The Sanhedrin's Declaration Concerning the Disengagement
6 March 2005 / 26 Adar 1 5765
Since its meeting on 28th Shvat 5765, the Sanhedrin has deliberated the initiative of the Prime Minister of Israel, the decisions of the government, and legislation enacted by the Knesset regarding the plan known as "The Disengagement," henceforth referred to in this document as "the uprooting."
This plan involves the uprooting of Jewish communities in the Gaza strip and northern Samaria, the forced expulsion of Jews from their homes, and the willful transfer of these lands to a foreign power.
Following an intensive study which took place regarding the halachic (authentic Jewish law) questions that arise from the government's decision, the Sanhedrin hereby brings its conclusions and decisions to the public's attention.
1). The Prime Minister's program of uprooting stands in direct contradiction to the Torah of Israel.
2). The decision to implement the uprooting will cause large numbers of Jews to transgress many of the Torah's commandments. This applies to many varied commandments, including both those that are practiced between man and God, as well as those between man and his fellow man; those that apply to the nation as a whole, and those that apply to every individual.
3). The Government of Israel and the Knesset, in their present form and power structure, do not constitute institutions that have any authority according to halacha to render decisions that contradict the Torah of Israel.
4). Government ministers who have deemed this plan of uprooting to be wrongful have been removed from their positions, and likewise senior officials of the security establishment who have expressed independent opinions about the matter have been ousted.
5). THEREFORE, the decision of this government - which has also violated its promises to its own electorate - is null and void.
6). THUS: No Jew is permitted to cooperate with the program of uprooting, in any way whatsoever.
7). Any Jew - including a soldier or policeman - who supports the uprooting, whether directly or indirectly, whether by voting in its favor, or by giving council, or by supplying vehicles or materials, and obviously, anyone who actively participates in the uprooting... by so doing, transgresses a large number of Torah commandments.
8). The uprooting of the residents of the Gaza Strip and Samaria is a crime, and an injustice to the residents, and places many other communities - in fact, all citizens of the State of IsraelĂ- in mortal danger.
9). Any Jew who participates in, or cooperates with this plan, whether actively, or even by merely remaining silent, transgresses the commandment "You shall not stand idly by your neighbor's blood (Lev. 19:17)," and in the future will be judged by God for this sin.
10). The leaders and their agents - including soldiers and policemen who support the uprooting and participate in it - may be brought to bear personal responsibility for all damages caused to those who are hurt, and to their property.
11). By this declaration, the Sanhedrin, as the link of continuity of the Torah received by Moses at Sinai, hereby expresses the stance of Israel's Torah. For if, Heaven forbid, the present government carries out this, or some other, program of uprooting - this action has no validity. The Land of Israel is holy land, and all of its regions belong exclusively to the nation of Israel, forever.
12). The Sanhedrin, as the representative of the Jewish people throughout history, hereby affirms that the Jewish people - regardless of this or that government - does not relinquish, and is not entitled to relinquish, so much as the span of a solitary man's foot of the Land of Israel according to its Biblical boundaries... for it is God's land.
13). The commandment to "inherit and dwell" (Deut. 12:29) in the Land of Israel is obligatory upon every Israeli government. In this regard Israel is commanded by God to conquer the entire expanse of the Land of Israel within its Biblical boundaries, including the Gaza strip.
14). THEREFORE: Even if (Heaven forbid) the residents are forcibly removed from their homes - when the government changes, and a government in Israel arises that conducts itself according to the Torah, the armies of Israel will return and re-conquer this strip of land, to reinstate the people of Israel to their rightful place. This applies not only to this area, but to all the expanses of the Land of Israel that were stolen and are presently in foreign hands.
15). We are permeated with faith in the God of the Legions of Israel, that the oath which He swore to our forefather Abraham at the "Covenant Between the Halves" will be fulfilled precisely as it is stated, and with God's help, speedily - as it is written (Gen. 15:18):
"On that day the Lord made a covenant with Avram, saying, to your seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the Euphrates river... "
Wednesday, March 09, 2005
Trumpet Sound: PM Sharon plans expulsion of Jews from Gaza.
