PlainBoards.com Publishes Privacy Manifesto, Urges Internet Users to Take Online Privacy Seriously

STOCKHOLM, March 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Nothing is ever really deleted online, and even seemingly innocuous photos or information one posts on blogs, discussion boards, Facebook and Twitter can have far-reaching, unintended consequences socially, financially and even in terms of personal safety. That's the message PlainBoards.com (http://www.plainboards.com) is trying to spread to as many Internet users as possible with today's publication of its Privacy Manifesto (http://plainboards.com/manifesto).

PlainBoards.com (http://www.plainboards.com) is devoted to providing and promoting online privacy and safety. The site allows any business, organization or individual to create a free discussion board -- as long as they remain completely anonymous. In fact, PlainBoards.com actually forces anonymity among its users.

The reasons are detailed in the Privacy Manifesto: Most people would never think of violating their own privacy or safety in real life, yet they let their guard down as soon as they go online. Posts, photos, videos and discussion board conversations all tend to expose small details of people's lives. Unbeknownst to many Internet users, "bots" archive just about everything published online, creating a permanent record. Worse, there have been many documented instances of people being harassed online and in real life by individuals or groups who saved the information they posted and used it against them.

Scare tactics? Unfortunately, no. In spite of the comfort millions of people feel using Facebook, Twitter and other similar sites openly, says the founder of PlainBoards.com, the Internet is still, for the most part, a place where laws are difficult to enforce, privacy is often an illusion, and justice is seldom realized.

"Companies have no vested interest in protecting Internet users' privacy," stated the PlainBoards.com founder, who, for obvious reasons, prefers to remain anonymous. "In fact, it's just the opposite. Corporations often capture and store bits of information on the people who visit their sites, and they turn around and monetize that information. It's been said that Facebook users are not the consumers on that site, they're the commodity -- and that's not uncommon online. It should give anyone pause before openly sharing anything about themselves."

Given that, it's not surprising PlainBoards.com has gone in the opposite direction in terms of privacy and safety. No registration is required to use the site, although users who opt to register can use that registration across all boards and have an added layer of security. Individual board owners are unable to violate PlainBoards.com users' privacy in any way: no user names are ever displayed in connection with any posts, and it is impossible to search for other posts any user, registered or unregistered, has made. Board owners and PlainBoards.com can block disruptive users without ever seeing any identifying information or IP addresses of those users, because the proprietary PlainBoards.com software handles those details behind the scenes.

Why the strict adherence to privacy standards many Internet users haven't thus far chosen for themselves? The PlainBoards.com founder has spent many years dealing with online privacy breaches. No one, it seemed, was stepping up in any meaningful way to stem the tide -- so he did.

"The Privacy Manifesto is intended to help educate people about online privacy and safety," he stated. "It is not an exaggeration to say PlainBoards.com is the only Internet service on the planet that genuinely cares about your privacy. We're dedicated to doing what's right. If we have to stand alone, we will."

Learn more about PlainBoards.com and try out a demo board at http://www.plainboards.com.

This press release was issued through eReleases(R).  For more information, visit eReleases Press Release Distribution at http://www.ereleases.com.

SOURCE PlainBoards.com