How anonymous are we?
 

On a few occasions here I have mentioned my decision to use my real name instead of a pseudonym.

A lot of people on the Cellar use pseudonyms. This provides some casual protection, and at some point some of us decide to link to our 'real' selves. Radar linked to his campaign site and Maggie linke to a new article. Some of us link to a page of pictures or other data which give away our identity.

So I guess I want to ask what kind of anonymity do we think we have on the Cellar? What do we expect?

I'm pretty sure Buster intended to post an old set of papers with his name on them, so he probably didn't care. I did find one user wearing the shirt of a local real estate company where they worked on a picture site. Someone else here mentioned something about trouble at work which could be searched using Google or Yahoo.

Is Cellar anonymity like low grade encryption? Something we use to keep ourselves off of mailing lists and to give ourselves the illusion of not being tied to our words? Does anyone think that the Cellar offers true anonymity?

I don't try to hide anything. If people want to ask I'll be happy to tell them. The reason for this is that if someone really wants to find me, they'll do it whether I help them or not.

There's no such thing as privacy.

True, but what about someone who doesn't ask? Personally, I'm almost an open book, but there are some things I obscure. On websites that insist on asking for a birthdate or zip code, I usually fake it, which can cause some embarrassing moments if you forget your password and can't remember the fake zip code.

In my book, there are the 'real agencies' like banks and credit card companies, who I can give information to, and everyone else, who really don't have a need to know.

In my personal experience, it doesn't matter what sort of protection you have on your computer, if someone wants in, they'll get in sooner or later. After that, they've got enough info to fill in any blanks you don't have on your comp.

That's why I don't bother trying to hide anything.

As some old-timers may know, I made a change in this respect some years ago.

My primary goal is that prospective employers not get easy access to my cellar postings from a casual Google search of my real name. I'm not embarassed by anything (much) I've written here, but this is a place for me to let my hair down, and I prefer not to have my writings here analyzed.

I'm under no illusion that a determined person could find out, but they would be more likely to start with SteveDallas and learn my real name, than vice versa.

I've prettymuch told my age, vaguely, but so many times that its prettymuch narrowed down, and I think my name's floating around here or there maybe.

I'm glad you raised this Rich, 'cause it's something I've been trying to find the words for for some time now. I've deliberately tried to stay (readily) un-identifiable, despite the immediate urges to post away like mad. I've given away my age, city, orientation, status and not much else.

Posting pictures, video and personal info make it so mush easier and quicker for one to be a recognisable part of a group, and make it easier to tell stories or relate to the stories of others with personal experiences. Conversly, not sharing gives the impression that one might have something to hide.

Self-censoring with anonymity in mind seriously limits what you are able to talk about and share (believe me, I know :( ). If everyone did it, this place would be far less interesting, but I'm afraid I'm not about to change too much too soon.

I had a bad experience a couple of years ago. It came about by me giving too much away and being a bit too personal on a forum. I should have known better. That's why I'm stand-offish now.

It's not a matter of fear of being "tied to my words", it's a matter of not knowing who you're talking to, and what their motives might be. In my brief time here I don't think I've said anything here that I wouldn't stand by.

I know that the fact remains, that if someone wants to find (out about) me, they could.

The only thing that would cure this type of "stand-offishness" is if everyone here knew each other well enough to trust them with personal info, but that aint gonna happen.

I like it here, the people are great (mostly :p ) and I'd love to share more, but for the moment, it's "once-bitten-twice-shy" for me. We'll see what happens.

So, with that in mind, to answer the original questions - What do I expect? - simply that my position be respected, and that I 'll respect the views of others. Do I believe I have "true anonymity"? Nup! But the cheap copy we've got will do!

I probably should worry more about my privacy. I've given my name indirectly, through pimping the band. From there, it's a phone book away. I'm not worried necessarily. I keep guitars and amps at another house, the guns are locked up. You want to try to come get some, have at it I suppose. That'll be cause for a thread or two I'm sure.

meh. give me a call anytime. i'll tell you how i feel about it.

I'm in exactly the same situation as Mr. Dallas.

I don't care if you guys know who I am, and where I live, but I don't want people who know my real name to be able to find my posts here.

I'm somewhat anonymous here. I've given clues to who I am. I think I linked to an active aerial shot of my house, so that pretty much gives you directions to my place. I've e-mailed a couple of you, so if you save those e-mails, you have my name. Katkeeper and UT have my credit card number.

My mom now knows my cellar id. One of her readers saw my angry diatribe against -- what was his name? the one pushing the peach-pit nonsense? -- and told her. She took exception to my choice of language. :blush: However, when I described the charlatanism being perpetrated, she agreed that it was warranted.
Oh, well. Now, I have to post everything as though my Mom might be reading it.

I share enough personal details that if someone really wanted to work at figuring it out, I suppose they could, and of course, several folks here know me for real.

At least one other user here has linked to my employer's website, but that's about as close as anyone has gotten. S/he may have remembered that I worked there, possibly not.

Katkeeper and UT have my credit card number.

Actually we just pass the transaction along to authorize.net and no credit info is saved at all. That way we can't make a mistake and let your numbers out by accident.

