PI, to my mind, is any Personal or Private Information about themselves or their families that members of an anonymous forum would not want to see shared publicly.
This would include data mined from sources where a member HAS shared PI publicly but where said sources are never meant by said member to be connected with their account on anonymous forums or sites.
I've come by a lot of personal information about those I've rubbed elbows with over the course of my participation in forums these past twenty some odd years and I've never once--not once--shared any of that info publicly nor privately with recipients not specifically authorized to receive it.
Even when a piece of info merely SEEMS to me like it is (or ought to be) kept confidential, I either first ask the person whose info it is whether it's confidential or I refrain from sharing it altogether.
I've had offers to receive private info concerning people I've locked horns with and I've always declined, for the simple reason that MY SO-CALLED LIFE ON FORUMS IS NOT MY REAL-LIFE LIFE AND I'M NEVER INTERESTED IN DISCOVERING THE DETAILS OF ANYONE ELSE'S REAL-LIFE LIFE UNLESS PEOPLE WANT TO SHARE THOSE DETAILS WITH ME IN THE KNOWLEDGE THAT SAID DETAILS WILL BE KEPT IN CONFIDENCE.
This, by the way, is my credo in my real-life life, as well. I could not do the work I do if I didn't hold fast to this rule, and neither could I enjoy the company of the friends I do.
I come her for sport and amusement. Trafficking in the private details of other people's lives (barring the occasional troll based on no actual knowledge on my part) is neither sportsmanlike nor amusing, to my mind.
In fact, I find that kind of drama tedious.
