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Reply With QuoteYou have to ask yourself if the pigs would ever really want to waste the time, resource and effort just to bust a small time grow in a spare room or closet?
Before You Post A Single Picture Online Read This Now!
What do you know about Meta-data? So you took some awesome shots of your indoor grow, done all your research, spent money on filters, lighting and all the goodies.. it was successful and now you want to show it off. Cool man, I dig it. Me too.
So you decide to photoshop some of your pictures to remove any identifying information (addresses on the shipping box for example) and feel safe that you covered yourself. Well guess what, you just put ALL that work you did in jeopardy. Why you ask?
META DATA. What is Meta data?
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/how-to-...-windows-only/When you take a picture with a digital camera, your camera embeds information into your image which contains a thumbnail, as well as the type of camera you used to take the picture and some other interesting tidbits.
You might be thinking – SO WHAT? If I am posting my picture online what the frick do I care if the thumbnail of my image is embedded. Sure if you have nothing to hide than you should not be worried.
But if you are snapping pictures with a stolen camera or you are editing your images to hide something contained in them – then you should be aware of MetaData, and know how to remove that metadata from photos. That’s right the thumbnail is NOT updated as you edit the image, it is the original thumbnail. So if you are photoshopping yourself – make sure the original picture didn’t show you in a compromising situation!
We have seen instances in the past few years of people getting nailed because their fancy smancy camera embedded their GPS location into their MetaData. Even a not so techie person can view the MetaData and use it against you! There are plenty of sites for that, CameraSummary is one of such image data extractor websites.
Let’s teach our paranoid friends how to remove their MetaData from pictures and ease their minds.
We can start by downloading a small application called JPEG & PNG Stripper. It is a 75KB file that does exactly what it promises. There are not many options and you really cannot go wrong. It is a simple drag and drop operation that will clear up your skeletons in the closet.
Now you dont have to use this product. Google is your friend, there are a lot of image cleaners out there. If you use Linux there is a program called Jhead which does the same thing.
While the nature of this business is risky (not only from LE but also from an inventive thief who might come here, troll for GPS metadata come and steal your harvest) but we can take step to minimize the risk. This is one of the most essential steps!
Be aware, stay safe and keep growing and toking.
You have to ask yourself if the pigs would ever really want to waste the time, resource and effort just to bust a small time grow in a spare room or closet?
All of the characteristics of a dog except for loyalty.
True enough, but in my mind I look at it like this. It takes an extra 5-10 minutes to run your pics through this. And that is worth peace of mind, and I would rather be safe...than seriously sorry.
No need to be sorry, caution is key but paranoia is also a bitch sometimes. Still better safe then sorry.Originally Posted by xxRolandxx
It could all depend on where someone lives. I live out side a "Mayberry"- like town where a four plant bust is damn big news and makes the cops look like they are earning their pay. In places like this it might be just the sort of thing the cops look for so they can get some press and look like they do more than eat donuts all morning and hang around at the barbecue shack all afternoon.
By this reasoning you are expecting lazy donut eating cops to do some techno snooping for themselves to be able to find people via an embedded piece of info on a image on the net. I suspect that may be beyond the technical abilities of a small town cop or am I just being sceptical??
Plus rep for the info and for being safe over sorry. Thanks man!
dont under estimate the will of the local Barney Fife. Looking for them hippies with the hippie lettuce is all he has to justify a new 4x4 and maybe a few ATV's this is money making to the law enforcement community.
Dibs on FDD's first blown usable glass....
Fair enough, it is a fool that underestimates his enemy but knowing the nature of his enemy is an advantage. Besides I live in a city, if you guys are in north cali or wherever I suppose they would want a 4x4 much more. Here blankets are on track bikes, singlespeeds.
One thing I am always weary about nowadays is a young tech savy cop looking to make a name for himself. Really looking at the meta data of photos is not difficult at all.
The other thing is tech savy thieves looking for an easy score. If they found your location from the meta data, go in while you aren't home and steal all your loved and cared for ladies (and possibly expensive equipment easily sold on Ebay)...what are ya gonna do? Call the cops and report a burglary? Nope you are just shit outta luck.
Anyway thanks for the rep guys, just trying to share knowledge when I can and learn as much as possible from all of you.
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