the problem with faces

[Trinka]

I may be displaying colossal internet ignorance here, but perhaps you can indulge my curiosity anyway!

The majority of people don't allow their faces to show in their photos on this site.

I'm curious as to what the concern would be? If our names & locations are private ... what's the danger with faces?

Not a criticism, just curiosity!

Trinka

[blue_eyes]

I don't know really, but I hate putting my face/photos on the internet. Something about it makes me uncomfortable. I don't know about other people, but I just don't like the idea of a photo of me being saved on a stranger's computer. Not that I think anyone on this site would do that...but it's just knowing that my picture is possibly floating around on the internet makes me feel weird.

[MidnightMoon]

well my concerns usually are:
1. family, relatives or friends looking up my name in the internet and seeing what I write, which isn't really inappropriate but I don't want them reading it all...
2. if somebody from work finds my posts -almost the same as #1 but maybe it's even more of a concern
3. I also play some other games, so if people find a way to link this account to my mail/other accounts the'd have more information about me.
In some games I have some characters or a way of behaving I don't want people to associate to my real life. For example, I wouldn't want people in X website or game, where my character is a dark warrior-whatever you want knowing what I actually look like, my opinion on cats and seeing my bathroom hair pics.

[melilot]

I have not showed my face on here and purposely colored it out because I thought it was customary. Since hair is the focus here, I thought that others chose to just post photos of their hair, but I see no problem with showing one's face. I simply thought that it was the normal practice.

[Robot Ninja]

I don't care if people see my face; it's not like I post anything incriminating on here, and people who know me in person would recognize me from the back of my head anyway. I just haven't had any reason to show it, and I don't want to put on makeup just to take a picture of my hair.

[aforestfae]

I don't like to post pictures with my face visible because I don't want people to come across it and find out stuff about me.
I also link through my tumblr account because I don't know any other way and I don't want to post a pic of my face to tumblr where my next point is more likely to apply.
I also don't like my face and don't want to open myself up to ridicule and bullying because of how I look (I doubt anyone on here would ever do such a thing but the fact it could puts me off)

[lapushka]

Google picks up all these images, if they're on the mane forum, the main forum for posting. So *no*. No thank you!

[fiðrildi]

Well, I wouldn't call it a "problem". I am just exercising my right of not showing my face if I don't want to. This is a public forum, and there is a possibility that my pictures could end up elsewhere.

[Kaelee]

I don't care if someone sees my face on the internet (I used to be more careful about it, for personal reasons, but those reasons are done and over with and what's the harm of my face on a hair site? Really?) Although the back of my head is usually more interesting to people on this site! :D

[swearnsue]

My face is ugly, that's why!

[Edelweiss]

I don't even know. It would be all over google, but thinking of it I'm already all over google if you put the right key words. I think all of us are seriously.

[Undomiel]

I don't care as I have my face online anyways (my freelance web dev website and the social media connected to that) and I don't really say anything on here I don't mind people finding (if the thread is avail to non-members etc).

That said, I have no issues with anyone not showing their face. If we talk a lot or I see their avatar often sometimes I wonder, "What do they look like?" :p (just out of curiousity) because it's a name and photo you recognize and I wonder who the person is behind it since I enjoy their posts.

[neko_kawaii]

I had enough experiences with people on the internet demanding proof that I'm actually female and declaring that I must be ugly if I'm not interested in showing them my face that a place where faces are not the norm is refreshing. I don't need to know what someone looks like in order to enjoy what why have to say.

[Wosie]

But pictures in LHC's photo albums aren't available for the world to see, are they?

Either way, the reason to why I won't show my face is simple. I'm extremely shy and paranoid. :p

I think it's so nice on LHC where you don't feel pushed to show pictures of yourself. In another community (videogame-related) I used to be in, some guys regularly asked for photos, and it got really annoying.

[stachelbeere]

I had enough experiences with people on the internet demanding proof that I'm actually female and declaring that I must be ugly if I'm not interested in showing them my face

wow that's harsh! and so rude!