Rut roh. Trouble brewing.
Disengagement Chiefs Meet to Plan Specifics of Expulsion
Wednesday, March 9, 2005 / 28 Adar 5765
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon held a high-level meeting Tuesday to plan the logistics of the expulsion of the Jews of Gaza and the northern Shomron from their homes.
The meeting included Defense Minister Sha’ul Mofaz, Vice Premier Shimon Peres, Disengagement Authority head Yonatan Bassi and incoming IDF Chief of Staff Major General Dan Halutz.
PM Sharon told the group that IDF soldiers should be sent to occupy homes emptied of their residents in Gush Katif and the northern Shomron, to ensure that the buildings not be used to house new residents.
Mofaz told the group that in addition to 400-450 empty caravans (trailer homes) throughout Gaza and the northern Shomron, the IDF is concerned that the homes of people who leave voluntarily will be populated by new residents seeking to strengthen the communities. The Defense Minister rejected the idea of removing or destroying empty buildings before the actual expulsion of residents begins.
An initiative to refurbish homes in various states of disrepair and fill them with new residents was launched earlier this week and was reported exclusively by IsraelNN.com.
Logistics of the actual expulsion were discussed at the meeting as well. Yonatan Bassi, who heads the Disengagement Authority, proposed housing the expelled residents in hotels. The cost was said to be some 30-40 million shekels.
Minister Mofaz said that outside firms were being hired to pack up the contents of homes and cart them to warehouses for storage. In the evacuation from the Sinai communities in 1982, soldiers packed up the residents' belongings.
PM Sharon said the group would meet periodically in the coming months. He urged all participants to speed up their preparations for the disengagement.
Disengagement Chiefs Meet to Plan Specifics of Expulsion
Wednesday, March 9, 2005 / 28 Adar 5765
Prime Minister Ariel Sharon held a high-level meeting Tuesday to plan the logistics of the expulsion of the Jews of Gaza and the northern Shomron from their homes.
The meeting included Defense Minister Sha’ul Mofaz, Vice Premier Shimon Peres, Disengagement Authority head Yonatan Bassi and incoming IDF Chief of Staff Major General Dan Halutz.
PM Sharon told the group that IDF soldiers should be sent to occupy homes emptied of their residents in Gush Katif and the northern Shomron, to ensure that the buildings not be used to house new residents.
Mofaz told the group that in addition to 400-450 empty caravans (trailer homes) throughout Gaza and the northern Shomron, the IDF is concerned that the homes of people who leave voluntarily will be populated by new residents seeking to strengthen the communities. The Defense Minister rejected the idea of removing or destroying empty buildings before the actual expulsion of residents begins.
An initiative to refurbish homes in various states of disrepair and fill them with new residents was launched earlier this week and was reported exclusively by IsraelNN.com.
Logistics of the actual expulsion were discussed at the meeting as well. Yonatan Bassi, who heads the Disengagement Authority, proposed housing the expelled residents in hotels. The cost was said to be some 30-40 million shekels.
Minister Mofaz said that outside firms were being hired to pack up the contents of homes and cart them to warehouses for storage. In the evacuation from the Sinai communities in 1982, soldiers packed up the residents' belongings.
PM Sharon said the group would meet periodically in the coming months. He urged all participants to speed up their preparations for the disengagement.
The Sanhedrin ascends Temple Mount on Chanukah
An amazing event in history!
Two months after being re-established, the Sanhedrin ascends the Temple Mount during the eve of Chanukah, "which celebrates the rededication of the Holy Temple."
Words in BOLD & underlined letters are mine.
Members of Reestablished Sanhedrin Ascend Temple Mount
Two months after being re-established, the Sanhedrin ascends the Temple Mount during the eve of Chanukah, "which celebrates the rededication of the Holy Temple."
Words in BOLD & underlined letters are mine.
