So, I’m at work, exchanging e-mails with a buddy of mine in T.O. about work-related stuff, and out of the blue he says, “By the way, are you Northern Piper on the SDMB?”
My SDMB secret identity is no longer secret! What will my mild-mannered real life persona do?
Anyone else been busted IRL?
yes
Yes, but not on the SDMB yet…
No, I don’t know anyone else who posts here or even knows about it.
How did they figure it out, Northern Piper? And did they spill their identity to you?
From my location and the topics I post on. And no, he’s a good bud, just wanted to know if he was correct in his guess.
Forget about that “anonymity of the internet” thing…
ack! hit “reply” too soon. I meant to add that I’m not bothered that that my friend figured it out (and my Beloved thought it was sort of funny), it’s just that it caught me by surprise that even on the (relatively) anonymous internet, someone can figure out who you are without needing much info.
I’m no geographer, but your location looks awfully specific. I’d think a like-minded person from the same area who knew you would be able to figure that one out.
sure, but he’s two provinces over…
Nope, not yet. Although it would appear that none of my IRL friends post here. Or lurk here.
Dang it.
Well, I’m hoping that my three ex-wives don’t find me… I owe them and my sixteen children so much child support it’s not even funny…
'Course, those idiots are too stupid, and me and my fourth wife are just HAPPY living the American dream, out here in Californication!
I saw another Doper performing in a musical put on by Medicine students.
At the time, I didn’t realise I was watching a fellow Doper sing and dance, but she later posted about it, thereby blowing her Secret Identity. 
A poster here emailed a friend of theirs in Virginia and asked him if he posted as pezpunk on SDMB. He replied no but did mention that his best friend from high school who is in Florida has an email address that begins with pezpunk.
Turns out that it was me.
Pretty crazy huh?
In a period of lurking before registering, I recognised a family member on the board. He’d happened to post something very specific that only a very narrow group of academic specialists would know. And he’s one of them. The username was then obvious. Reading back over some of his previous posts just confirmed it.
I mentioned it to him at the time. Even turned out that I was indirectly responsible for him discovering the place. But as far as I know he doesn’t know I’ve subsequently posted myself. Unless he’s bluffing real good.
You need to work on the “Who? SD what?” response. Practice it until you can deliver it quickly and convincingly!
No, but if any of my close friends were to read my profile and my posts, they could easily guess who I am. Actually, my profile would probably be enough for most of my friends.
Yes… sort of. Another poster here posts in another message board I am also a member of. He figured out… weeks later than I did. That’s OK. He’s a trustworthy person.
Anyone who knows me would figure out that I am MG by reading my profile.
Once my sister knew that I posted here, she was able to figure it out fairly quickly by checking posts. I was surprised at how much information I had revealed about myself (and the things that she considered to be my “trademarks”).
Well, in a way, but I’d hardly call it “busted”. I posted in a thread where my occupation and location was given. It turns out that another poster here read it, and her stepmom works in the cube right next to me! Her stepmom asked me about it the next day, though I doubt she reads the boards.
My best friend in the whole world came across a messageboard I happened to frequent. I’d never told her that I went to this board. She recognized me by my choice of user name alone, a user name that I had never used anywhere else, or derived from a phrase I used around her. She knows me so well. So well, it’s scary.
I know that my brother figured out who I am…he lurks here occasionally, IIRC, but I don’t think he’s actually registered. He mentioned it to me this summer, where he was just looking at GQ and thought that a certain thread would be something I would have posted in, and, of course, I had. He recognized some comment I made, and a look at my Loaction tag confirmed that it was me. Prior to that, he knew that I posted here, but didn’t know my username. I get along well with him, so I’m not too bothered by the possibility that he might read something “bad”. I don’t really post personal things here anyways - I think the most personal was my Insomnia thread, but I’ve been an insomniac for years, so its not news to him.