# Question re email address and anonymity

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-re-email-address-and-anonymity/537780>\
**Category:** About This Message Board\
**Created:** [April 29, 2010, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-re-email-address-and-anonymity/537780 "2010-04-29T19:45:02Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Wakinyan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wakinyan/32/352_2.png) [@Wakinyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wakinyan)\
**Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-re-email-address-and-anonymity/537780/1 "2010-04-29T19:45:02Z")

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The email address I put into my profile (“User CP”), can anybody but me see it?

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**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\
**Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-re-email-address-and-anonymity/537780/2 "2010-04-29T20:14:32Z")

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You’ve set your email address to be hidden from members and guests. Only mods and admins can view your email address under your current settings.

- **xash**  
Administrator

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**Author:** ![Wakinyan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wakinyan/32/352_2.png) [@Wakinyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wakinyan)\
**Post date:** [April 29, 2010, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-re-email-address-and-anonymity/537780/3 "2010-04-29T20:18:39Z")

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Thanks!

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**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\
**Post date:** [April 30, 2010, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-re-email-address-and-anonymity/537780/4 "2010-04-30T00:22:13Z")

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It’s also trivial to set up a gmail account as some version of **sdmbusername at gmail dot com**. No need to use your “real” e-mail address, and anonymity preserved.

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**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\
**Post date:** [May 3, 2010, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-re-email-address-and-anonymity/537780/5 "2010-05-03T22:04:29Z")

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However, do be sure that it’s an email address where you can (from time to time) check the email, rather than just an empty address that you never use.

On occasion, the mods have had a problem (wondering if someone’s userid has been hacked, for instance; or wanting to discuss something privately) and email is the way we go. If we send you an email asking to please not do blah blah again, and you don’t see the email…

Also, of course, you need to use your email address for anything when you want to “prove” that it’s you – e.g., request for username change.

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**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\
**Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-re-email-address-and-anonymity/537780/6 "2010-05-04T01:33:57Z")

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Oh, yes, of course. I have my SDMB e-mail account forwarded to my “real” one.