How to add postal code to profile

[JaninaWalker]

The postal code is currently marked as private and I was allowed to uncheck all the other sections so they would no longer be private, but the postal code is greyed out and will not allow me to enter data and save it. I cannot get the check mark in the private box to go away as I was allowed to do for the other sections.

[helvella Administrator]

I would never make my postcode public, especially on a health forum. I suspect HealthUnlocked have prevented you from making your postcode public on purpose as a matter of identity security. Postcode is a very precise identifier - sometimes down to one or two houses.

In general, we strongly suggest people have a member name that is NOT their real name. (It is possible to change your member name.)

If someone can see your real name, your postcode, and collects everything you post, they might end up with more information than you would wish.

If we see that people have inadvertently posted further information (e.g. a results printout with their real name, address, date of birth, GP surgery, GP, etc.) then we will usually remove or edit the picture.

[Angel_of_the_North]

A post code can identify a single house, so unless you want stalkers, I wouldn't do it.

[JaninaWalker in reply to Angel_of_the_North]

It would be down to 212 units so I will keep it quiet.

[Ellie-Louise in reply to Angel_of_the_North]

Surely that occurrence would be for a single house out in the sticks. I live in a village and my postcode is for 20 houses.

[Angel_of_the_North in reply to Ellie-Louise]

My mother's house in a city had its own postcode. My postcode is about 12 houses

[helvella Administrator in reply to Angel_of_the_North]

It doesn't pay to make assumptions - such things vary. And Canadian postcodes might have greater or lesser likelihood of have tiny numbers of dwellings. I don't know.

[Angel_of_the_North in reply to helvella]

True, but I assume HU have to make assumptions about the the safety of making postcodes public

[helvella Administrator in reply to Angel_of_the_North]

I was agreeing with you that it could be a single dwelling and that we can’t assume a postcode is at all obscure. 😀😀

[Angel_of_the_North in reply to helvella]

Even if it is 100 houses, it is still possible to give away enough in your posts to be identifiable - or worse, to feel guilty because someone stalked one of your neighbours by mistake

[JaninaWalker in reply to Ellie-Louise]

In an area of houses the post office has ways to decide how many houses are covered, but in our case which is a condo of 212 units we all have the same postal code and no other building has that code, so likely this is done for many different multi unit buildings and as the post code is to help deliver mail, it is the post office that decides how they do the adding of codes.

I know in the countryside a post code can be for a wider area.

When trying to find a relative in the country to go to a party I was amazed at about 400 names in an area so I suspect some of those are just past date records, but I did not bother to check that or ask them how many residences are in the area as some people have multiple people in a location. So the point is I just know my building is a postal code unto itself and I will not name it for the reasons people kindly pointed out.

But I agree with people's comments that it is not possible to add as it is recognized as not wise to reveal.