# If someone who knew you read a lot of your posts, would they recognize you? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 12, 2008, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-who-knew-you-read-a-lot-of-your-posts-would-they-recognize-you/448995 "2008-05-12T04:09:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-who-knew-you-read-a-lot-of-your-posts-would-they-recognize-you/448995/21 "2008-05-12T15:17:49Z")
Easily since this is my instant messaging handle as well. And my pic is linked in a coulple. But even whithout those there’s enough info in all of my posts collectively that friends and coworkers would know it’s me. Especially the ones I’ve pitted. 😉 Which is why I’ve never posted anything I wouldn’t want known. ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-who-knew-you-read-a-lot-of-your-posts-would-they-recognize-you/448995/22 "2008-05-12T15:28:53Z")
I think the combination of my username and location would be enough for anyone who knows me to identify me. ---
**Author:** ![BrknButterfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/439d5e/32.png) [@BrknButterfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrknButterfly)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-who-knew-you-read-a-lot-of-your-posts-would-they-recognize-you/448995/23 "2008-05-12T15:37:47Z")
Depends on the person… but since I took the state where I live out… it think it would be harder to figure it out. ---
**Author:** ![Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cab0a1/32.png) [@Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Man_With_a_Cat)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-who-knew-you-read-a-lot-of-your-posts-would-they-recognize-you/448995/24 "2008-05-12T15:42:15Z")
Not from a few posts, but if they read here a lot, and already knew me - no problem. ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-who-knew-you-read-a-lot-of-your-posts-would-they-recognize-you/448995/25 "2008-05-12T15:58:07Z")
It would probably take a few posts, but I’m not too hard to figure out. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-who-knew-you-read-a-lot-of-your-posts-would-they-recognize-you/448995/26 "2008-05-12T16:05:07Z")
I don’t know if many people would associate my written persona with my face-to-face self. I can be much more articulate when I can edit and revise, and I tend to keep my opinions to myself in real-life encounters because I just don’t like conflict. I’d be surprised if someone who didn’t know otherwise matched \*\*FairyChatMom \*\* to the real me. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-who-knew-you-read-a-lot-of-your-posts-would-they-recognize-you/448995/27 "2008-05-12T16:06:08Z")
If anyone cared to read through all my posts, they could track me down pretty easily. I have described where I work and my position and enough personal stuff, which pretty much eliminates plausible deniability. Probably not worth it to them. I don’t reveal much of an ultra-personal nature anyway. I’m always afraid that something I say here will come back to me from an unexpected direction. Maybe my online personality would be more interesting if I threw caution to the wind. I don’t think I’m going to try to find out. Roddy ---
**Author:** ![emmaliminal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@emmaliminal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emmaliminal)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-who-knew-you-read-a-lot-of-your-posts-would-they-recognize-you/448995/28 "2008-05-12T16:45:51Z")
I used to know \*\*Cervaise \*\*IRL and we figured out each other at the same time, about a month and a half after I joined. ---
**Author:** ![Marjorie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5ac83/32.png) [@Marjorie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marjorie)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-who-knew-you-read-a-lot-of-your-posts-would-they-recognize-you/448995/29 "2008-05-12T16:55:43Z")
I haven’t posted much, but I would still stick out. Redheaded females in midtown Atlanta that are really into German board games? Yeah, not so many. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-who-knew-you-read-a-lot-of-your-posts-would-they-recognize-you/448995/30 "2008-05-12T17:02:21Z")
It would depend on which of my posts they read. If someone connected all of the dots, it wouldn’t be hard at all (probably reading which GQ threads I posted definitive answers in would give it away, since my combination of skills and careers is rather unique). ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-who-knew-you-read-a-lot-of-your-posts-would-they-recognize-you/448995/31 "2008-05-12T17:49:39Z")
In general, probably not. But certain people reading certain threads? No doubt. ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-who-knew-you-read-a-lot-of-your-posts-would-they-recognize-you/448995/32 "2008-05-12T17:56:31Z")
Yup. I ain’t much of an enigma. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-who-knew-you-read-a-lot-of-your-posts-would-they-recognize-you/448995/33 "2008-05-12T18:04:23Z")
Easily, in fact someone did when I was very new to the board. In fact it was someone I had not seen in 21 years. It would not surprise me if a few other lurkers know me in real life and recognize me here. Jim ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-who-knew-you-read-a-lot-of-your-posts-would-they-recognize-you/448995/34 "2008-05-12T18:50:06Z")
Oh, absolutely. Chicago may be a den of sin, but there still aren’t that many herbalist neopagan poly chicks looking to enter nursing school after having a micropreemie. Actually, that micropreemie thing alone seems to be how many people I don’t know know of me. There were so many prayer and healing circles arranged on our behalf that I’m still meeting people at parties who say, “OH! Are you that person we were praying for a few years ago?” ---
**Author:** ![Omegaman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e480ec/32.png) [@Omegaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omegaman)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-who-knew-you-read-a-lot-of-your-posts-would-they-recognize-you/448995/35 "2008-05-12T20:23:25Z")
I would like to think so . I speak almost as I do here, although I take more time in my thought before I speak. This causes my wife a slight amount of distress in public as I have a fairly deep voice. Not like Johnny cash or anything but I try to speak softly for the most part. ---
**Author:** ![Martha\_Medea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/43a26b/32.png) [@Martha\_Medea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martha_Medea)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2008, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-who-knew-you-read-a-lot-of-your-posts-would-they-recognize-you/448995/36 "2008-05-12T20:31:55Z")
Yes - details about origin, location and line of work make me glaringly identifiable to anyone who knows me. When I joined, RL friend **Mighty\_Girl** rumbled me pretty sharpish too - based entirely on my writing style and choice of subject matter. ---
**Author:** ![nevermore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a587f6/32.png) [@nevermore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nevermore)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2008, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-who-knew-you-read-a-lot-of-your-posts-would-they-recognize-you/448995/37 "2008-05-13T00:34:37Z")
Doubt it. I write much prettier than I talk. If I made a conscious effort to write the way I talk, maybe, but I don’t know if I even could-- a lot of the things that come out of my mouth would make me cringe on paper. Now, if you told someone to pick out something I’d posted from things strangers had posted, they’d be a lot more likely to figure it out, but I think that’s probably true for everybody. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2008, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-who-knew-you-read-a-lot-of-your-posts-would-they-recognize-you/448995/38 "2008-05-13T00:40:17Z")
No question about it, especially once I finally got over myself and posted a picture a while back. But even without that, yes. ---
**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:** [May 13, 2008, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-who-knew-you-read-a-lot-of-your-posts-would-they-recognize-you/448995/39 "2008-05-13T00:47:32Z")
Instantly. Even my username is a dead giveaway. Kind of stupid of me, now that you mention it. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2008, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-who-knew-you-read-a-lot-of-your-posts-would-they-recognize-you/448995/40 "2008-05-13T02:37:16Z")
I’m pretty sure they would, and that would be a positive, not a negative. I know a couple of people that I’ve tried to turn on to the Dope, but so far none have become true believers. Heathen scum. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-who-knew-you-read-a-lot-of-your-posts-would-they-recognize-you/448995.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-who-knew-you-read-a-lot-of-your-posts-would-they-recognize-you/448995.md?page=3)