I also feel uncomfortable showing pictures of my face because random people could potentially abuse them

[fiðrildi]

But pictures in LHC's photo albums aren't available for the world to see, are they?

Either way, the reason to why I won't show my face is simple. I'm extremely shy and paranoid. :p

I think it's so nice on LHC where you don't feel pushed to show pictures of yourself. In another community (videogame-related) I used to be in, some guys regularly asked for photos, and it got really annoying.

I think they are not, only people with 25+ posts can have access to album pictures, and then there's the choice of only allowing friends and mods to look at your albums.

I might, or I might not, upload a picture showing my face, in the future. But I don't see that happening in the immediate future. I'm also too shy and paranoid for that :p

[calmyogi]

I have also wondered this, but, I always assumed it was because hair is the focus of this site so I never thought to question it. As to my face being plastered all over the internet, I don't see why it matters anymore because I have facebook, along with most of the world. I do enjoy the secrecy behind just showing my hair off though. It's such a beautiful aspect of a person, but not un accessible to most people (unless you have a underlying health condition) if your willing to put the time and effort into taking care of it. I guess what I mean is it doesn't matter your body or face looks like, or if you like those aspects of yourself, hair is a beautiful part about people that is mysterious.

[browneyedsusan]

Well, I wouldn't call it a "problem". I am just exercising my right of not showing my face if I don't want to. This is a public forum, and there is a possibility that my pictures could end up elsewhere.

:agree:
I have kids, and there are creeps everywhere. Even at church. Even here. :)

[Nadine <3]

I never questioned it. I don't mind showing mine. That's me in all my glory over there...

<------Me. I don't mind. Show your face or don't show it, I don't care I'm here for hair! :)

[Kherome]

People like to steal photos of long hair (******ists) and use them for "eww" activities. You don't really want your face attached to that, do you? They also photoshop your head/hair onto naked bodies etc. I don't know about ya'll but I want no part of that.

[Trinka]

Thanks all - I've been a member here FOREVER, and always wondered. :)

[sumidha]

Mainly, I like to keep my online accounts separate and unaffiliated, and not posting photos of my face on a site that has nothing to do with faces seems like an obvious way to do that, to me... On a more practical note, when I'm twisting and contorting trying to get a picture of my hair that's well lit and in focus, it's easier if I don't have to add 'well lit and in focus hair, while also doing something neutral or pleasant with my face' to the variables.

Also there's a slight creeper concern (slight for me because I don't have truly epic omg long hair, but other people here do); random people on the internet steal photos and use them for whatever they want, from long hair ******es to weird religious long hair websites to 'long hair' pinterest boards... I'd rather not have my face associated with any of those things. We live in an age where internet security is basically a comforting lie we tell ourselves, so if I put a photo anywhere on the internet, I should be prepared for someone else to take it and use it for whatever they want, without me having any control over it. I'd prefer for those photos to not include my face.

That being said, it's a matter of personal preference and people do post photos of their faces on here all the time. :)

[Wildcat Diva]

I am not worried about showing my face and I have done it here. I've even posted pictures of my family, I'm just not that concerned.

[KittyBird]

My main reason is that I'm insanely unphotogenic. I usually look hideous in all pictures, no matter how hard I try to look.. well, normal, I suppose. I almost always end up somehow making a double chin, one eye half-open and one closed, looking like I haven't slept for a week, or doing something really weird with my mouth. I've posted my face here a few times, but I prefer to put something over it and just focus on the hair.
I don't like the idea of the creepy creepers stealing pictures and posting them elsewhere either. That's just disgusting.

[spidermom]

My face shows up from time to time, but this is a hair forum, so mostly I show my hair. Well, not so much anymore, but I used to. Really, I don't care. With me, what you see or read is what you get; I don't have a lot of secret identities.