Members of Reestablished Sanhedrin Ascend Temple Mount
Wednesday, December 8, 2004 / 25 Kislev 5765
In a dramatic but unpublicized move, members of the newly established Sanhedrin ascended the Temple Mount, Judaism’s holiest site, this past Monday.
Close to 50 recently ordained s'muchim, members of the Sanhedrin, lined up at the foot of the Temple Mount Monday morning. [The word s'muchim comes from the same root as s'michah, rabbinic ordination.] The men, many ascending the Temple Mount for the first time, had immersed in mikvaot (ritual baths) that morning, and planned to ascend as a group. Despite prior approval from the Israeli police who oversee entry to the Mount, the officers barred the group from entering the Mount all together, and allowed them to visit only in groups of ten.
Given the newly-mandated restrictive conditions, many of the s'muchim refused to ascend at all, especially as a group of over 100 non-Jewish tourists filed past the waiting rabbis and up towards the holy site. “It is unconscionable that on the eve of Chanukah, which celebrates the rededication of the Holy Temple, we should once again be barred from worshipping – by our own people,” Rabbi Chaim Richman of Jerusalem’s Temple Institute told IsraelNN’s Ezra HaLevi.
The Sanhedrin, a religious-legal assembly of 71 sages that convened during the Holy Temple period and for several centuries afterwards, was the highest Jewish judicial tribunal in the Land of Israel. The great court used to convene in one of the Temple’s chambers in Jerusalem.
This past October, the Sanhedrin was reestablished for the first time in 1,600 years, at the site of its last meeting in Tiberias.
“There is a special mitzvah [commandment], not connected to time, but tied to our presence in Israel, to establish a Sanhedrin,” Rabbi Meir HaLevi, one of the 71 members of the new Sanhedrin, told Israel National Radio’s Weekend Edition. “The Rambam [12th-century Torah scholar Maimonides] describes the process exactly in the Mishna Torah [his seminal work codifying Jewish Law]. When he wrote it, there was no Sanhedrin, and he therefore outlines the steps necessary to establish one. When there is a majority of rabbis, in Israel, who authorize one person to be a samuch, , an authority, he can then reestablish the Sanhedrin.”
Those behind the revival of the Sanhedrin stress that the revival of the legal body is not optional, but mandated by the Torah. “We don’t have a choice,” says Rabbi Richman. “It is a religious mandate for us to establish a Sanhedrin.”
The Sanhedrin was reestablished through the ordination of one rabbi agreed upon by many prominent rabbis in Israel and approved as “fitting to serve” by former Chief Sefardi Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef and leading Ashkenazi Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv. That rabbi, who is then considered to have received authentic ordination as handed down from Moses, was then able to give ordination to 70 others, making up the quorum of 71 necessary for the Sanhedrin.
“Even Mordechai HaYehudi of the Purim story was accepted, as it is written, only ‘by the majority of his brethren,’ and not by everybody," Rabbi HaLevi explained. "Anyone who deals with public issues can not be unanimously accepted.”
The rabbis behind the Sanhedrin’s reconstitution claim that, like the State of Israel, the old-new Sanhedrin is a work-in-progress. They see it as a vessel that, once established, will reach the stature and authority that it once had.
“The first members requested that their names not be published, so as to allow it to grow without public criticism of individuals,” HaLevi said. “We want to give it time to develop and strengthen the institution, giving a chance for more rabbis to join.” He added that each of the current members of the Sanhedrin has agreed to be a conditional member until a more knowledgeable rabbi joins, taking his place.
Rabbi Richman, also a member of the Sanhedrin, hopes the body will bring about a revolution in Jewish jurisprudence. Declining to discuss exactly what issues are on the Sanhedrin’s agenda, Richman said that one of the main long-term goals of the Sanhedrin is to reunify Jewish observance in Israel. The Sanhedrin includes members of Ashkenazi, Sefardi, Hasidic, National-Religious and Hareidi communities.
