Yep, but not because of privacy concerns. Like tashabot, WYSIWYG, nothing to hide.
The reason I don’t tell others about the Dope is because I might want to talk-bitch-rant about those people someday, and because I’m an idiot, my username is the same everywhere I go.
When I share something I’ve read here, it’s from “a message board where I hang out sometimes.”
People in meatspace (even at work) have been calling me “Mudd” for almost twenty years, now – so “working out” my SDMB handle isn’t an issue.
I still don’t mind directing people here, though. I’m pretty up-front about most stuff, anyway. That said, although the three women I’ve gone out with since I’ve been posting here have all known of the SDMB through a few choice threads, I always take it on “faith” that it would never catch their interest enough that they would ever consider paying for membership*, and I never leave myself logged into a common computer. I’m somewhat glad that the search function isn’t publicly available.
Yes, I frequently bet that the ability to easily “stalk” me is valued by someone as less than $14.95.
*I’ve long since stopped being mystified when people perceive the SDMB less as an endlessly fascinating and stimulating phenomenon worthy of a prominent place near the center of your personality and life than as a bunch of geeks with too much time on their hands shooting the shit about trivialities. People just don’t understand.
Anyway, the SDMB is the least of my worries when it comes to message board privacy. The only other board I post regularly at is b3ta.com – and it’s mostly safe – posting graphics and commenting on others’ – very superficial.
I just noticed recently, though – a relatively new feature added to the “profile” page (mine is totally neglected) indexes your most “popular” answers to the “Question of the Week” from the newsletter. I guess there’s a point where my colourful past and what tickles the funnybone of b3tans intersects, because my most “popular” answers have a common thread running through them (can you spot it?) almost to a one. Out of dozens and dozens, these rose to the top. :smack: The voting of b3tans selected for stuff that I probably don’t want people who casually know me to come across and put it all on one convenient page.
D’oh!
I generally don’t mix my gimmicks. I use a variety of usernames in different circles, and people that know me from one board are generally not told about my other identities. Someone that knows me well could probably glean enough from my posts to determine that “Oakminster” at SDMB is also “X” at Y messageboard, but I kinda doubt anyone cares.
Well, since no one is exactly saluting the flag…
But why not? Technical feasibility, or worry about losing control when there are anonymous posts?
Can you imagine the anonymous sniping that would take place in the Pit? Or the impossibility of debating with someone in GD when you can’t tell which of the anonymous posts were made by the same posters? I think the chaos that would ensue would be far worse than the potential gains from being able to post on TMI subjects anonymously.
A slightly better option might be to allow posts that would be anonymous to people who were not paying members- that might save someone whose boss took a look. Still, though, I don’t see that happening- it’s a bit of a strange idea.
When talking about the dope it is “something I read on the internet”. I’ve got into heated arguments with some people and had to link to Cecil’s column, but none of them found out about the message board. If anyone were to ever find out about the board I would just tell them that I don’t have a membership here.
I would like to tell everyone, but society is very judgmental. I don’t think “I was just curious” would be a satisfactory answer to why I posted some of the questions I asked here. It is nice to have a place were I can ask questions without dealing with people who judge my motives.
No, besides Suburban Plankton, to whom I am married, none of my friends or family are aware of the SDMB. I am Rhiannon8404 pretty much everywhere on the web, so if someone stumbled across it and recognizes me, well, whatever. Only occasionally do I post something I really don’t want certain people IRL to know about. It’s more that I like having a forum that is separate from the rest of my life.
There are, however, a few people here that I have seen on other message boards. That’s kinda cool.
My students know of this place, but only the archives. They know I frequent a message board, and I will sometimes post a question they ask me to GQ. But they don’t know my screen-name, or the wierdness that sometimes occurs here. My wife is a charter member, but rarely posts. To my friends, this is “a place I go on the Web.”
I think GD is a forum where anonymous posts are not allowed. I can’t think of any threads where they would be useful. Remember,. the OP gets the option of allowing them or not in a thread, and I’d guess the vast majority of threads would proceed as now.
As for the Pit - I’m not sure how it would be worse than the current named sniping.