[woodswanderer]

Well, I rarely post a face pic here, or if I do, I usually cover the eyes with something. My face is on Facebook, but I really don't need employers or anyone getting info about my hair practices, etc. To be truthful, I also wouldn't want some people to know that I am vain enough about my hair to be on a hair forum.

[Beckstar]

never mind, I'm just an idiot doesn't know what she's talking about...

[Beckstar]

never mind, I'm just an idiot doesn't know what she's talking about...

[Panth]

It's a private board but bots and hackers/trolls still occasionally make it over the walls.

It's not a private board. The Mane Forum and all of the other discussion boards (i.e. everything except Off Topic and personal photo albums / blogs that are on friends-only settings) is public and comes up in Google if you do the right search. Also, Off Topic is hardly private when there's a membership of ~62,000 and no vetting process for who becomes a member.

There's a reason that not only do I not post photos of my face, I don't post photos at all.

I'm quite frankly amazed at some of the stuff people post on the Mane Forum, e.g. detailed information about their health and medication.

[Aurum]

We're on a hair forum, so it's natural that the focus of our pictures will mainly be, yes, you guessed it, hair. The best type of picture to show that off is of the back of one's head, so that's what we do. Some have more or less of an issue with privacy than others, and they give as much information as they feel comfortable with. Personally, I'd rather not show my face because I feel that anonymity gives you the chance to be judged on your words, not on your looks. Also, you never know who's watching (not really for LHC, but for social media in general). Colleges, businesses, and grandmas can and do look you up online, and if they find something they don't like, there will be consequences. That being said, I'm not one for parties or illegal substances/activities, so I don't really have to worry.

Internet Rule of Thumb: If you don't want grandma to see it, don't post it!

[Caraid♫]

Well, I rarely post a face pic here, or if I do, I usually cover the eyes with something. My face is on Facebook, but I really don't need employers or anyone getting info about my hair practices, etc. To be truthful, I also wouldn't want some people to know that I am vain enough about my hair to be on a hair forum.

true that! I was reading the responses and thinking "Am I really the only one who's reason is that I don't want people in real life to know I'm on a hair forum?" Not that it is or should be embarrassing.... it's just that other hair forum people are the only ones who understand the obsession without judging! :laugh:
Thus, I don't mind so much posting my face to pictures linked from albums or on my profile that only members can see.

[Aurum]

true that! I was reading the responses and thinking "Am I really the only one who's reason is that I don't want people in real life to know I'm on a hair forum?" Not that it is or should be embarrassing.... it's just that other hair forum people are the only ones who understand the obsession without judging! :laugh:

This too, heh. :o

[Duchess Fuzzy Buns]

People like to steal photos of long hair (******ists) and use them for "eww" activities. You don't really want your face attached to that, do you? They also photoshop your head/hair onto naked bodies etc. I don't know about ya'll but I want no part of that.

That's pretty much my reason too. I figured there's probably some creepers that lurk around here and I'd rather them not have my face... Also, my hair is generally more photogenic than I am. :p

[darklyndsea]

I don't have any hair worth speaking of on my face, so...

[tigereye]

true that! I was reading the responses and thinking "Am I really the only one who's reason is that I don't want people in real life to know I'm on a hair forum?" Not that it is or should be embarrassing.... it's just that other hair forum people are the only ones who understand the obsession without judging! :laugh:
Thus, I don't mind so much posting my face to pictures linked from albums or on my profile that only members can see.
Yep. This is pretty much my reasoning too.
It comes down to simply how different LHC is from "the norm". My family and friends don't understand the point of buying a £30 hair toy, while I don't see the point on spending that at the hairdressers every month.
Besides, I don't want people stealing pictures of my face to do what they wish with. At least if it's just my hair, most people won't actually recognise me unless they're other LHC folk. I don't do anything incriminating, but I'm less than keen on someone else using them for less than sparkling intent.
It's for a similar reason that I use a nickname, the private settings, and an email without my name or initials in it on facebook. Or use my old silly teenager email for the likes of here and my blog, where I also use usernames. On the other hand I use my full name and more professional email for linkedin. If an employer searches my professional name, the only thing that pops up is linkedin.