“We Jews went into exiles all over the world,” Rabbi HaLevi said. “Every community established its own court. We are talking about more than 50 different legal systems developing separately from one another. Part of our return to Israel is the reunification of our Jewish practices.”
A tradition is recorded in the Talmud (Tractate Megillah 17b, Rashi) that the Sanhedrin will be restored after a partial ingathering of the Jewish exiles, but before Jerusalem is completely rebuilt and restored. Another Talmudic tradition (Eruvin 43b; Maharatz Chajas ad loc; Rashash to Sanhedrin 13b) states that Elijah the Prophet will present himself before a duly-ordained Sanhedrin when he announces the coming of the Messiah. This indicates that despite common misconceptions, a Sanhedrin is a pre-, not post-messianic institution.
Re-establishing the Sanhedrin
I missed this event in the news - yet it's the very kind of thing I wish to report on. This event is, how shall I say, PARAMOUNT...consequential, influential, meaningful, powerful, serious, momentous, crucial!
For the world, for mankind, let me explain: This is a fulfillment of prophecy prior to Jesus returning the second time. And it is happening in our lifetime. Right now. I am breathing and witnessing this event. It is as powerful as the Exodus of the Jews a decade ago - another prophetic event.
I cannot explain the incredible joy I have in my spirit to watch this unveil. The next prophetic event to watch for is the rebuilding of the Holy Temple.
But for now, let us read about this step:
Sanhedrin Launched In Tiberias
Wednesday, October 13, 2004 / 28 Tishrei 5765
A unique ceremony - probably only the 2nd of its kind in the past 1,600 years - took place in Tiberias today: The launching of a Sanhedrin, the highest Jewish-legal tribunal in the Land of Israel.
A unique ceremony - probably only the second of its kind in the past 1,600 years - is taking place in Tiberias today: The launching of a Sanhedrin, the highest Jewish-legal tribunal in the Land of Israel.
The Sanhedrin, a religious assembly that convened in one of the Holy Temple chambers in Jerusalem, comprised 71 sages and existed during the Tannaitic period, from several decades before the Common Era until roughly 425 C.E. Details of today's ceremony are still sketchy, but the organizers' announced their intention to convene 71 rabbis who have received special rabbinic ordination as specified by Maimonides.
An attempt to reconvene the Sanhedrin was made several centuries ago in Tzfat. The body in fact ordained such greats as Rabbi Yosef Karo, the author of the classic Jewish Law code Shulhan Arukh. However, the opposition of other leading rabbis soon forced the end of the endeavor.
One of the leaders of today's attempt to revive the Sanhedrin is Rabbi Yeshai Ba'avad of Beit El. He said that the 71 rabbis "from across the spectrum received the special ordination, in accordance with Maimonides' rulings, over the past several months." Rabbi Ba'avad explained that the membership of the new body is not permanent: "What is much more crucial is the establishment of this body. Those who are members of it today will not necessarily be its members tomorrow. But the goal is to have one rabbinic body in Jerusalem that will convene monthly and issue rulings on central issues. This is the need of the generation and of the hour."
Rabbi Yisrael Ariel, who heads the Temple institute in Jerusalem, is one of the participating rabbis. He told Arutz-7 today, "Whether this will be the actual Sanhedrin that we await, is a question of time - just like the establishment of the State; we rejoiced in it, but we are still awaiting something much more ideal. It's a process. Today's ceremony is really the continuation of the renewal of the Ordination process in Israel, which we marked several months ago. Our Talmudic Sages describe the ten stages of exile of the Sanhedrin from Jerusalem to other locations, until it ended in Tiberias - and this is the place where it was foretold that it would be renewed, and from here it will be relocated to Jerusalem."
Rabbi Ariel said that the rabbis there included many from the entire spectrum:
"Hareidi, religious-Zionist, Sephardi, Ashkenazi, hassidi, and many others - such as Rabbi Yoel Schwartz, Rabbi Adin Shteinzaltz, and many others... We can't expect a great consensus; that's not how things work here. But sometimes that's how the process goes, from the bottom up."
