careful when you post pictures!! GPS can be a bitch

MrDank007

Well-Known Member
I don't upload pics from my blackberry, but there is an option on there that lets you turn off geotagging or whatever it's called
 

cannabisguru

Well-Known Member
Hey everyone,

This isn't anything new; it has been mentioned on this forum before, but I think it deserves more attention. Digital pictures contain a whole bunch of extra user information data (called 'exif' data.) Often times this is just camera info like focal distance, exposure time, etc. Lots of newer cameras, such as the iphone for example, have built in GPS. And in their exif data they give the GPS coordinates of where the picture was taken.

You may think this sounds paranoid. Perhaps it is. Cops probably won't start hassling you just because of a few bytes of data on a random internet picture. Then again you never know when the schizo down the street might get it into his head to knock on your door with a knife and jack your shit. This isn't some esoteric techie thing that's nearly impossible to decode either - it's remarkably easy.

I downloaded a firefox add-on (Exif Viewer) which allows me to right click on images and 'View Image EXIF Data' as I'm doing to a random RIU pic below.
View attachment 1448446

When I do that a pop up window comes up giving me all the info. Including, in this case, GPS coordinates and even a link to Google maps pinpointing the location of a grow. (Often there's even a street view on Google maps that will even show off the front of the freakin' house!) Below is an image of the pop up window containing GPS info for this random pic I found on this forum (for obvious reasons I've obscured that info.)

View attachment 1448448

Anyway, take what you will from this info. Maybe I'm paranoid, but the GPS stuff kind of alarmed me when I heard about it. There are easy ways to scrub this info from your pics if you look into it.

Grow safe.

This is true.. absolute facts.

I actually just watched a special on MSNBC just last night, where they were talking about this. Even your Iphones.. whenever you take a picture with it.. all kinds of sensitive data is made when you take that picture. If someone wanted to.. they could find out exactly where and when you took that picture.. no joke. So yeah, this is why I usually don't post pictures. Which is also why you won't find but maybe one or two journals on here.. that belong to me. I think I have two.. but I know I have made one for sure.. which is a current one that has pics of my current grow.

But at the same time, I don't grow out of my house. I'm smarter than that... since cannabis is not legal yet in my state (sucks). My house is paid for.. and theres no fucking way I'm about to lose my house over two or three little plants. Fuck that shit... hehehe.

I have my special place.. where I grow. All I can say is.. its underground somewhere. Oh, and another clue.. just think of the words 'Incognito' and 'Woods'. ;)

anyhow, be careful ppl.

peace.
 
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