[Beckstar]

It's not a private board. The Mane Forum and all of the other discussion boards (i.e. everything except Off Topic and personal photo albums / blogs that are on friends-only settings) is public and comes up in Google if you do the right search. Also, Off Topic is hardly private when there's a membership of ~62,000 and no vetting process for who becomes a member.

There's a reason that not only do I not post photos of my face, I don't post photos at all.

I'm quite frankly amazed at some of the stuff people post on the Mane Forum, e.g. detailed information about their health and medication.

Really? I know that people can google LHC and will pull up threads but I thought pictures were limited to members who had above a certain post count.

*never mind, I'm just an idiot doesn't know what she's talking about...

[Catatafish]

I don't mind showing my face here, because I have plenty of friends who will take photos of me and put them up all over the internet. I used to get annoyed about it, but I suppose there isn't really much point any more. I totally understand that some people don't want to have their photos online, but it has gone past the point of no return for me. For people who are teenagers now, by the time they go looking for jobs, I think it will be completely normal to have everything personal online.

[LauraLongLocks]

I have nothing to hide, and I'm not responsible for what anyone else does with a photo they see on the internet. Thus, you see my face.

[Sharysa]

Eh, people can do what they want here. I usually only post photos of the back of my head here because that's the main point of a hair-care forum, but I don't blank out my face in any front-facing shots because I just don't care to.

Similarly, I'm not going to judge anyone who wants to blank their face out. I get a bit curious as to what they look like, but it's their appearance and they can show however much they want of it.

[YvetteVarie]

I don't mind showing my face in most things. Even here, I think I posted a full face pic once. Its all about your preferences I guess

[Panth]

Really? I know that people can google LHC and will pull up threads but I thought pictures were limited to members who had above a certain post count.

*never mind, I'm just an idiot doesn't know what she's talking about...

I'm pretty sure it's the photo albums that are restricted. Photos embedded in threads in the public boards are, as far as I'm aware, completely public.

Even so, 25 posts is hardly a strict moderation policy. Not saying that it needs changing, just that it's perfectly easy for someone to apply for membership, post a few times, do nothing overtly bannable and get access to all the threads and albums and stuff. In a community of ~62000 members, it's harder to notice potentially creepy behaviour (e.g. only logging on to view picture-heavy threads, never posting once past the 25 post limit) than in an equally moderated community of, say, 50-100 people.

[fiðrildi]

I don't mind showing my face here, because I have plenty of friends who will take photos of me and put them up all over the internet. I used to get annoyed about it, but I suppose there isn't really much point any more. I totally understand that some people don't want to have their photos online, but it has gone past the point of no return for me. For people who are teenagers now, by the time they go looking for jobs, I think it will be completely normal to have everything personal online.

It depends on how much you have protected your privacy all of these years. I have always been very careful with that. If you google my name, you will only find my personal website, and my linkedin: only professional information. None of my usernames are linked in any way with my real name, and I'm very careful with what I post as "public" in facebook, as well.


I have nothing to hide, and I'm not responsible for what anyone else does with a photo they see on the internet. Thus, you see my face.

It has nothing to do with having, or not having something to hide: it is just a matter of feeling safe, and having control over what you share online.