For the world, for mankind, let me explain: This is a fulfillment of prophecy prior to Jesus returning the second time. And it is happening in our lifetime. Right now. I am breathing and witnessing this event. It is as powerful as the Exodus of the Jews a decade ago - another prophetic event.
I cannot explain the incredible joy I have in my spirit to watch this unveil. The next prophetic event to watch for is the rebuilding of the Holy Temple.
But for now, let us read about this step:
Sanhedrin Launched In Tiberias
Wednesday, October 13, 2004 / 28 Tishrei 5765
A unique ceremony - probably only the 2nd of its kind in the past 1,600 years - took place in Tiberias today: The launching of a Sanhedrin, the highest Jewish-legal tribunal in the Land of Israel.
A unique ceremony - probably only the second of its kind in the past 1,600 years - is taking place in Tiberias today: The launching of a Sanhedrin, the highest Jewish-legal tribunal in the Land of Israel.
The Sanhedrin, a religious assembly that convened in one of the Holy Temple chambers in Jerusalem, comprised 71 sages and existed during the Tannaitic period, from several decades before the Common Era until roughly 425 C.E. Details of today's ceremony are still sketchy, but the organizers' announced their intention to convene 71 rabbis who have received special rabbinic ordination as specified by Maimonides.
An attempt to reconvene the Sanhedrin was made several centuries ago in Tzfat. The body in fact ordained such greats as Rabbi Yosef Karo, the author of the classic Jewish Law code Shulhan Arukh. However, the opposition of other leading rabbis soon forced the end of the endeavor.
One of the leaders of today's attempt to revive the Sanhedrin is Rabbi Yeshai Ba'avad of Beit El. He said that the 71 rabbis "from across the spectrum received the special ordination, in accordance with Maimonides' rulings, over the past several months." Rabbi Ba'avad explained that the membership of the new body is not permanent: "What is much more crucial is the establishment of this body. Those who are members of it today will not necessarily be its members tomorrow. But the goal is to have one rabbinic body in Jerusalem that will convene monthly and issue rulings on central issues. This is the need of the generation and of the hour."
Rabbi Yisrael Ariel, who heads the Temple institute in Jerusalem, is one of the participating rabbis. He told Arutz-7 today, "Whether this will be the actual Sanhedrin that we await, is a question of time - just like the establishment of the State; we rejoiced in it, but we are still awaiting something much more ideal. It's a process. Today's ceremony is really the continuation of the renewal of the Ordination process in Israel, which we marked several months ago. Our Talmudic Sages describe the ten stages of exile of the Sanhedrin from Jerusalem to other locations, until it ended in Tiberias - and this is the place where it was foretold that it would be renewed, and from here it will be relocated to Jerusalem."
Rabbi Ariel said that the rabbis there included many from the entire spectrum:
"Hareidi, religious-Zionist, Sephardi, Ashkenazi, hassidi, and many others - such as Rabbi Yoel Schwartz, Rabbi Adin Shteinzaltz, and many others... We can't expect a great consensus; that's not how things work here. But sometimes that's how the process goes, from the bottom up."
Tuesday, March 08, 2005
Gravatars & Security Measures
Gravatars
Recently, I signed up for a gravatar at www.gravatar.com. A "gravatar" is a globally recognized avatar. I thought that was a cool concept. The first time I saw these gravatars was on Say Anything's blog. Then, I noticed my comments section allowed for a gravatar. (I use HaloScan for comments right now. That may change in the future. Depends on if I start getting comments. I think maybe I talk about stuff that people don't care about or maybe, as in person, I intimidate people with the stuff I discuss.)
The whole idea of a gravatar was really cool so I signed up. I think the idea will catch on because there appears to be a desire in people to have something that represents who they are when they are online. We have had avatars in chat rooms/programs, 3D world programs, and public boards. Now we move to the world of blogging and again, we have the ability to select an image that represents us. The fact that www.gravatar.com experienced its 100,000,000th avatar account on March 5 (the day after I signed up for mine) is just astounding...and shows that desire in folks to have an online representation of themselves.