I've got nothing to hide. I've posted links to the lab I work at, and pictures showing where my building is and what floor I am on if you really wanted to find me. Same with my home. I figure, someone could follow me to my car, get my licence plate and get the same info with a little work so what the hell do I care if someonoe in the UK knows what I've shared here?

Cool! But I'd trust you with that info. Just as I'd trust LJ if I was buying a car from Nissan in NJ.

it'd be worth the drive, too.

I'm happy with what I've shared here in terms of identifying me. Like LabRat (but the other way round) I don't mind if someone in the States, or Scotland, or the Netherlands knows what the front of my flat looks like, or what the view from my window looks like. If anyone has enough devotion to piece together my life from what I've posted in the Cellar I figure I should probably marry them anyway :)

The only thing I would dislike - and the reason I keep all real names out of my posts - is someone who knows me but is outside my circle of intimacy, reading my posts.

Like Hagar, I had a bad experience previously. Nothing life changing, just humiliating. Someone I worked with found my profile on a dating site, and forwarded my page around. Officially I had nothing to be ashamed of, but personally I wanted the ground to swallow me up.

It was the sort of site that asked for your favourite place, your favourite quote, your idea of a perfect date etc. I had given detailed answers in order to meet someone on my wavelength. When it was quoted out of context I admit it sounded pretentious and self absorbed.

I won't present quite so much of myself unprompted anywhere again. But I really enjoy the atmosphere here - everyone seems genuine. And I like being able to be myself here and be judged by my posts. And the occasional nipple.

I'm probably an odd duck in the Internet pond. I really do have some things that I'd rather that everyone out there not know, but those people are pretty non-savvy when it comes to the Internet, so I have little to fear.

I'm pretty out there. Between a CD released some years ago and my frequent Cellar posts, if you can't find me, you aren't really trying. I've openly posted my real name, address and phone numbers in more than one place in association with my Wiccan activities. I've been President of a tax exempt organization, which requires open records, and my name, address and phone are listed in the phone book.

That all said, my biggest shortcoming is posting pictures of *other* people, then finding out later that they'd rather I had not done that. One of my coveners stumbled across a pic of the group I'd posted on The Cellar, and chastised me for being thoughtless about whether or not everyone in the pic would be comfortable with that, despite my not having named them.

Fortunately, UT helped me out and squelched that one, but I'm pretty sure there's another lurking here somewhere. Don't tell anyone. :thepain:

People can really suck sometimes. Bitch female or asshole male who did this?

If you weren't on the other side of the pond, the nipple would have certainly gotten you a date request from me, 'cause we have those in common. I mean, I have 'em, you have 'em, I like 'em... :D

I don't know. If I posted my picture would I be less anonymous?

Yes, absolutely. You'd be even more anonymous if you were wearing little to no clothing in the picture. In fact, I can't think of anything more anonymous than a closeup nipple shot...unless, of course, you have your name and phone number tattooed over it.

:lol:

Rather immature gay man - I think he had a suspicion I was on that site (me & my big mouth) and looked for me by age and location. After all why would a gay man in a relationship be looking at profiles of women older than himself?

I fronted it out. No point letting him think it got to me.

Ah, that lovely old story - girl has nipple, boy has nipple, girl shows nipple, boy shows nipple. Separated by the Atlantic, they pine in solitary nipple glory forever.

Heck, I don't care. At one point I posted my full name, address, and phone number here. The result was that I got a couple of very nice calls from a couple of other dwellers. I don't have credit cards or do on-line banking, so its really not worth trying to hack into my computer. I live at what, for all purposes, is the ends of the earth. I suppose Mr. Noodle or one of the other Colorado members could make the 7 hour drive to discuss religion with me if they felt like it. I also have a gun. :D

So Wolf and MaggieL can also come for a nice firearms chat, then. Cool.

They are more than welcome. Since Mancos prides itself on its old west heritage (the town symbol is a cowboy on his horse at full gallup); we could probably even meet on Main Street at high noon. "Smile when you say that, pardner." ;)

I'm with the guys who don't want their posts here to impact on their working life. I do a little translation work and my only marketing resource is the internet - so I don't want pontetial clients googling my name and finding my cellar posts.
I've forwarded picture posts to my brother so he could, if he troubles to, identify who I am here. I'm open about my location, but hesitant to post a picture of myself - even a nipple-shot, though that was tempting .... I think I posted a pic of my house and would be amazed and delighted if a dwellar were to knock on my door because they saw the infamous Cellar T-shirt hanging on the line to dry, or because they recognised the house from a post here (though that might be a little spooky :worried: ).

I've been trying to get to Wal-Mart for a week and can't be bothered to find the 5 minutes for the drive. :lol:

Going to Greeley on Saturday left me tired for 2 days.

Your Cellar handle is the bathroom door...no more, no less. ;)

I can't find the right thread where only i can post.

Check your post history.

Oh for fuck's fucking sake, I just voted in a six year old poll...

In solidarity of you my brother, I just voted as well.
Damn that anonymous dude for digging up this thread.

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