That said, I am happy to know how some of you look like. It's nice to put a face to your words :) Even if it's also nice when I just recognise people from the back of their heads :wink:

[Bettina]

I'd be happy to post pics with my face - if I could just get to 25 posts and get permission! In the meantime, I'm just looking on the bright side - my hair will be a wee bit longer by the time I can! :-)

[Carolyn]

I had enough experiences with people on the internet demanding proof that I'm actually female and declaring that I must be ugly if I'm not interested in showing them my face that a place where faces are not the norm is refreshing. I don't need to know what someone looks like in order to enjoy what why have to say.I've run into this too on a couple of sites. I get accused of being male if I won't show my face. The accusers go so far as to demand that I get on my web cam or give them my phone number so I can "prove" I am female. I refuse to do this. People like that aren't worth interacting with. I put pics showing my face in my blog as I have it set to friends only. I know that's not perfectly secure but :shrug: I've done a Google image search for myself and haven't turned up anything but my FB avatar and an older avatar I used here. As far as employers go, I'm at an age where the only jobs I might apply for would likely be something part time in retail. If pictures of me on the net prevent me from getting that job, so be it. I really doubt anyone is going to get all f*tishy about me :gabigrin:

[Wildcat Diva]

I've done a google image search for myself in quotes, full name and also maiden name. There is nothing. (Well nothing that is actually me, just other people with my same name I guess). I really don't think posting my face is doing anything. I don't have a facebook account. Maybe there is a high tech way to do some kind of reverse image search. I just don't think any computer tech savvy person is going to be that obsessed over me or my family to figure out a way to link my pictures to more personal information and to use that information to hurt me. Steal my identify? Maybe, but in that case I should quit shopping online and go cash only and off the grid. And how am I gonna get any hairtoys that way, really.

[Johannah]

1. family, relatives or friends looking up my name in the internet and seeing what I write, which isn't really inappropriate but I don't want them reading it all...


Exactly this.

[GetMeToWaist]

Noooo! For a start, i don't want anyone I know to see me on this. And i'm kinda paranoid about having my face on the internet.its why i dont have facebook, twitter, instagram.. There are NO pictures of my face on the internet and it's staying like that.

[RubyTuesday]

well my concerns usually are:
1. family, relatives or friends looking up my name in the internet and seeing what I write, which isn't really inappropriate but I don't want them reading it all...
2. if somebody from work finds my posts -almost the same as #1 but maybe it's even more of a concern
3. I also play some other games, so if people find a way to link this account to my mail/other accounts the'd have more information about me.
In some games I have some characters or a way of behaving I don't want people to associate to my real life. For example, I wouldn't want people in X website or game, where my character is a dark warrior-whatever you want knowing what I actually look like, my opinion on cats and seeing my bathroom hair pics.

I feel exactly the same! Although I don't play computer games....

[TrapperCreekD]

This is hair forum so most photos will obviously be from behind... However, if you feel comfortable showing your face, that's fine, it's always nice to put a face to the mane. I wouldn't mind showing my face more, but the camera never seems to match the mirror and I feel self conscious about my acne.

[Allie_snowflake]

I don't care about posting my face. I have five personal websites for different interests of mine (who knows!? I might have a longhair site sooner or later!) and except for one, I have public registration on the domain names. All these sites have photos of me.

The way I figure, if someone really wants to find out something about you, they will. I'll give you an example.... When I first met a guy who is now my friend, all I knew was his last name and first initial (read off his name badge, he's a cop) so I decided to see what I could find out based only on that information and the possibility of the city he lives in. (In Florida, cities are all run together so he could have lived in a dozen different "cities").

White pages dot com gave me a potential first name and address. Google street view confirmed the address. His police cruiser was on the street in front of the house. It was too much of a coincidence if the same agency had two forty something guys with the same name working for them! Once I had a correct first name and address, I was able to find previous addresses, his birthdate, his wife's maiden name even! And if I wanted to pay $39.95 I could get access to a whole lot more!

Unfortunately the information is out there for anyone to see. I only used people search engines. I don't have access to law enforcement databases or anything. It was all public record. So, yeah, I stalked a friend of mine just to see what I could find out. He thinks I'm crazy BTW :)

[vivianne]

I try to avoid making my face seen in the www. I made the experience that people load pictures from sites, put them into another context and load them up again. I did a lot of sports. From competition there were a lot of photos with my face in the internet. I found them again in very strange contexts. So i try to keep my face hidden. I really would enjoy to show it, when i was sure, nobody would use my photos in a way i don´t like.

