privacy and volunteering

[snowdragon]

  I volunteered for the Anne Frank Project at school - we got our assignments today .   Included in the schedule were the phone numbers of each and every volunteer who had provided one.
   I am ticked that private information like that was given out without our consent - had I realized this would was going to be done, I would never have volunteered.  And it's put me off volunteering for anything else associated with the school.
   Is this normal now, that if you volunteer your private phone ( mine's unlisted for a reason) is fair game to be given out.

[Really?]

HI

Anywhere I have volunteered, the phone numbers are for the organizers only, not to be published.
Have you asked the organizers why?

ONlyme

[PastryGoddess]

Yeah that's not cool. I volunteer a great deal and I've always been told if there was a master volunteer list and how to keep my contact information from being included.

I think you need to say something to the school and make it clear that you won't be volunteering with them again because of this. 

[GrammarNerd]

It shouldn't be 'how things are done', but unfortunately, I think there's a certain contingent of people out there who aren't as savvy or concerned about the proper way to handle information like this. 

I've filled out some forms recently that asked for cell phone.  I don't put it on there.  I want it used for emergencies only, or when *I* deem that I want to use it.  Plus, I can see it getting on some kind of a list and getting those obnoxious calls and texts about lowering my credit rating or whatever.

One time, back in the early days of cell phones, I had a plan that had a per-minute charge.  I gave the number to my then-boss (small company, and she was married to the owner) for emergencies.  I was driving somewhere and she proceeded to call my phone and gabbed about nothing significant for 20 minutes!  If I remember right, I think I expensed the charges for that call.

I would contact the project heads and ask them about this, and why they put it on the list that went to everyone.  Explain that you never thought your information would go out to everyone in the group; if you had known that, you wouldn't have given that information or perhaps wouldn't have even volunteered.  Ask them to redistribute the list without your phone number.  Yeah, I know that won't fix the list that already is out there, but perhaps if they have to do a bit of work, they'll think twice about giving out people's information in the future without a specific disclaimer.

[WillyNilly]

This is absolutely not how things are generally done! I think you should respond to the organizers - every person in charge - and let them know just how very uncool this action was and that this one action will almost certainly cause you not volunteer with them again.

I'm on the "core team" of my CSA. We had one member who was very very concerned about her contact information being distributed. I never asked why (not my business) but certainly heard her concerns, as did most of the core team. one guy apparently dismissed her though because he repeatedly sent out emails to the whole group with addresses in the "to" field instead of BCC - even after the concerned member politely responded to the first asking that this not happen again (she graciously assumed it was an accident). The guy, instead of apologizing and taking her gracious 'out', responded to everyone, that her concerns were ridiculous and there was no possible way to stay anonymous in today's world. The rest of the core team had to restrict that guys access to everything because we could not trust him. We lost that one member (the woman who was concerned) anyway. We need our members and we respect our members; Its common courtesy to not reveal their contact info, and its not very hard to just use BBC and not share phone numbers!

[Danika]

I'd be pretty angry. There is one volunteer group I belong to that has a members only website (meaning you need a username and password) but once you log in, you can access everyone's home address and phone number. I don't think they warned us in advance that that would be accessible, but I wasn't too mad about it because I only gave them my home phone (which we are nearly never available to answer) not my cell number. Like a PP, I learned the hard way that with an emergency only cell phone line that was $0.47/minute, people couldn't listen to instructions and would call you anyway.

However, I think any group should tell members in advance if they plan to distribute private information like that.

Sadly, I don't think it's too uncommon. It's why I have two email addresses just for spam and a dedicated Google Voice phone number to put on my resume for job searching.

In your shoes, I would definitely tell them that I am very upset that they disseminated my private information without permission and that they will lose me as a volunteer in the future if they don't update the list without my contact information on it.

[Virg]

In your place, I'd drop out of the volunteer list immediately (including dropping any projects that are already underway), and tell them why.  For people who don't "get it" about protecting contact information, it's a pointless struggle, so the only way to change it is to make it costly for them.

Virg

[*inviteseller]

When I was on the PTA, the only phone numbers given out to the whole school was the board members.  The different committees did not have their members numbers published and if someone wanted it, they would ask the actual person.  I would be mad too as I have a private number and I guard it.  I would talk to whoever is in charge of this debacle and tell them you did not give anyone permission to publish your phone number publicly and that because of it, you will no longer be participating.

[Deetee]

I have a few questions that weren't clear. Was this schedule given to the public or just to the other volunteers? Because if I'm on a project with people the first thing we do is exchange numbers. If this was a list of five volunteers and numbers is find that totally normal. If it was a 100 I'd find it odd and not be happy.

