In an effort to raise awareness of the dangers of broadcasting your location to your social network buddies, telling them you are not home, PleaseRobMe.com is “Listing all those empty homes out there”.
In a very funny way, PleaseRobMe.com lists robbing opportunities in real time.
Recent Empty Homes are listed in a very direct way to let everyone know what they are really saying by disclosing their whereabouts is “Please rob me” because they are announcing to the world that they left their home unattended.
I hope PleaseRobMe.com’s approach finally helps Facebook, Twitter, Google Buzz and other social networking sites users to stay away from revealing where they are and where they are not on their tweets or updates.
Here’s a tip I always share: instead of telling your social network friends where you are, tell them where you’ve been! Better yet, you can even post pictures of the event or place where you went to spice it up. This way, you spread the word, and keep safe!
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About the Author: Elayna Fernandez is a proud mother, Success & Empowerment Guide, author and speaker, founder of the Positive Mommies Network, dedicated to creating/upgrading personal and coporate brands and marketing effectively on the Web.
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Great tip to get yourself from getting robbed-Thanks for sharing this information.
Elayna, that is great advice! I'm at the office right now, but my pet Lion is guarding the homestead!
We were up at Disney and I did not tweet or blog while there because I knew I had to keep my mouth shut that we were away. Also, this is not just about robbing, but also raping, stalking, killing. Be careful online!
Elayna, it amazes me how many people share too much info on the internet.
Great, smart advice for all of us who use the mentioned social networks! We do not want our children pod-casting their whereabouts and we should not do it either.
I DO share my location occasionaly on FourSquare.. and actually recently got a WEIRD Email about my location on my site... However, I do it only when I KNOW someone else, MY HUSBAND, is home or my home is protected... Great advice for those who DO NOT think about it.... it is a scary world out there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Elayna--Great advice--I love your idea of telling where you've been rather than where you ARE!
Have a wonderful Sunday...
Where you've been instead of where you are ...
That's priceless advice, I must say.
Featured @ Club Chaos
Hi Elayna ~ That's too funny! Makes a great point.
Liz
I am much more likely to say where I have been than where I am going as I've been concerned about this.
I agree to much info is shared on line for to many eyes of unknown character qualities.
Elayna - I seen this on the news a couple days ago and had planned a post. You have made this so easy.. I'll just re-blog it :)
It's amazing at what people will come up with.
I'm also more likely to say where I've been than where I am. This was a clever article. It does raise awareness. Thanks!
You've got a good point but just because someone is out does not mean the home is vacant or undefended. Someone looking to breakin would be foolhearty to simply rely on someone's tweets and assume. I could drive down the street and find vacant houses just as fast. --Or open garage doors.
It amazes me how many people post where they live on sites like that. Then like you said advertise, look I'm not home. Girls need to be especially careful because just like your home being robbed, someone maybe actually waiting for you to get home.
Great advice! I think sometimes we get so caught up in what we are doing that common sense flies out the window. Maybe we should say we're out but mama's home manning the .50 cal. LOL
The where you have been concept is good. Think about how this impacts FourSquare or other meet me here social media sites.
We just don't stop and think about who might be looking over their shoulder at you. Good advice.
That's a new one to me...I wonder how the social media scene will correlate to crimes in the near future as more historical data is available....
Great tips indeed ! Broadcasting what you are doing every second can be harmful. I like what you said in terms of telling folks where you have been !
When I heard about this site a few weeks ago it made me think, and although I use 4sq all the time, I usually only do it when I am home or nearby, or I hide my whereabouts. When posting you also have the option to tell only your friends on 4sq or to tweet it as well. I really only use it as a fun competition with the wifey. Anybody stupid enough to tweet that they are on vacation when no one is at the house is ... stupid.
When I remember to check in with FourSquare I do it as I am leaving. What I don't understand is why some folks have to tell us where they are 10 or 15 times a day. So what if you are at the gas station or sitting in traffic? How does that relate to your followers? I'm trying to promote a new local resturant and by checking in at FourSquare it might bring it to the attention of someone who didn't know it was there yet. Otherwise be careful as besides please rob me it could be please stalk me.
