Photo metadata & privacy--was "quick help on posting pics"

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Kipo

Bluelighter
Joined
Apr 18, 2011
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im going shroom hunting soon, and ill be taking pics of my finds to post online for confirmation. Ill send the pics to my email via text, so how do i go about it once im done? I know i have to use a site, but what site works best for bluelight? Also, once i upload them there, how do i post them on the forums? Thanks.
 
Any sites work for Bluelight. Once you've uploaded the picture on a host site, it'll either give you a "direct link" to it, or right click it and click "copy image location." Then when you go to post the picture here (though make sure you're doing so in a forum that allows pictures of drugs), type [img] and put the picture's URL here, then type [/img].
 
That reminds me---

Please, please anyone posting pictures that are anything that in anyway ought to be private- remember that more and more devices add GPS coordinates to the exif data of pictures. Some hosts strip out the metadata when pictures are updated, some do not. Lately pictures I've posted are hosted on facebook which does strip out the data. Many cameras and devices don't add GPS stuff but it is becoming common enough that everyone ought be aware and take precautions especially of things like gardens, stashes, etc It can be unwise to post pictures at all sometimes. I think even mildly sensitive things are best posted without GPS data contained within.

If you want to see what data your picture contains you can open it in irfanview, push the i button on the toolbar, then the exif data tab. I'm sure there are other ways to do it. I have seen substance pictures on BL hosted on tinypic that had GPS data to the point I could tell what house the picture was taken in via google earth.

Facebook hosted pics do post on Bluelight if you right click and choose 'view image' to get the url.My only reason for giving FB a plug here is I know they strip all the metadata off pictures hosted there.

I'm not trying to create any paranoia only make people aware pics can be giving away more info than you might readily think about when posting so know your devices and know your photo hosts.
 
Not exactly sure of what kind of shrooms you are going looking for, but in any event, be careful, if you are going after the eatable kind, make sure you soak them good in cold salt water to remove all the bugs off of them, good luck shroom hunting, hope you have alot of luck... Just FYI, there are places that will buy them also if you are not aware of that fact, some of the country kitchen type restaurants will buy them for a pretty penny, and also Ginseng to a person who does natural healing.. Let me know how you do, we are planning to go soon also, before it gets too hot, and they are all gone.
 
Enki, seriously? 8o Holy crap. What kinds of devices attach that GPS data? Like, do you think I'm okay with a digital camera from circa 2006? Does a dumbphone attach this data too or just smartphones?

I am so glad I haven't taken pictures of anything self-incriminating but still. 8(
 
My camera is a KONICA MINOLTA DiMAGE Z20. It puts GPS information on every picture. I can choose to show or not show that info after I upload it.
 
iphones, ipads, some ipod touches, many, many smart phones. Most stand alone cameras don't have it unless they are recent and talk about having a geotagging feature. Examining the exif data on some of your photos should give you a pretty good idea. There are programs to bulk strip out metadata from pics. Devices may have settings that turn off the recording of GPS data into the pictures. Many hosts strip out metadata to save a bit of storage space as much as anything else.

A circa-2006 camera most likely not. A dumbphone I'd take a look at the pictures just to be sure but most of them no.
 
Thanks enki, thats shocking. Luckily I dont have a smart phone and my phone's gps has an option to turn it off although idk if that will clear it. Im going tomorrow, wish me luck guys.
 
Thanks, Enki. :)

One last question: How would I view this exif data from the photos? 8) (There are some aspects of the digital world I am awesome with--This is not one of them.)
 
A lot of it can be viewed in windows by right clicking the icon for the pic and choosing the details tab. I just noticed now that there is also a remove properties and personal information link at the bottom so there is a way to strip exif info right in the OS, at least in Win7. Irfanview is a free picture viewer basic editing program, in it there is an i icon. Pushing the i icon you get some data and from there you can push an exif info button that gives more info.

What OS are you using? I can figure out some ways in other OSs if you want.
 
Thanks again, Enki. Doesn't look like my camera stores any of this data (kinda funny but it lists the date of a pic taken days ago as "1980" :P).
 
Enki said:
I just noticed now that there is also a remove properties and personal information link at the bottom so there is a way to strip exif info right in the OS, at least in Win7.
Click to expand...
This feature exists since Vista, but it does not remove all possible properties. One would be better off using specialized tool like this free exif data cleaner.
 
Might it be a good idea to create a thread in Support warning users to remove exif data and helping them to do that?
 
Good idea Vader. If Kipo doesn't mind I could change the title of this thread title to something like Security and Picture Meta Data.
Otherwise I should start such a thread soon. Would that be OK Kipo?
 
You can reliably strip all EXIF data by running your image through this website. I use it all the time for my iPhone photos :)
 
If any one found a list of hosts that consistently stripped out metadata that might be very useful also, though likely not to be relied on when stripping data before hand is fairly foolproof. Relying on the hosts is not that great of a plan overall.
Kipo, I'm going to go ahead and change thread title but feel free to protest here or by PM and I'll try to make things right.
 
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