Wedding Woes
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Remember, the messenger always gets shot. Team STFU all the way.

Dear Prudence,

A few years ago my cousin married a guy who has always squicked me out, mainly because of the hateful and homophobic things he posts on Facebook. So, I’ll admit, I wasn’t Googling him out of “healthy curiosity.” It was a hate-search—I was hoping to confirm what I suspected, which is that he’s an alt-right jerk. But (as it always goes) what I found was way weirder and more complex. I Googled his Twitter handle, which is the first result after Googling his name, and the first link I came across was a page of adult photos of my cousin. This was shocking in itself, but three links in there was a Tumblr post filled with pictures of my cousin having sex with another guy (which the husband had posted). My impulse is to leave well enough alone, bleach my eyes, and spend the next 30 years snickering with my husband about these phonies—consenting adults should be free to do whatever they want to do—but there’s a part of me that worries that my cousin might not know what’s out there, not to mention the fact that it is so easily accessible. Do you think it might be worth sending her an anonymous message? If they’re kinky, let them be kinky. But they also seem like private people, and you don’t have to be Encyclopedia Brown to find out that they’re living a very different life than the one they project. But if I do say anything, I want to make sure I minimize the damage and am doing it for the right reasons.

–Concerned Cousin

Re: Remember, the messenger always gets shot. Team STFU all the way.

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    This concerns me because if LW found it, someone's future employer could also find them. Consent aside, they may not realize this issue.

    I'd be torn as well - say nothing because it's not my business or say something and risk a bigger issue if cousin doesn't know?
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    Whether or not I spoke up would depend on my closeness with the cousin.  I am far more into team STFU here. 
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    banana468 said:
    Whether or not I spoke up would depend on my closeness with the cousin.  I am far more into team STFU here. 
    That's kinda what I was thinking. It's so hard to tell with this letter how close they are.
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    If it's connected to H's twitter handle, she probably knows it's out there.  Team STFU here.
    image
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    If it's connected to H's twitter handle, she probably knows it's out there.  Team STFU here.
    I digress. M doesn't know anything about my Twitter. I could do the same thing and he wouldn't know.
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    The part that concerns me the most is that the pictures were found easily connected to the H.  That means people could easily find these pics just by searching the H.

    If these were buried in the web, found accidentally, with no discernible information leading back to cousin or the H, I would be firmly in STFU camp.  But since it seemed to be found without much effort, I would do as MJL says and use a burner email address and send links.

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    edited August 2017
    JIC I would create a burner email address and send her the links with a trail leading back to him. Probably with a message saying something like "not judging but want to make sure you know these are put here".
    This is what I'd do. 

    If there were porno pics of me out on the internet, I would sure as shit want to know. 
    *********************************************************************************

    image
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    ei34ei34 member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    I know my H has a twitter account (I don't) but i don't know his handle (screen name? User name?) or what he posts.  I assume it's PG/sports stuff.  There's a chance LW cousin has no idea.  If this was a cousin I was close with, I'd at least send an anonymous FYI.
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    If it's connected to H's twitter handle, she probably knows it's out there.  Team STFU here.
    I digress. M doesn't know anything about my Twitter. I could do the same thing and he wouldn't know.
    This.  And a lot of ppl are completely naive as to how large a "Google Footprint" they have and how accessible it is- we have to warn newbies here all the time to change their username because it too easily lead to a lot of identifying info about them.

    Unless the LW is totally estranged from this cousin, they should give her the heads up, and not even anonymously; "Hey Coz, not sure if you're aware, but there are some adult videos of you online and they are pretty easily accessible.  Just wanted to give you the heads up."

    And if she comes back with, "ZOMG you perv, how did you find them, hmmmmmm?" Just be honest (well mostly)- "I found it via your husband's Twitter account."

    People know that everyone creeps everyone online.

    "Love is the one thing we're capable of perceiving that transcends time and space."


