# Have you ever revealed your real life identity here in your posts? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 22, 2013, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-revealed-your-real-life-identity-here-in-your-posts/653624 "2013-03-22T12:32:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![fisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@fisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fisha)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2013, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-revealed-your-real-life-identity-here-in-your-posts/653624/81 "2013-03-25T16:56:27Z")
> [@Silophant](#): > > 1. I’ve never dropped my real name, but only because it’s never been relevant. You could figure out who I am with a bit of work, since I’ve definitely said where I go to school, and I have a unique major combination. If a Twin Cities Dopefest happens, I’ll be glad to go. Your wish is my command. > **[Twin Cities Dopefest?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=686082)** > > It’s been a while since our last get together. I’m tired of this winter, and I’m tired of having to hop on a plane to meet other dopers when we have so many in the area. I’ve seen a couple of noobs posting, too. Let’s shoot for end of April, very... ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2013, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-revealed-your-real-life-identity-here-in-your-posts/653624/82 "2013-03-25T17:36:01Z")
I’m more out than I wish I was. Partly because I’ve met a couple hundred other dopers in real life and partly because I used to be too casual about revealing personal information here. I still do the former but I’ve cut back on the latter. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2013, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-revealed-your-real-life-identity-here-in-your-posts/653624/83 "2013-03-26T05:37:57Z")
If someone knows my e-mail address, they can find me here. IOW-I’m fairly easy to find, though I dunno why you’d want to. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2013, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-revealed-your-real-life-identity-here-in-your-posts/653624/84 "2013-03-26T05:46:27Z")
> [@etv78](#): > > If someone knows my e-mail address, they can find me here. IOW-I’m fairly easy to find, though I dunno why you’d want to. Buck up Champ! 🙂 You’re probably not as bad IRL. ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2013, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-revealed-your-real-life-identity-here-in-your-posts/653624/85 "2013-03-26T06:01:08Z")
I guess I’m easy but no one cares. I’ve published some magazine articles dealing with various aspects of a product I once loved to distraction. There was a thread, IIRC, where some of us posted clues as to our real names. I gave enough information that a deaf, dumb, blind person could identify me. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2013, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-revealed-your-real-life-identity-here-in-your-posts/653624/86 "2013-03-26T06:27:54Z")
If you read my posts and did about 15 seconds of detective work you would have my name and my place of employment. ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2013, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-revealed-your-real-life-identity-here-in-your-posts/653624/87 "2013-03-26T07:46:24Z")
Yes, I have shared enough to be identified and found irl. Had the boards been Google indexed when I first started posting, I may have done things differently. No big deal. ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2013, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-revealed-your-real-life-identity-here-in-your-posts/653624/88 "2013-03-26T13:00:58Z")
Eh, I’ve said enough that someone who knew me RL could narrow down who I am, and I’ve avoided posting certain things for that reason. I may have a reason in a couple of months to post about something that could pinpoint me fairly precisely, but I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2013, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-revealed-your-real-life-identity-here-in-your-posts/653624/89 "2013-04-01T11:13:11Z")
If anyone cared to (but no one does or would), they could figure me out from my username, location(s), and the part of my username which isn’t my name – because my primary location implies affiliation with a certain institution, and the non-real-name portion of my username implies affiliation with a specific part of that institution. But I’m sure nobody cares, so none of this would matter, even if I did care about preventing being “outed,” which I don’t! (Actually, now that I’m looking for a long-term job, the more “out” the better, especially among a group of generally smart – or at least well-informed – folks like yourselves. Thanks for letting us dipshits play in your sandbox! 😉 ) ETA: I realized that my primary location is a state, not a city, and thus too vague to imply the institution I alluded to – BUT it wouldn’t be hard for someone who knows Kansas to guess that someone in Kansas who spends time in Mexico and New York (and who is a Doper) quite likely lives in one particular city. (Again, IF anyone cared – which they don’t, nor should they. \) ---
**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2013, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-revealed-your-real-life-identity-here-in-your-posts/653624/90 "2013-04-01T15:00:18Z")
It wouldn’t be too difficult starting off with my user name to figure out my IRL name. One of my short stories was published in an issue of Teemings, and it used my IRL name. It’s probably mentioned in my posts. Working the other way, starting with my IRL name, I think it would be extremely difficult to link me here, which is how I would rather it be. ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2013, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-revealed-your-real-life-identity-here-in-your-posts/653624/91 "2013-04-01T16:31:37Z")