[johelenc1]

I confess, I really struggle with this a being a big deal.  I think we have forgotten that not too long ago ALL phone numbers were publically published - in the phone book!  You could look up anyone's number - anywhere in the whole country.  And if you didn't have a phone book,  you called 411 and asked for the number - and they would tell you!  This information was completely public UNLESS a person specifically asked to opt out - ie: ask for their number to be unlisted.  The burden was on the person to make the request.  The default was that the number was publically published.

I'm not sure where the idea that phone number are super secret until said otherwise began.  I don't really get it.  However, just as a person could have one's number unpublished before, I think they have the right to ask for that now.  But, as then, the onus is on the individual to request it.

Personally, I think all phone numbers should be considered public unless requested otherwise.  So, OP, if you don't won't your number shared then it's your responsibly to pass along that information when you give your number.  When you give it to a friend you should also say, "btw, I don't like my number to be given out so please ask before you pass it along."

And when we receive a request like this it should be respected and adhered to.  I would have no problem protecting that information (or an email) of asked to do so.

[snowdragon]

I have a few questions that weren't clear. Was this schedule given to the public or just to the other volunteers? Because if I'm on a project with people the first thing we do is exchange numbers. If this was a list of five volunteers and numbers is find that totally normal. If it was a 100 I'd find it odd and not be happy.

This was give to between 200 and 300 volunteers and staff.

I confess, I really struggle with this a being a big deal.  I think we have forgotten that not too long ago ALL phone numbers were publically published - in the phone book!  You could look up anyone's number - anywhere in the whole country.  And if you didn't have a phone book,  you called 411 and asked for the number - and they would tell you!  This information was completely public UNLESS a person specifically asked to opt out - ie: ask for their number to be unlisted.  The burden was on the person to make the request.  The default was that the number was publically published.

I'm not sure where the idea that phone number are super secret until said otherwise began.  I don't really get it.  However, just as a person could have one's number unpublished before, I think they have the right to ask for that now.  But, as then, the onus is on the individual to request it.

Personally, I think all phone numbers should be considered public unless requested otherwise.  So, OP, if you don't won't your number shared then it's your responsibly to pass along that information when you give your number.  When you give it to a friend you should also say, "btw, I don't like my number to be given out so please ask before you pass it along."

If you read my post - I did say the number is unlisted.  I have also filled out all the forms at school that should have barred anyone affiliated with the school passing out my info to  anyone that information follows our registrations for classes and anything affiliated with the school ( according to the two offices on campus I spoke to. ), including volunteering for campus  events. We signed up through the same system that we would have used for classes. So I did opt out. She took it upon herself to disregard that.

[Promise]

What is the real concern? That someone might call? Perhaps they had a box to check if you didn't want your phone number published and it wasn't checked. In my schools, that's what was on the form. However, I am agreeing with the previous poster who talked about the phone book. Goodness, I can find people's cell phone numbers with a simple google search. If you had stalkers, I can understand why the fuss. But I think we now seem to live with the idea of "privacy is paramount!!" when we truly don't have privacy. Of all the phone lists I've been on, and I've been on many in education and in churches, I've never had anyone abuse my cell phone number. Most of the time only my close friends and family ever call.

I live in a community where doors remain unlocked...all day...on vacation. People leave their windows open in their homes and cars. Women don't carry their purse while grocery shopping but put in the cart! They talk to their neighbors and go to community events together. We have much less stress than our neighboring city people one reason is because we care about each other and trust each other. If so and so calls too much, I just look at caller ID and don't answer. My home phone doesn't have an answering machine. I choose the calls I return. It's an easier way to live life without worrying about my phone.

[Gogi]

We signed up through the same system that we would have used for classes. So I did opt out. She took it upon herself to disregard that.

Or perhaps she (who is "she"-- I must have missed something) simply made a mistake. Quitting the AFP and all other projects with which you are involved (as is suggested a few posts back) seem a bit overreactive for something that may have been an innocent error.

[snowdragon]

We signed up through the same system that we would have used for classes. So I did opt out. She took it upon herself to disregard that.

Or perhaps she (who is "she"-- I must have missed something) simply made a mistake. Quitting the AFP and all other projects with which you are involved (as is suggested a few posts back) seem a bit overreactive for something that may have been an innocent error.

  She is the volunteer co-coordinator for the AFP. And I have a hard time believing that she included all of our numbers by mistake. One or two perhaps, even 10 or 20 could be a mistake, but everyone who had provided one - had to be deliberate. If that's an oversight - she needs a new job.
   And yeah, I am never volunteering for anything on campus again.

[PastryGoddess]

I don't think the OP has to justify to US why she does not want her private and unlisted phone number given out to anyone.  It doesn't matter if she lives in the middle of a war zone or in Mayberry where no doors are locked.