social media and FEO

[Scully]

I think that people are a little too sensitive around social media and the scare factor involved.

 

We are all aware of the dim potential of some Machiavellian criminal mastermind scouring Facebook to find out when people are not home to rob them of that really tasting looking lasagna they showed off in the previous post, but in all truth the statistical likelihood of someone randomly coming across your FB page and then using that to break into your house is ridiculously small.

 

If people want to know who have guns they don't have to trawl through the morass of inanity that is FB, they would just follow someone home from the clay ground, shooting club, gun shop or farmers field.

 

Thankfully the majority of the populace are not secretly waiting to find out someone they have a tenuous link with on FB with has a gun so they can be opportunistic and steal it, they quite frankly couldn't care any more then they do about someone wearing a pirate mask or a mankini.

 

If you get your gun stolen it is because you left it somewhere stupid and insecure or you are just dreadfully unlucky and some thieving rat got an opportunistic break of luck.

 

I totally get Fister's point that people posting pics of needless gore are likely to get a bit of stick and probably rightly so, it is unnecessary, but why people may feel the need not be able to share pictures of their interest/hobby/passion with friends and acquaintances for some hidden fear of being judged or robbed is just plain daft.

 

If my FEO wishes to discuss my opinion on that then he is very welcome indeed, shall make for a rollicking good discussion I fancy

At last; the voice of reason and common sense....again. Couldn't agree more.

[walshie]

Why would anyone want to post a picture of their gun(s) on facebook which is full of antis and trouble makers? I know they can look in on forums like this, but the good majority on here are like-minded people.

 

[Dunkield]

That was more than a year ago.... move on deer

 

Won't ever not be funny though, and serves a perfect example for not sending/accepting friend requests to/from people you may have only met once or twice.

[deershooter]

I have had my posts on here scrutinised by the Feo at Lincolnshire police ,even knew who I was told me he didn't like something I posted about G4s on here ,so be careful what you post big brother is watching its my view this should be a closed forum not open one .

 

Deershooter

 

Hello mr FEO :)

[grrclark]

I have had my posts on here scrutinised by the Feo at Lincolnshire police ,even knew who I was told me he didn't like something I posted about G4s on here ,so be careful what you post big brother is watching its my view this should be a closed forum not open one .

 

Deershooter

 

Hello mr FEO :)

If it is a closed forum how do you validate that the person looking to join is what or who they say they are?

 

Your advice that people should be careful what they post is however a valid one and that extends across any social media outlet and not just restricted to a shooting forum.

[Davyo]

Why would anyone want to post a picture of their gun(s) on facebook which is full of antis and trouble makers? I know they can look in on forums like this, but the good majority on here are like-minded people.

 

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Posting pictures like this will get you B&Q card revoked,tut tut miss matched plastic Garden furniture and a out of place plastic bucket,shame on you.

[Scully]

If it is a closed forum how do you validate that the person looking to join is what or who they say they are?

 

 

I'm pleased someone asked that question as I was confused as to how the suggestion would work.

[Gordon R]

George Digweed is all over Facebook. Doesn't seem to have hampered him.

[Scully]

George Digweed is all over Facebook. Doesn't seem to have hampered him.

That's a good point!

[Gordon R]

George announces to the World - and I do mean World - just when he is out of the country and for how long.

[welsh1]

I have had my posts on here scrutinised by the Feo at Lincolnshire police ,even knew who I was told me he didn't like something I posted about G4s on here ,so be careful what you post big brother is watching its my view this should be a closed forum not open one .

 

Deershooter

 

Hello mr FEO :)

So your FEO didn't like your opinion,that's tough everyone is entitled to an opinion,i would like to see him in court when you appeal telling the judge that he removed your guns because he didn't agree with your point of view.

 

As long as you are sensible on social media and always remember that once you put something out there it can't be taken down then you will be fine.I have been using fb,twitter etc for years,but i am not going to tell you that the house is empty a week monday and the key is under the door mat(it's not,on both counts)

 

Common sense.

[grrclark]

Personally I find that there sometimes seems to be a general sense that shooting is somehow a dirty little secret that we indulge in but must not talk about for fear of offending people or, heavens forbid, of being judged.

 

One of the great ills in life, to my way of thinking, is ignorance; people who are prepared to make unreasoned or unconsidered judgements and assumptions out of nothing other than laziness of mind or simple prejudice.

 

I absolutely refuse to bow down to petty minded nonsense from those who wish to further subjugate my sport and in so doing foment ignorance and opposition all the more.

Edited September 17, 2015 by grrclark

[robbiep]

I wouldn't be surprised if this was one of those 'friend of a friend' stories, with no real basis is fact. Or if real, then a lot more involved than a posting pictures of legitimate activities.

I've introduced a few friends to clay shooting, and they (and I) have posted various pictures of us shooting, with no comeback from police, FEOs, etc.

 

Here's a picture from Facebook (me shooting, my wife in foreground on the button, both of us tagged in the FB picture)

[Scully]

I wouldn't be surprised if this was one of those 'friend of a friend' stories, with no real basis is fact. Or if real, then a lot more involved than a posting pictures of legitimate activities.

I've introduced a few friends to clay shooting, and they (and I) have posted various pictures of us shooting, with no comeback from police, FEOs, etc.

 

Here's a picture from Facebook (me shooting, my wife in foreground on the button, both of us tagged in the FB picture)

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I'm astounded by that photograph....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

your ground has chairs for buttoning?

[Scully]

Personally I find that there sometimes seems to be a general sense that shooting is somehow a dirty little secret that we indulge in but must not talk about for fear of offending people or, heavens forbid, of being judged.