Definitely a 1. I’m JSexton everywhere on the internet, my full name is my email address, I post my city. That’s all been true since the late eighties. I guess I have never seen any need for anonymity. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2013, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-revealed-your-real-life-identity-here-in-your-posts/653624/92 "2013-04-01T16:51:56Z")
**JKM** -Assume you live in the “Little Apple”, and work for KSU? ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2013, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-revealed-your-real-life-identity-here-in-your-posts/653624/93 "2013-04-01T16:52:15Z")
I’m already sort of “out”, in that I’ve chosen a username which is my name plus the first initial of my last name. Sometimes I wish I’d chosen a name I could more easily hide behind. I’m less frightened about someone on the SDMB finding out my real identity, than I am of someone from my “real life” finding my posts here on the board. ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2013, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-revealed-your-real-life-identity-here-in-your-posts/653624/94 "2013-04-01T17:01:02Z")
Easy 1. I’ve been to dopefests, given my name freely on here many times, and am friends with a lot of dopers on Facebook and Steam (both of which use my real name). So if you’re trying to remember who that “Chris Nealon” is on Facebook, it’s me. : p ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2013, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-revealed-your-real-life-identity-here-in-your-posts/653624/95 "2013-04-01T17:06:56Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > I suspect if you go over all my posts you could ascertain who I am. Same here. Someone would have to work at it, but I’m sure they could figure out who I was if it was that important to them. Plus I’ve attended a fair number of Dopefests, so a bunch of Dopers know my real name through those get-togethers. ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2013, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-revealed-your-real-life-identity-here-in-your-posts/653624/96 "2013-04-01T18:21:41Z")
> [@Idle\_Thoughts](#): > > Easy 1. > I’ve been to dopefests, given my name freely on here many times, and am friends with a lot of dopers on Facebook and Steam (both of which use my real name). > So if you’re trying to remember who that “Chris Nealon” is on Facebook, it’s me. : p Come to think of it, I recently joined a SDMB group on Facebook. People can easily figure out who I am through that. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2013, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-revealed-your-real-life-identity-here-in-your-posts/653624/97 "2013-04-01T18:49:57Z")
I’ve never revealed my real name to anyone, and I don’t think anybody has really cared. I suppose that, over the years, I’ve revealed JUST enough about myself that someone who was dying to figure out who I am could have pieced it together. But again, I’d be astonished if anyone cared all that much. That MAY change shortly. I haven’t made a formal announcement, but I was a \*\*\*Jeopardy! \*\*\*contestant in December, and I will on the air fairly soon. If I announce when it airs, and if anyone is interested enough to watch, the jig will be up. ---
**Author:** ![Who\_me\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/958977/32.png) [@Who\_me\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Who_me_1)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2013, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-revealed-your-real-life-identity-here-in-your-posts/653624/98 "2013-04-02T20:10:25Z")
Although I never have really posted often here, I’ve met Dopers and I believe posted my name here. I’m not really worried about staying anonymous, but I doubt anyone would care. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2013, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-revealed-your-real-life-identity-here-in-your-posts/653624/99 "2013-04-02T21:00:18Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > I’ve never revealed my real name to anyone, and I don’t think anybody has really cared. > > I suppose that, over the years, I’ve revealed JUST enough about myself that someone who was dying to figure out who I am could have pieced it together. But again, I’d be astonished if anyone cared all that much. > > That MAY change shortly. I haven’t made a formal announcement, but I was a \*\*\*Jeopardy! \*\*\*contestant in December, and I will on the air fairly soon. If I announce when it airs, and if anyone is interested enough to watch, the jig will be up. I decided not to reveal that I am Ken Jennings. ---
**Author:** ![LavenderBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e95f7d/32.png) [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2013, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-revealed-your-real-life-identity-here-in-your-posts/653624/100 "2013-04-02T21:14:37Z")
I linked to a book I co-wrote with fellow Doper so if you cared to look you could find it very easily. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-revealed-your-real-life-identity-here-in-your-posts/653624.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-revealed-your-real-life-identity-here-in-your-posts/653624.md?page=6)