Why do people choose avatars to represent themselves?
In my opinion, the Internet is a-whole-nother world in itself. We choose screen names with the same idea: to give us an identity. But an avatar is a visual representation and can be used to really shape an identity. The amazing thing that www.gravatar.com does is it RATES each avatar based on the Motion Picture Assocation of America's moving ratings. Isn't that just a cool concept? So after you sign up for an avatar, it goes into a waiting period for a rating. The turn-around time on my rating after I made my gravatar request was the same day. (I think I am lucky because if this idea catches on like wildfire, then it may take a couple of days for a gravatar to get rated!) The purpose of rating the gravatar appears to be the same reason movies are rated: they're made available to the public. As a result of being public, the audience may be of various backgrounds. Most families would not wish to expose their young children to violent or sexual images. Christian families do not wish to view these things. Some folks may visit websites that depict images or discuss subject matter that may be offensive to others and thus wish to portray their gravatar along the same lines as the content of the areas they venture into.
An Idea that was proposed for the Gravatar...
...was the ability to check out every comment that a user posted by clicking on that user's gravatar. Doing so would give a curious observer the ability to find out what other things that particular user discussed. The idea was from the gravatar author himself and he goes on to talk about how on one hand it may be a great idea for anyone who wants to display to the Internet universe all the things they have commented on, but on the other hand it may be too much for some folks who appreciate the ability to have privacy while surfing the Internet.
Solution to this idea
I have seen this idea used on the Public Ezboards website. "Gravatars" of a sort were used by folks to display some sort of representation about themselves. When their image was clicked, it would then take the curious observer to a place where that user chose to make certain information available to the public. Like I said earlier and will paraphrase here, there are different kinds of people surfing the vast universe of the Internet. Different personalities log on to the cyberspace highway and cruise its networks. Some folks are open-and-out-there and have no issues with privacy, but there are other folks who prefer anonymity for one reason or another. (In this day and age, that is not incomprehensible.) If the gravatar user had control of what sort of information he or she could make available to the public, then this might be an acceptable solution. As it is, Blogger allows each account user to choose what to display regarding the user's details as well. Perhaps, if Gravatar.com would permit the gravatar account users to not only enable or disable certain fields such as location, comments posted, hobbies/favorites, and whatever...but also permit the users to "paint images" of themselves for the viewing public, then that may be an acceptable solution.
What does it mean to "paint images" of themselves?
It means that the user can give details that are not accurate about themselves. For example, I may live in Bend, Oregon and be a New Age herb freak living in a mobile trailer on a large farm. But I may not want the world to know that. So I bluntly lie about myself for my own reasons.
Security issues
The good news in the realm of cyberspace security is that not everyone is as anonymous as they think. Including the best hackers. Every packet of information comes from somewhere and can lead back to that "somewhere". Pieces of you are left where ever you touch. So malicious folks cannot completely hide in cyberspace. Just as in a crime scene, if you touch it - your NANOBYTE DNA CODE *lol* has been there leaving trace evidence of your presence. It just takes savvy investigators who understand something about computers, networks, IP addresses, routers, and the like to find their criminal butt and incarcerate them. And websites like Gravatar.com and its server can provide information to authorities that are passed on to them by the victims in question.
What can people do to protect themselves?
At any rate, if a gravatar account user chose to display all the comment links of every comment he or she made all over the Internet, then that should be an option to turn on or off. Profiling someone is made easy by reading the things they type about and the websites they "hit". This could be good or bad, depending on who is using that information...if they are. But for the lackadaisical throng of folks who surf the Net for enjoyment, this information is simply a way for them to go and read more interesting material from someone they either love to hate or have found to be a skilled writer. *shrug*
Pros and cons to everything. I tend to see a big picture so I try to paint as much of it as possible for people to make their own decisions about things. It's all a matter of personal preference. Truly.
