Please Bear With Us

[KatKnapper]

I think that if you put anything in the "Location" field, then this forum software is essentially enabling geolocation services (w/ Google, which is one of the main bots). I've left my Location (and a lot of other things in my profile) blank.

But your IP address also connects you to a location, unless your ISP (et cetera) masks it.

Anne , @CvP? These are just my guesses...

Sorry to alarm anyone. One would need a court order to get such details from your ISP (Internet Service Provider). This forum platform more than likely will have your IP address, as it needs it to connect you (the same for every other website you visit.) Your computer also has the IP address of TheCatSite and every other web service you are connected too. Personal private details beyond that is secured by your ISP, and only accessible to law enforcement or other such entities under a need to know under court order.

TheCatSite.com's forums or account location field only provides to Google, the information you enter into that field. So, if you care to use the location field, by all means do so, just be mindful not to provide any specific details, as it will get sent to Google, and made public to the extent that they allow.

I sampled other member's who listed their locations, such as Michigan or Canada from outside the forums (logged out) and the linked Google location gave me only that...a map with Michigan and Canada highlighted with census data.

Over the years I have traced the IP of gaming servers that I was currently connected too, using legal means of course, and the most I could get from it was the City, State (or country), some other non-specific data and the ISP. No worries.

 

[Anne]

Let me assure everyone that we do not know your home address. As KatKnapper mentioned, all we know is your ip address as provided to the world wide web by your ISP. Every site you visit gets that information and it's not considered sensitive.

That said, we do not share any information on our users unless ordered to by court of law or in very certain circumstances. Only once in the last 17 years such circumstances took place where a minor threatened suicide and I decided to contact the police in their region and report that. Obviously, I didn't have their home address, just an ip address but the local police could use that to track down that person.

Whatever information you put into your location box - true or false btw - will be shown on the map. As per our site rules, we ask you not to put an exact address there. If you do and one of our moderators catches that, they'll delete your address. We care about the privacy and safety of all our users!