Question Raised Ro's Browsing This Site For Recent Claims

[mountain tyme]

This question was raised to me and I never thought about it.

Ok I am helping a vet with his claim and since he is not computer savey I told him that I go to hadit and post questions to gain information to help not only my own claim but others as well to get though the VA maze...

he told me that when he was up at the VARO office a few months ago he overheard a conversation between staff members in regards to a site that they went to for veterans and that one of the staff memebers said we have been tracking one topic...he can't remember everything that was said because he was sitting outside the office waiting but the gist of the conversation was that the staff member eluded that the topic he was following was in regards to a claim that came though his office. so that got me to thinking it would not be that hard for a VARO staff member to do that...we put in a question ( I am very guilty of this) and go into good detail including posting the decision and date....so it would not be hard for a VARO staff person to link me to that question perhaps this is my paranoide trait coming out but how much of a concern should this be?

MT

[donews]

My opinion:

I personally do not worry about something like this.

The main reason is I just post the facts.

If I was posting something to do with falsifying a claim or something that would be differenct I suppose.

Everything I say here is most probably contained in my claim in some form or fashion.

Besides, just think, maybe the RO's will see all the regs we post and start handling claims the proper way without making us fight for what we deserve for 10 years.

[Berta]

Of course anyone can read the public forum-

and I do not doubt that RO employees come here from time to time- as a matter of fact even the VA OIG mentioned vets VA claim sites in their 2005 report on the claims process-

The Inspector General's concern was that perhaps vets were being given inaccurate info (that is why we cite our regs here) as well as how to help somehow get PTSD awards by exaggerating or manipulating their disability-

that does not happen here-

I would think that Vet reps and ROs can only benefit by getting some knowledge here-

and I would think the VA would definitely try to track anyone who might be a wannabee or someone who appeared to have gotten comp under false pretenses.

I gripe about my RO all the time here and have no reason to even give a single thought to any repercussions-

because evidence is everything-

and evidence is what awards claims.

I wouldnt worry about this at all- it could even be a positive sign if they try to track a topic here-

maybe the topic they are tracking is 38 CFR and they are learning how to read it.

[Jazona]

"Besides, just think, maybe the RO's will see all the regs we post and start handling claims the proper way without making us fight for what we deserve for 10 years".

Excellent, simply excellent!

jaz

[Tbird]

to me it seems unlikely and if they do read the board, they would have to do some research to find out who you are, your display name is listed on the board, but not your email address, and they would have to be figure out who's display name is who and i just don't see government employee's putting in that much time, and not even sure how they would do it. it would seem that if they going to come after somebody on the board it would be me, and i've been doing this since 1997 and haven't had any ill effects on my claims, but i do believe that the claims process can make anyone paranoid including me. if you post a question about your claim, that information is probably already included in your claims folder or will be in a new claim you are following. so i wouldn't worry about this to much, however i understand why you do, i get into in my own paranoid thing myself, someone says the va banned the website at their local va and i worry, but you know so far so good and hadit.com is it's 11th year. this is my opinion.

This question was raised to me and I never thought about it.

Ok I am helping a vet with his claim and since he is not computer savey I told him that I go to hadit and post questions to gain information to help not only my own claim but others as well to get though the VA maze...

he told me that when he was up at the VARO office a few months ago he overheard a conversation between staff members in regards to a site that they went to for veterans and that one of the staff memebers said we have been tracking one topic...he can't remember everything that was said because he was sitting outside the office waiting but the gist of the conversation was that the staff member eluded that the topic he was following was in regards to a claim that came though his office. so that got me to thinking it would not be that hard for a VARO staff member to do that...we put in a question ( I am very guilty of this) and go into good detail including posting the decision and date....so it would not be hard for a VARO staff person to link me to that question perhaps this is my paranoide trait coming out but how much of a concern should this be?

MT

[mountain tyme]

as you can see it does not stop me from posting or asking question...*big smile*...but I do get paranoid do to my condition...but I agree with

donews in his statement: "I personally do not worry about something like this.

The main reason is I just post the facts."

and that is true...of 99% of all the people who post in this site...the only thing I will be more causious of because I am lax about this is to re-read my post to make sure I don't put in personal information like ss# stuff like that..not only because of this topic but because of sercurity reasons as well...with idenity theft one can never be to careful!

T-bird I don't know what veteran site he was talking about...there are many out there...and it is true of all the sites I have viewed over the past 2 years this site by far is truly suited for factual information that will site reg's and so forth...and yes like some of you said perhaps this site would be a good tool for the VARO to use to refresh there memories on what the regs are!

MT

[Philip Rogers]

My opinion:

I personally do not worry about something like this.

The main reason is I just post the facts.

If I was posting something to do with falsifying a claim or something that would be differenct I suppose.

Everything I say here is most probably contained in my claim in some form or fashion.

Besides, just think, maybe the RO's will see all the regs we post and start handling claims the proper way without making us fight for what we deserve for 10 years.

I used to worry about this also but I've found wearing aluminum foil, on my head, with some knitting needles sticking out has made me stealth and they can no longer track me. You should try it. Det. Siphowitz(sp) recommended something similiar, on an old NYPD broadcast. jmo

pr