Recently, I signed up for a gravatar at www.gravatar.com. A "gravatar" is a globally recognized avatar. I thought that was a cool concept. The first time I saw these gravatars was on Say Anything's blog. Then, I noticed my comments section allowed for a gravatar. (I use HaloScan for comments right now. That may change in the future. Depends on if I start getting comments. I think maybe I talk about stuff that people don't care about or maybe, as in person, I intimidate people with the stuff I discuss.)
The whole idea of a gravatar was really cool so I signed up. I think the idea will catch on because there appears to be a desire in people to have something that represents who they are when they are online. We have had avatars in chat rooms/programs, 3D world programs, and public boards. Now we move to the world of blogging and again, we have the ability to select an image that represents us. The fact that www.gravatar.com experienced its 100,000,000th avatar account on March 5 (the day after I signed up for mine) is just astounding...and shows that desire in folks to have an online representation of themselves.
Why do people choose avatars to represent themselves?
In my opinion, the Internet is a-whole-nother world in itself. We choose screen names with the same idea: to give us an identity. But an avatar is a visual representation and can be used to really shape an identity. The amazing thing that www.gravatar.com does is it RATES each avatar based on the Motion Picture Assocation of America's moving ratings. Isn't that just a cool concept? So after you sign up for an avatar, it goes into a waiting period for a rating. The turn-around time on my rating after I made my gravatar request was the same day. (I think I am lucky because if this idea catches on like wildfire, then it may take a couple of days for a gravatar to get rated!) The purpose of rating the gravatar appears to be the same reason movies are rated: they're made available to the public. As a result of being public, the audience may be of various backgrounds. Most families would not wish to expose their young children to violent or sexual images. Christian families do not wish to view these things. Some folks may visit websites that depict images or discuss subject matter that may be offensive to others and thus wish to portray their gravatar along the same lines as the content of the areas they venture into.
An Idea that was proposed for the Gravatar...
...was the ability to check out every comment that a user posted by clicking on that user's gravatar. Doing so would give a curious observer the ability to find out what other things that particular user discussed. The idea was from the gravatar author himself and he goes on to talk about how on one hand it may be a great idea for anyone who wants to display to the Internet universe all the things they have commented on, but on the other hand it may be too much for some folks who appreciate the ability to have privacy while surfing the Internet.
Solution to this idea
I have seen this idea used on the Public Ezboards website. "Gravatars" of a sort were used by folks to display some sort of representation about themselves. When their image was clicked, it would then take the curious observer to a place where that user chose to make certain information available to the public. Like I said earlier and will paraphrase here, there are different kinds of people surfing the vast universe of the Internet. Different personalities log on to the cyberspace highway and cruise its networks. Some folks are open-and-out-there and have no issues with privacy, but there are other folks who prefer anonymity for one reason or another. (In this day and age, that is not incomprehensible.) If the gravatar user had control of what sort of information he or she could make available to the public, then this might be an acceptable solution. As it is, Blogger allows each account user to choose what to display regarding the user's details as well. Perhaps, if Gravatar.com would permit the gravatar account users to not only enable or disable certain fields such as location, comments posted, hobbies/favorites, and whatever...but also permit the users to "paint images" of themselves for the viewing public, then that may be an acceptable solution.
What does it mean to "paint images" of themselves?
It means that the user can give details that are not accurate about themselves. For example, I may live in Bend, Oregon and be a New Age herb freak living in a mobile trailer on a large farm. But I may not want the world to know that. So I bluntly lie about myself for my own reasons.
- Perhaps I wish not to be easily found by "Internet stalkers".
- Or I do not really wish to live in Bend, Oregon - if I had it my way, then I would be living in Cancun and sun-tanning for a living.
- Or I don't want people knowing anything about me so I just make up some information for the heck of "filling in the blanks".