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    I also agree with some of the PPs that, normally I'd leave it alone, but since it is so easily found I would want to give my cousin a head's up.  Now, HOW I would do that would depend on how close we were and what kind of personality she has.  Like, would she be appreciative or...cue @mrsconn23's headline...shoot the messenger.

    Weird "google myself" story.  I have an extremely uncommon last name.  I've never met anybody, except relatives, who share it.  My dad's family immigrated from Germany in 1908.

    I googled myself one time and found a German porn site, with a performer who had my exact name.  First, last, everything.  But everything on the site was in German, so I couldn't gleen much info.  There were no active pornos going on the main page, thankfully, but had that definite feel, lol.

    I was a bit shocked and creeped out by it, so I didn't stay long.  And then I could never find it again :(.  Which is perhaps a good thing so, if someone who hasn't met me comes across that, they do not get the wrong impression lol.

    Wedding Countdown Ticker
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    Add me to the "spouse knows nothing about my social media" camp. H knows I have Twitter, but I don't think he knows my handle. Now that I think about it, I don't think he knows I have two accounts, a public one linked to me professionally and a more anonymous one that I tweet whatever on. He also knows I'm on insta but he's never seen it and doesn't know my handle. I don't think he even knew when I tried snapchat. My H is not much of a social media person. 
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    Add me to the "spouse knows nothing about my social media" camp. H knows I have Twitter, but I don't think he knows my handle. Now that I think about it, I don't think he knows I have two accounts, a public one linked to me professionally and a more anonymous one that I tweet whatever on. He also knows I'm on insta but he's never seen it and doesn't know my handle. I don't think he even knew when I tried snapchat. My H is not much of a social media person. 
    Same! Even though M is in the tech field, he's got facebook and had a twitter for work {when testing things to make sure it linked properly} and LinkedIn .... that's it.
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    Add me to the "spouse knows nothing about my social media" camp. H knows I have Twitter, but I don't think he knows my handle. Now that I think about it, I don't think he knows I have two accounts, a public one linked to me professionally and a more anonymous one that I tweet whatever on. He also knows I'm on insta but he's never seen it and doesn't know my handle. I don't think he even knew when I tried snapchat. My H is not much of a social media person. 
    Same! Even though M is in the tech field, he's got facebook and had a twitter for work {when testing things to make sure it linked properly} and LinkedIn .... that's it.


    Neither my H or I are very into social media.  It just occurred to me, I'm not even sure we're friends on FB, lol.  I'm pretty sure we were at one time, but I don't remember seeing him on my friends list lately.

    Hmmm...I wonder if he deleted his profile.  Or blocked me?!?! <<Gasp, and pearl clutch>>, lol.

    Wedding Countdown Ticker
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    Add me to the "spouse knows nothing about my social media" camp. H knows I have Twitter, but I don't think he knows my handle. Now that I think about it, I don't think he knows I have two accounts, a public one linked to me professionally and a more anonymous one that I tweet whatever on. He also knows I'm on insta but he's never seen it and doesn't know my handle. I don't think he even knew when I tried snapchat. My H is not much of a social media person. 
    Same! Even though M is in the tech field, he's got facebook and had a twitter for work {when testing things to make sure it linked properly} and LinkedIn .... that's it.


    Neither my H or I are very into social media.  It just occurred to me, I'm not even sure we're friends on FB, lol.  I'm pretty sure we were at one time, but I don't remember seeing him on my friends list lately.

    Hmmm...I wonder if he deleted his profile.  Or blocked me?!?! <<Gasp, and pearl clutch>>, lol.

    "enh. I see her at home, I don't need to be fb friends" lol
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    My husband met me by taking an interest in my blog.  He started following me on Twitter and introduced himself over an online dating site.  So he knows my online stuff rather well (not that I have anything to hide).
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    My husband met me by taking an interest in my blog.  He started following me on Twitter and introduced himself over an online dating site.  So he knows my online stuff rather well (not that I have anything to hide).
    Why is this such a cute way of meeting? :')
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