# Coldfire **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 13, 2004, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919 "2004-07-13T16:27:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919/161 "2004-07-16T13:04:40Z")
How in the name of Greek buggery would we know if someone was an abused spouse, unless they volunteered such information themselves? ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919/162 "2004-07-16T13:09:17Z")
No, that’s not a sensible analogy. The policy specifically states that the Reader collects your IP address, and that the Reader does not regard that as collecting personal information. The policy then states that it will not, without your consent, collect or pass on things which the Reader _does_ consider to be personal. It doesn’t say whether your spousal abuse history is considered personal. However, it does clearly say that the Reader does not consider your IP address as personal. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919/163 "2004-07-16T13:09:59Z")
50 dumbass points for that ethnic slur. ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919/164 "2004-07-16T13:11:13Z")
(My previous post was in response to **Liberaltarian** , not **Coldfire**.) ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919/165 "2004-07-16T13:12:19Z")
> [@](#): > > But when you look up the IP and reveal to the world where the person was ostensibly located, that is personal information. I now reveal to the world that **Liberal** is posting from the United States. Sorry for releasing that deeply personal information, but what in the holy fuck could anyone possibly do with it? Here: I’m currently posting from The Woodlands, Texas; from a location just off Grogan’s Mill Road, in fact. Go ahead, try to identify me from that. Sheesh, people, get a grip. The only significance to the mention of what country **Alde** may happen to be posting from is in reference to his credibility, or lack of it. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919/166 "2004-07-16T13:14:32Z")
> [@grienspace](#): > > 50 dumbass points for that ethnic slur. What? “Greek buggery”? An extra 100 dumbass points for missing the reference, **grienspace**. Yeesh man, dig _up_. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919/167 "2004-07-16T13:36:20Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > I now reveal to the world that **Liberal** is posting from the United States. Sorry for releasing that deeply personal information, but what in the holy fuck could anyone possibly do with it? > . I could construct scenarios where it would matter. After all, what proof do you have that \*\* liberal \*\* is actually posting from the USA? I too, like \*\* Shodan \*\* and \*\* Liberal \*\*, with whom I rarely agree with about anything, feel concerned about an administrator casually disclosing an information that a poster was clearly unwilling to share, for no reason that I can discern, and without the slighest explanation about the motivations for such a disclosure. Maybe the agreement does not explicitely state that the IP adress won’t be disclosed at whim and without any kind of explanation by the administrators, but I must admit I _expected_ it wouldn’t be done. Actually, I would have expected that any individual knowing something about another poster that this poster is unwilling to disclose wouldn’t do so, at least as long as he doesn’t have some reasonnably sound reason to do it. It appears to me to be common courtesy, if nothing else. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919/168 "2004-07-16T13:48:03Z")
> [@Coldfire](#): > > What? “Greek buggery”? An extra 100 dumbass points for missing the reference, **grienspace**. Yeesh man, dig _up_. What? I don’t get it. The IP address suggests that the sodomy took place in Greece? ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919/169 "2004-07-16T13:49:17Z")
> [@dnooman](#): > > Can we get much more petty? **Bosda** has been reduced to stale Simpsons jokes, and **Allbutbanned** is hiding in his hate-hole. Que? 😕 And **Alde** _might_ be “in contemplative retreat” because somebody advised him to do just that. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919/170 "2004-07-16T13:50:30Z")
BTW, **dnooman**? When come back, bring pie. :wally ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919/171 "2004-07-16T13:53:12Z")
> [@clairobscur](#): > > I could construct scenarios where it would matter. After all, what proof do you have that \*\* liberal \*\* is actually posting from the USA? > > I too, like \*\* Shodan \*\* and \*\* Liberal \*\*, with whom I rarely agree with about anything, feel concerned about an administrator casually disclosing an information that a poster was clearly unwilling to share, for no reason that I can discern, and without the slighest explanation about the motivations for such a disclosure. > > Maybe the agreement does not explicitely state that the IP adress won’t be disclosed at whim and without any kind of explanation by the administrators, but I must admit I _expected_ it wouldn’t be done. Actually, I would have expected that any individual knowing something about another poster that this poster is unwilling to disclose wouldn’t do so, at least as long as he doesn’t have some reasonnably sound reason to do it. It appears to me to be common courtesy, if nothing else. Look. He stated that he lives in Belgium. **Lynn** confirmed that his _internet service provider_ is located in Belgium. So fucking what? :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919/172 "2004-07-16T13:54:30Z")
> [@](#): > > I could construct scenarios where it would matter. Well, please do, because all I see so far is a bunch of hand-waving. After all, what proof do you have that liberal is actually posting from the USA? [/Quote] What proof do you have that any single thing I’ve said to this point is true? Again, the issue is credibility, and until someone can convincingly demonstrate otherwise, stating the country from which someone is posting has _no signficance_ in terms of privacy. ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919/173 "2004-07-16T14:00:27Z")