 

One of the great ills in life, to my way of thinking, is ignorance; people who are prepared to make unreasoned or unconsidered judgements and assumptions out of nothing other than laziness of mind or simple prejudice.

 

I absolutely refuse to bow down to petty minded nonsense from those who wish to further subjugate my sport and in so doing foment ignorance and opposition all the more.

Music to my ears!

[Jbob]

Facebook posts can be very opinionated in my experience regardless of subject. IMHO I cant see any harm in posting photos of yourself clay shooting. I mean this is an activity that open to stag do's, work days out and even a gift for someone to experience. Your telling me that if someone did clay shooting for their birthday they wouldn't want to post photos on FB to share with friends? I cant see the harm.

 

Hunting and decoying is a different area altogether and even I wouldn't post photos of dead animals I shoot on FB as this could offence and I wouldn't want the aggro of an anti friend giving me grief saying I have murdered an animal in the name of sport/hobby.

 

Conclusion: Clay shooting OK on FB. Hunting not for FB keep it for PW

 

Everyone has an opinion even FEO's but being responsible and respectful about what you share can and should show the sport we all enjoy in a positive way and may even encourage other to give it ago. Who knows?

Edited September 18, 2015 by Jbob

[malkiserow]

Doesn't much of the comments regarding FB mean those groups/individuals accounts are open.

 

Some have closed groups so only members can see. Surely this latter one is not an issue.

[kent]

RFDs get to spend on window bars and monitored alarms etc because they openly promote their business - seems perfectly logical security wise that you shouldn't disclose much on Facebook.

I hate pictures of dead stuff anyhow personally I just feel it is something of a lack of respect for our quarry, yes I have taken them but I do not very often post or publish them and when I do its for a specific reason. The Anti has never honestly bothered me much their sole aim is to stop us promoting and defending our sport and hence recruitment, lack of publicity is bad publicity so cow down to the anti if you must but it will effect our future generations.

 

Sure social media is an extra security risk and as such I don't very directly associate myself with firearms through my company FB page were people have my details but neither am I big on linking through from sites like this. Looked at it and communicated with Teal about it but I just don't think it that wise for me personally at this point in time. Its easy to track someone down through linking through different social media and build a very full picture

 

I don't believe the average crook wants to burgle a home that contains guns but I am aware some only want the guns ( something that has become more prevalent with increased checks for illegal imigrants and national security at points of entry to the uk, this has also lead to more home production of drugs so it might reflect on what a poor job was being done previously by those now saying "don't post")

[Beardo]

ah yes Dunkield - Deergate.

And i have a closed friends only posting profile - yet that thread still went on for over 200 posts (and got defriended twice).

Ironically not by my vegan/veggie friends, but by supermarket meat eaters who didn't want to connect 'meat' to animals.

[brett1985]

easy solve to the problem... make the your facebook page private and don't accept friend requests from people you don't know (deergate)

that way, only friends can see what you post.

 

my local FLO explained that they do check licence holders facebook pages, but not for pictures.

they are more concerned about weeding out those that post questionable things like joking about shooting someone, or those that seem intent of sharing extremist style views (in particular, EDL and Britain first style propaganda bull carp)

 

quite reasonable in my opinion.

[Redditch]

Simple really, use a different name to your own (a nickname) and don't put your correct town or country even.

Also ensure location is turned off, and all is okay

[30-06hunter]

easy solve to the problem... make the your facebook page private and don't accept friend requests from people you don't know (deergate)

that way, only friends can see what you post.

 

my local FLO explained that they do check licence holders facebook pages, but not for pictures.

they are more concerned about weeding out those that post questionable things like joking about shooting someone, or those that seem intent of sharing extremist style views (in particular, EDL and Britain first style propaganda bull carp)

 

quite reasonable in my opinion.

thats what I've heard..

 

but the police can still see things even if you have all the privacy settings on.

 

but true don't except people you don't know..

[mossberg-operator]

Simple really, use a different name to your own (a nickname) and don't put your correct town or country even.

Also ensure location is turned off, and all is okay

What I wrote earlier.

[stubear]

Well to be honest sometimes I do think that....

 

Here's a pic of all my guns laid out on my bed

 

And here's a pic of me in the airport about to go on holiday

 

......really is a open invitation

 

Its funny you say that, I've read articles in the local rag saying that people shouldnt put their comings and goings on social media full stop!

 

If you're one of these people who tags the location of every post you put up with loads of pictures on it and has an open FB Profile (which is the default setting unless you change it) then your timeline is pretty much Amazon for potential thieves.

 

"Hmm.. Heres a picture of their new car, their new flat screen TV and I can see an iPad, a decent laptop and some musical gear in the pictures they posted of the BBQ the other weekend... All helpfully tagged as 'at home' so I know exactly where they live... Oh, look they've just put another status up showing they are at Gatwick and are away for 2 weeks.. Guess I'll pay them a visit!"

 

Adding pictures of your guns is just another way of increasing the odds that the local scumbag breaks your kitchen window while you're out!

 

Social media is a great tool for organising events and meet ups, but I do all my posting about that sort of thing via closed groups. I have a couple of pics up of me shooting, but all of those are taken in public places (in fact I think all of them have been at Bisley) where anyone could have seen me. I dont have any photos of my security arrangements, guns in the home or anything like that.

[jam1e]

I do not do Facebook. And definitely do not think it is the place to parade your guns.The site is full of anti's and other tree huggers along with an assortment of other idiots.If you want to post pictures why not stick to this and other shooting forums with like minded people

I am on FB, but not often. I agree with you bostonmick.