# Decoy comments **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 16, 2012, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decoy-comments/615920 "2012-03-16T02:15:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Pai325](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c68b51/32.png) [@Pai325](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pai325)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decoy-comments/615920/1 "2012-03-16T02:15:43Z")
I read that if a person is a frequent poster online, that he should insert some comments about himself that are untrue in order to make it difficult for people who are trying to mine your information. Do any of you do this? Talk about living in Iowa with your pet rat Manfred or something like that? I don’t mean lying on your security questions - your mother’s maiden name or Tyler favorite color,bi think most of us have done that. I mean have tou done it in a post. Do you think it makes a difference? I’m sorry if this has been asked; I tried a search and didn’t see anything. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decoy-comments/615920/2 "2012-03-16T02:21:17Z")
Everything I have ever posted to this board has been false. I’m not even a guy. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decoy-comments/615920/3 "2012-03-16T03:48:17Z")
No general question being found, this one is moved to IMHO. **samclem** , Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decoy-comments/615920/4 "2012-03-16T05:01:25Z")
It’s a hoax, [PetRat is deceased](http://www.sysoon.com/name/petrat?hl=en). ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decoy-comments/615920/5 "2012-03-16T05:20:24Z")
Only in a negative sense: I avoid being too specific, so that someone would find it easy to track me down. I’m more likely to talk about “my old college professor” than about “my college professor at Whatever State University” (where I majored in “Meh.” Got straight C’s.) And I would probably not ask on line for advice on how to invest my Mega-Lottery winnings… ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decoy-comments/615920/6 "2012-03-16T05:31:54Z")
I don’t. But then I dont feel the need to be as anonymous as many people seem to. ---
**Author:** ![leahcim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b4bc9f/32.png) [@leahcim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leahcim)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decoy-comments/615920/7 "2012-03-16T05:50:50Z")
Ok, you caught me. Objects travelling in a straight line really _don’t_ have angular momentum. I was just trying to throw the web bots off. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decoy-comments/615920/8 "2012-03-16T06:34:16Z")
Shortly after I got married in 1929, I said to my first wife, Borodinicha Mikhailovna Princhester, that I couldn’t see much point in attempting to hide my identity, given that my red hair, height of 7’2’ and unusual webbed fingers tended to make me instantly recognisable. ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decoy-comments/615920/9 "2012-03-16T07:15:45Z")
I only lie when talking about my tiny, tiny penis. Joe ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decoy-comments/615920/10 "2012-03-16T07:19:57Z")
I was going to post a “ask the…” thread but I realized it would basically make me definitely identifiable, to the point someone in the right government office could go look me up. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decoy-comments/615920/11 "2012-03-16T07:39:10Z")
“Life is too short to worry about what people who don’t like you think of you.” That tired, old cliche, a staple defense of ugly fat people, is one I apply every damn day. Fuck the haters, and be yourself. Unless you really LIKE pretending to be somebody else online, in which case go for it. It takes far too much energy to lie. What if you accidentally lie about something interesting and someone questions you about it? Then you have to lie to cover up your lie, and before you know it your alter-ego is an internet celebrity. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decoy-comments/615920/12 "2012-03-16T21:50:34Z")
I simply post as if everyone is already aware of my real identity. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decoy-comments/615920/13 "2012-03-16T22:19:13Z")
I don’t lie, but I don’t reveal much about myself online in the first place. In part because I just don’t think I’m interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2012, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decoy-comments/615920/14 "2012-03-16T22:40:28Z")
> [@Antinor01](#): > > I don’t. But then I dont feel the need to be as anonymous as many people seem to. Pretty much this. I don’t even think I could lie about something like that if I wanted to. ---
**Author:** ![thelabdude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dc4da7/32.png) [@thelabdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelabdude)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2012, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decoy-comments/615920/15 "2012-03-17T00:13:33Z")
I have always thrown a few red herrings. I did have one bad experience where some witch tracked me down and gave an organization I am a part of a hard time. I think she misused her position as moderator to find me. While moderators do and should have access to your IP address, it should not be used to make trouble for those whose personal views differ from the moderator. ---
**Author:** ![florez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b9e5f3/32.png) [@florez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/florez)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2012, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decoy-comments/615920/16 "2012-03-17T00:27:38Z")
I am not all that paranoid, and it is easier to be real, or just not give TMI. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Accident](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Mr.Accident](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Accident)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2012, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decoy-comments/615920/17 "2012-03-17T01:23:56Z")
> [@Dallas\_Jones](#): > > I simply post as if everyone is already aware of my real identity. This. It’s easy to find out who the average poster is on most message boards, if you feel like putting any effort into it, so I don’t worry about it. I think I’ve posted enough about myself on this forum that you could probably pinpoint my location down to the trailer park I live in, if you were so inclined. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2012, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/decoy-comments/615920/18 "2012-03-19T01:04:29Z")
My real name is Throatwarble Mangrove. No it’s not! I lied. It’s actually Argent Foxtrot!