> [@grienspace](#): > > What? I don’t get it. I think that a lot of people have already told you this. It’s good to see some acknowledgement after all this time. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919/174 "2004-07-16T14:04:20Z")
> [@clairobscur](#): > > Maybe the agreement does not explicitely state that the IP adress won’t be disclosed at whim and without any kind of explanation by the administrators, but I must admit I _expected_ it wouldn’t be done. Actually, I would have expected that any individual knowing something about another poster that this poster is unwilling to disclose wouldn’t do so, at least as long as he doesn’t have some reasonnably sound reason to do it. It appears to me to be common courtesy, if nothing else. Thats exactly how I felt when I questioned **Lynn** about it several pages back. She hasn’t responded. There is a certain anonymity that that is expected, and I would think that what **Lynn** did is analogous to a teacher pulling down the pants of a kid in front of a class of 8 year olds. **Aldebaran** isn’t the first poster purportedly posting from the middle east yet unwilling for the most part to specify a particular country. Remember **Collounsbury**? Curious. ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919/175 "2004-07-16T14:25:41Z")
> [@El\_Kabong](#): > > Well, please do, because all I see so far is a bunch of hand-waving. I didn’t see the point in making up such scenarios, because I assumed it was easy to imagine such hypothetical situations. But if you’re insisting, let’s suppose I got a restraining order for someone who harassed/threatened me, that this person know I’m posting on the SDMB, and that I don’t want him/her to know that I moved from Paris to some place somewhere else. For instance the country we are both originally from. Shouldn’t it be a good enough reason not to want my location to be disclosed? In any case, it seems to me, that choosing to disclose or not one’s location should be left to the concerned individual. He’s probably much more able to know whether or not he has good enough reason to hide it than a random administrator who knows nothing about his life. I would even say : “it’s nobody’s business to disclose an information I’m unwilling to share, for whatever reason”. > [@](#): > > What proof do you have that any single thing I’ve said to this point is true? None. And I’m pretty certain that a lot of lies are told on this board. For good or not-so-good reasons. It still isn’t anybody’s business to disclose personnal infos about other posters, especially when they specifically stated they didn’t want to disclose this kind of info. > [@](#): > > Again, the issue is credibility, and until someone can convincingly demonstrate otherwise, stating the country from which someone is posting has _no signficance_ in terms of privacy. And how are _you_ qualified to decide what is significant or not regarding _my_ privacy? ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919/176 "2004-07-16T14:27:29Z")
> [@grienspace](#): > > **Aldebaran** isn’t the first poster purportedly posting from the middle east yet unwilling for the most part to specify a particular country. Remember **Collounsbury**? Curious. It’s simpler than that. Maybe even simple enough for you to understand. When **Aldebaran** first joined, he went on and on about Belgium. **New Iskander** said that he was looking forward to the US invading Belgium and tracking down **Aldebaran**. That apparently triggered a paranioa nerve, and since then, **Aldebaran** has been wary about talking about where he lives. So **Aldebaran** is paranoid and stupid. But so are you, **Liberaltarian** and **Shodan**. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919/177 "2004-07-16T14:40:37Z")
Coldfire While you are here, will you please ask Desmostylus to use my correct username or else my nickname “Lib”, as per Veb’s ruling here? [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=5048163&postcount=21](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=5048163&postcount=21) I have asked him before, and have referred him to the same post. ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919/178 "2004-07-16T14:54:00Z")
Jeez, **Liberaltarian** , it’s just dylsexia, you jekroff. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919/179 "2004-07-16T15:00:01Z")
Well, shit. You’ve got me on the fence, **Lib**. I’d say **lissener** brought **Veb** ’s ire onto himself when he openly stated that he deliberately would call you **Libertarian** in the Pit. I think she was right in slapping him around a bit for that. Now, we’ve got **Demostylus** performing a watered down version: a _combination_ of the old and the new name. Part of me thinks altering usernames in order to get people riled up is childish. Another part of me thinks that your specific user name change was SO political, that it’s only to be expected that people will call you on it. Especially since you don’t really come across as particularly liberal, at least not to me. Yet another part of me thinks this whole repeated running-to-the-teacher-when-the-other-kids-tease-you thing is extremely petty, especially for something as trivial as this. But that’s just me being jaded, I’m sure. I suppose given the precedent, I have little choice. **Demostylus** , please refer to **Liberal** by his proper username, or the abbreviation **Lib**. Thanks for your cooperation. ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919/180 "2004-07-16T15:11:51Z")
Happy to oblige, teach. Would have been much simpler if he’d changed his name to **Stupid Fuck** , as I’d advised. Would’ve kept everyone happy. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coldfire/254919.md?page=10)