In the world of fast paced social media and information sharing, paired with a lifestyle that leads you floating around the waterways in an identifying boat, is it safe to share so much of your life online without someone using that information maliciously?
To Defining being doxxed is as follows:
the action of finding or publishing private information about someone on the internet without their permission, especially in a way that reveals their name, address, etc.: (Cambridge Dictionary)
After living in London for 10 years, being a Geography student in this city and having a love for space and place, I thought I knew this city pretty well, until I started exploring and living on the capitals waterways. So many places I was seeing in a new light and its a joy and a privilege to live this way.
However it would be remiss of me to not mention the fact that I also have to be hyper aware of my safety as a Women, never mind the fact I live alone in a floating tin can. Beautiful my wonderful dog and best friend at this point does a lot for my comfort and safety and is protective of me when she needs to be. Hearing people talk and pass on the towpath, she may bark which leads me to believe they would at least think twice, and I have no doubt she would physically defend me too. There have been very few points walking down the towpath that I have felt unsafe either, and other women do often ask me that. With mooring around so many other boats, we are very community driven and I know anyone would come out and help me at the drop of a hat.
But it’s not that kind of safety I am worried about here, but perhaps those people who are not opportunities but actually would want to hunt me down and cause harm. In part of sharing my life online, I would say its impossible to not share what my boat looks like, and dare I say it would be recognisable. The CRT (Canal and River Trust, the charity that runs the upkeep and maintenance of the canal as well as policing boaters) want you to have your boat name painted on the side. Part of me is constantly thinking I wouldn’t be that hard to find if someone was set on doing so.
I love sharing this lifestyle where possible, encouraging people to come cruising, passers by to help with locks and what content I share online is part of that experience to share with others, as well as my own time capsule for memories. With my previous experience of my Father’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis and the attempt to record my time with him, it was a balance between living in the moment and documenting it for my future self as authentically as possible.
Coming back to London, I will often see a picture or image of a boater online and know almost instantly where they are. Now that is their business as to what they want to share when, but my mind jumps to worry for them, anyone can come knocking! Content creators very often will stagger their content as to not show there location while they are there, and I must admit the reason I don’t share as much as I would enjoy is due to these worries. Thank God nothing has happened to me, and I hope it never will, but it lives rent free in my mind every time I post, or see another boaters post. After all there is only so many places a boat can go on the waterways, and usually only at walking pace.
For security the options are location wise usually mooring with other boaters on the towpath, getting a mooring of some kind on the offside or in a marina. The biggest positive I see for a marina would be the higher security measures and the ease of having facilities on hand. But with any kind of mooring you lose so much in variety and also privacy, as I image its worse than living in a flat being up against another persons boat as there is lots to hear from other peoples lives I am sure!
But to Dox someone, having a mooring would be even easier! But what point am I trying to make in this post? Are boaters ‘doxxing’ themselves when they post, and with the benefit for them outweighing any possible negative impacts? In sharing that cute picture of your plants, are you considering what someone may want to do with that information? Sharing something yourself innocently is of course not Doxxing, which is an incredibly serious offence but also happens more than you think. I guess my takeaway isn’t trying to scare but just vent my thoughts and feelings in a way that, who knows may protect someone in future. If I ever got a mooring, would I tell anyone where I was? Or am I being too cautious? I would love to hear other peoples thoughts and insights, so feel free to comment or message on Instagram to continue the conversation.
And for now, I will continue to be shy about my location but still hopefully share some insight into a lifestyle which is often either glorified or reviled, but still just myself floating around with my dog.