes up to date. The browser on my Android phone is called Frost. It has a method in place to hide my private bookmarks and it removes all history when I exit the app. When I had an iPhone, there was an awesome app that had a hidden browser, notepad, and image collector built into it. I can't remember the name, though. What to y'all do to keep your data safe? I'm especially interested in how providers keep data safe. I'm often uncomfortable sharing info because I have no idea how it's treated once it has left my hands.

Chances are this person isn't using a real email address. But you can always try googling the email address to see if he is as dumb as he is mean. If you can't see it, you can always view the message header to see what it is just Google "email header Gmail" (substituting whatever mail service you use) for instructions. You can always go through a reverse-lookup site it you want to as well. Spokeo is pretty comprehensive. It searches dozens of social media sites. Ironically, this is exactly what I do when I am researching a new provider so I can feel safe and secure. Unfortunately, some people are simply broken and can only feel good about themselves by bringing others down. In reality, your best option is probably to ignore the emails. You can always report the as spam or create a filter to automatically delete them. Stay safe!

I'm not an active participant--as a matter of fact this is my first post/reply on TOB--but I agree that TOB should implement a ladies' only area. For the most part, the risks they take are greater than those of us hobbyists and they need a place where they can discuss important issues in private. I appreciate that TOB is an open forum where both providers and hobbyists can discuss topics, but I've noticed that hobbyist comments in some situations are either irrelevant or under-informed. These comments often derail the conversation. We all have opinions and we LOVE to share them, but sometimes our inexperience in a matter can just muddy the waters. My two cents, maybe even less.

This is a great board. I'd love to see Minneapolis on here.