[ARG]

It comes down to a matter of privacy for me. My personal life is only as private as I make it, I don't need my pictures to end up on a ****** site, google searches, or any where else that I cannot control who sees them.

[trolleypup]

I don't care if people see my face; it's not like I post anything incriminating on here, and people who know me in person would recognize me from the back of my head anyway. I just haven't had any reason to show it, and I don't want to put on makeup just to take a picture of my hair.
Custom has always been back of head. And yeah, I've been recognized from the back!

Certainly my face is all over the internet, with or without the hair.

I don't care as I have my face online anyways (my freelance web dev website and the social media connected to that) and I don't really say anything on here I don't mind people finding (if the thread is avail to non-members etc).

That said, I have no issues with anyone not showing their face. If we talk a lot or I see their avatar often sometimes I wonder, "What do they look like?" :p (just out of curiousity) because it's a name and photo you recognize and I wonder who the person is behind it since I enjoy their posts.
And I do post the occasional front picture. At the same time, sometimes it is nice to be obscure and in a way anonymous.

[UltraBella]

I don't have any issues showing my face or having anyone read what I post. It's not going to be that interesting to the majority of people that know me. If I don't know them, I'll never know what they do or don't do with my photos - so there's no "ewwww" factor for me.
I'm pretty well known in our community and I've been on the news and in the paper several times, so my face is already out there in Internet land regardless.

[cathair]

Please remember that the forum has been hacked on multiple occasions, where the hacker has probably had admin rights to absolutely everything on the server. Nothing you say, private message, upload or post here can be considered private. The 25 post limit means absolutely nothing. Do not post anything you would not be happy with the entire world knowing about.

It is also possible to search the internet by image, not just keywords. If someone say, got an image from your computer you uploaded here, they could potentially upload it to google and use it find your forum account.

I prefer to remain as anonymous as possible.

[Beckstar]

True. Nothing is private - FB messages, emails or anything. Anything can be accessed by anyone. I just really don't give a thought to it mostly.

[mira-chan]

I show my face on the more restricted parts of the forum, ones google generally doesn't have access to. It's mostly because I'd rather not have my students or coworkers find me on here so easily or through pictures on google.

[Sparklylady82]

I have nothing to hide so I post a face photo from time to time and on the Facebook page. If someone uses my photo for other reasons oh well. I don't really care if anyone knows I am on a long hair forum, so what? haha!

[Estrid]

I usually avoid putting up photos of my face for too long, if I do I remove them after some days. I just don't want any family/friends finding this. No secrets or anything, I just dislike the thought of them watching everything I do :p

[spirals]

:agree:
I have kids, and there are creeps everywhere. Even at church. Even here. :)

Sounds like a Dr. Suess rhyme. :)

As for me, I don't care. My facebook is public. I don't post anything here I don't want people to see. I'm a fairly open person. But of course most of my shots are going to be from the back because that's how we can see each other's hair best.

[Lyv]

It doesn't bother me if people see my face or if people I know IRL see that I'm on this site. Honestly the fact that anyone would take the time to find me outside of facebook or a phone call is way weirder than me being on a long hair site. As for ****** creeps or anything like that as long as you're not stalking me, taking your own pictures, or touching me I don't really care.

[browneyedsusan]

Maybe it has to do with age?
Mom (72) is totally creeped out by facebook. She uses it--admirable for someone her age, I think!--, but won't post any pictures of herself. I share pictures of myself and the kids there, but have the securities cranked down fairly tight. I didn't have a computer until after I was married 5 years, and no cell phone until after my second child. Smart phones and social media that are completely comfortable and common for young people, are still fairly "new" in my mind. Youtube channels like Cute Girls Hairstyles, and Shaytards that share the details of family life seem odd. Some people are comfortable with "celebrity" and some aren't. I'm not.

[ZeppHead]

I have and will again. I just watch that I don't post anything suggestive....on any site.