Security issues
The good news in the realm of cyberspace security is that not everyone is as anonymous as they think. Including the best hackers. Every packet of information comes from somewhere and can lead back to that "somewhere". Pieces of you are left where ever you touch. So malicious folks cannot completely hide in cyberspace. Just as in a crime scene, if you touch it - your NANOBYTE DNA CODE *lol* has been there leaving trace evidence of your presence. It just takes savvy investigators who understand something about computers, networks, IP addresses, routers, and the like to find their criminal butt and incarcerate them. And websites like Gravatar.com and its server can provide information to authorities that are passed on to them by the victims in question.
What can people do to protect themselves?
- FULL HEADERS
- STORE INFORMATION
- KEEP ALERT
- DON'T GIVE OUT PERSONAL INFORMATION
- Your phone number Do you know that there are websites people can go to, INCLUDING GOOGLE, where all someone has to do is type in a phone number and it will pinpoint where you live? yeah. So don't give it out.
- Your address I think this is a given - unless you want people knocking on your door whom you know online as D@Z=d&c0NfuZ=D ? Or how about as Me+hBaLLeR? Yeah, thought so. This includes giving out your city or town name. If someone is persistent, give them the name of the most popular city there...or most unpopular. Either way. Or just tell them to buzz off.
- Your real name Unless your name is Sue Jones. Or how about Bob Jones? Or Jessica Simpson? Find a name in the phone book that is listed about 100 times and choose that for a name. *LOL* Remember the movie with Arnold Schwarzennegar where he goes back in time to find some woman and he uses the phone book and starts killing every person by that name? Yeah. Point taken. (That movie was Terminator, by the way.) That's why you don't give out your location and name.
- Where you work I sent daffodils to someone for their birthday at their place of work when I found out that information from them. I met them on the Internet. Kind of shocked them. See, all I did was learn their GENERAL PLACE of work. Then from there, I knew how to find them. That's why I make a good (but scary) investigator. Scary because I can think in the frame of mind that criminals use to do bad things. Except I use that mindset to do good things - like help people (like this post)...or send beneficial gifts.
- Your childrens' school name Bad decision when put in bad hands. Yeah. Children are innocent and say things they shouldn't because most do not understand the whole concept of security. They're trusting little individuals and a criminal can manipulate them into believing he or she is harmless, helping, or a good person. yeah.
- WOMEN! Listen women. A lot of us have the gift of gab. Watch out what you tell others. Be careful how much information you share with another person YOU DON'T KNOW except over the Internet. I do not care if you WEBCAM them and they "SUPPOSEDLY" share their life history with you. HELLO! A pregnant woman in Kentucky got her stomach slashed open and her fetus removed at EIGHT MONTHS because she trusted another woman on the other side of the state! yeah. Ok. Get the point? Not a good scenario there. If you want to go telling people how happy you are about something...complications you are experiencing in something...how upset you are about something or somebody...just beware. Don't offer to meet them - and if you do, BRING YOUR HUSBAND WITH YOU. Or your boyfriend. Or brother. AND -- notice I did not say OR...I said AND -- meet them in a public place where there are plenty of other people around. Malls are cool because you can park on one side of the building and they can park on the other. If they exit one way and that's the same direction you parked, then you can exit another way and watch for them to leave if you do not trust them. Or better yet, get the security staff to walk with you to your vehicle. It is not enough to simply meet at a public place. Remaining alive after the meeting is essential.
- INSTALL AN ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE PROGRAM AND A FIREWALL
At any rate, if a gravatar account user chose to display all the comment links of every comment he or she made all over the Internet, then that should be an option to turn on or off. Profiling someone is made easy by reading the things they type about and the websites they "hit". This could be good or bad, depending on who is using that information...if they are. But for the lackadaisical throng of folks who surf the Net for enjoyment, this information is simply a way for them to go and read more interesting material from someone they either love to hate or have found to be a skilled writer. *shrug*
Pros and cons to everything. I tend to see a big picture so I try to paint as much of it as possible for people to make their own decisions about things. It's all a matter of personal preference. Truly.
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