Location based social media is all the rage. I get that. Personally I am too paranoid usually to tell people where I am so I have long had a delayed reaction on social media.
You wote "I hope PleaseRobMe.com’s approach finally helps Facebook, Twitter, Google Buzz and other social networking sites users to stay away from revealing where they are and where they are not on their tweets or updates."
I believe your "other social networking sites" must refer to Gowalla, Foursquare and and other smaller sites took location based social media a step further than the OLD, traditional, ho hum Facebook and Twitter but they all are going to give us props for raising our hands and saying "Here I am." Or "I am not at home." I believe Google Buzz was introduced about the same time a few weeks back when the world took note of the clever little PleaseRobMe.com site and it was on all the big tech sites, Techcrunch, Mashable, etc. Yelp.com which I have been a member of forever but do not really like made a change to compete with Foursquare and Gowalla... that is a big site with lots of traffic ... competition.
It is crazy sometimes when you get on there and see how some people have to post every step of there day. Nice post. Hope you have a great day!
Hello? All you potential robbers out there? I'M SITTING AT MY DESK AT HOME RIGHT NOW! Yeah. With a big Rottweiler next to me. Um, and I have a black belt in Judo.
This is the "other side" of social media. We have to be cautious. No, I do not need to know where someone is at every hour of their day. And I think it's not a wise idea to be constantly revealing that information about yourself. It could be dangerous.
I've often read some of those posts and thought why would anyone want to tell the world that they aren't home. It is a recipe for a setup.
I still use Foursquare and Yelp as real time marketing methods even though I know of this site. As far as I am concerned this actually help viral marketing. If a crook goes to the time to track me, figure out my movements, he also better figure out the alarm system, the others at home, the dogs, and besdies, the professionals that would use social marketing to target me have better ways to spend their time, with a bgreater ROI, and less risk involved. You gotta love professionals in every field.
It's foolish to feel the need to tell everyone where you are every moment. In the old days, vacations to distant locations used to be announced in the newspapers - with the same results. Criminals read the papers, too.
I saw an article about that a few days ago! Was an eye opener. I rarely mention that I am not going to be home, before the fact, but its good to be more aware of what we do online. There are some scary people out there with nothing better to do than look for that info online. I didn't think about it in relation to listings though. Good point!
--Kim
This is very interesting. Thanks for posting. I am amazed how many people post their vacation schedule on sights like facebook, etc.
I've heard that kids are migrating from texting and FB to twitter. I'm sending this to is my teenagers. Since they're convinced that anyone over 18 can't use technology they don't believe that there are dangers with social networking. Imagine a group of teenage girls sitting in a movie theater announcing to the late friend where they are, when they are leaving, and where they are going next. At least texting was only to a specific person. Scary. Thanks for the post, I really hadn't put this together in my head and you sure made it clear!
Sensible advice.
Great post. I've mentioned this to friends before when they say they will be on vacation somewhere for the next week. I never post when I'll be out of town.
If you look at their site, it appears that they are completely focused on the users of Foursquare. All of their "opportunities" are Foursquare posts, even though in their "Why?" section they mention Brightkite and Google Buzz (does anyone even use Brightkite anymore??). If I were a burglar wanting to rob someone, I certainly wouldn't go to RobMePlease.com to find someone. I would use a far more precise method to track my target. Also, what burglar in his right mind would rely solely on this web site to rob someone? They would need specific info about other family members in the home and their movements, alarm systems, guard animals, police movements in the neighborhood, etc etc. Without such info, they'd be taking an extreme risk.
Overall, I think this web site is a misguided effort. Instead of doing something that, at first glance, appears to help burglars target people for crime, why not build a site that outlines how burglars operate and gives tips to homeowners to reduce the probability that they will be targeted? Two good sites that try to do this are:
1) No Nonsense Self Defense, and
2) The Discovery Channel's TV show, It Takes A Thief (no, not the one where Robert Wagner plays Alexander Mundy!) Check out their tips and the quiz in particular.
Burglars are, for the most part, methodical and opportunistic. Chances are, if you're goiing to be robbed, you've already been targeted, and posting one less tweet on Foursquare about where you are is not going to make a whole lot of difference.
A lot of realtor tweet their exact locations at the very moment. "Drinking Coffee at the Downtown Coffee Shop."
1. Who cares?
2. So that means I can stalk you /attack you as you walk to your car after coffee?
3. Then I know you're not at home but your kids might be?
Elayna, great idea especially saying where you have been and not where you are.
I will keep this in mind for the future.
Great blog, Elayna. I couldn't agree with you more. Have a great week.
Eldon
People always amaze me about the information they are putting on line. Great advice. I'm going to check the pleaserobme.com now.
I saw an feature about this on TV last weekend. These guys really have people's attention! Thanks for the post! I am going to head out and list a house now, so feel free to come by! LOL!!! :o))))
Hey everybody I am not home right know. However I can pull up video from my ipod soon to be ipad and watch you on the surveillance cameras that came with my smart home technology. Looks a little dark why don't I turn on the lights so I can watch you interact with my German shepherd.
PS I forgot to feed him and he has issues with strangers.
Elayna:
Great advice everyone should follow. It sounds like common sense but we tend to relax and overlook.
Good article.
How Ironic. I was Facebooking with Nicole Nicolay about this very subject at the same time you were composing it. Thought it would be a great article for her to write, as she is an avid 4square user.
You put it together very well. congrats on the Feature
Thnaks for the good advice,
Patricia
Hi Elayna, Terrific post to help bring awareness to what seems like such an obvious problem. Well done !
Hi Elayna, Terrific post to help bring awareness to what seems like such an obvious problem. Well done !
This is a great post Elayna! Thanks for sharing that site with us, thats hilarious!
We have to remember to be safe for ourselves and our sellers.
Great tip. Guilty of the location reveal mistake - just this weekend! Will be much smarter now, thank you!
Congrats on the feature, wonderful post and keep up the great work young lady!
VB ;o)
Thanks for the warning Elayna. It's amazing how much information we put out on the internet about our habits and what we're doing.
Great post! A lady that I know posted on her status about a week ago that somehow insurance carriers could, in the future, raise rates of people who announce on social media outlets when they are not at home, being that it increases the potential of getting robbed. I am trying to be extra careful of this -- it is difficult -- so here was what I told her my next status update would be..hehe: working from home today with my loaded gun, just hanging out with my 100 lb attack dog...have plans to be here all month.... However, I think I like Don Wixom's response better!!
I do the 'tell them where you've BEEN' thing instead of where I am. It's tempting, though, to share as you go, but as you point out not a very good idea.
Elayna - This is very important advice and something everyone should take into consideration. Too much information is exactly that!
Thanks for sharing, I will post the website link on my facebook! Much appreciated!
Great advice, I am going to re-blog it. We have to be very careful, not everyone uses social medai for the right reasons.
First, post very nice and seductive pictures of you on facebook that is open to everybody, not only friends. Then make daily posts about going jogging in secluded areas etc. Right. Things we do on facebook that we would not do in real life, as telling strangers where we are going to be or not to be. We have forgotten to be careful. We NEED this warning!
Wow! Thanks for the overwhelming response. I admit that checking in with FourSquare or saying we are going on vacation on our Twitter or Facebook updates does not mean we will find our furniture gone when we return, but the purpose of my post and PleaseRobMe.com's sarcastic format is to raise awareness of what happens when we share too much information as sometimes it is just not obvious because we're having too much fun. I teach Social Media classes and the first couple hours are dedicated to privacy and security. In my opinion, we can never be too careful. I hope we all take the necessary steps to protect ourselves and our loved ones online and offline.
Hugs!
Elayna