# Secretive profiles. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 3, 2000, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secretive-profiles/8034 "2000-03-03T01:53:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2000, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secretive-profiles/8034/1 "2000-03-03T01:53:00Z")
Why do so many Dopers omit or disguise information in their profiles? Most often is seems to be “occupation” and "location. Noboby, generally, knows who you are anyway. I like to read the profiles. They add color and substance to the people I’m interacting with, and they help me to understand where that person is coming from. I personally wouldn’t mind if “gender” and “age” were added. Of course I think that all the catagories should remain optional. I simply wonder why people are reluctant to give this info. Just curious. 🙂 Peace, mangeorge * * * I only know two things; I know what I need to know And I know what I want to know Mangeorge, 2000 ---
**Author:** ![aha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/eada6e/32.png) [@aha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aha)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2000, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secretive-profiles/8034/2 "2000-03-03T02:04:00Z")
I don’t mind giving most of the information out to the public. I think age is kinda misleading on these message boards because sometimes it automatically puts you sight unseen into a catagory that you may not belong in. Shees I am really tired I hope that made sense…::yawn:: * * * Yours truly, aha ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2000, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secretive-profiles/8034/3 "2000-03-03T02:09:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by mangeorge: > I simply wonder why people are reluctant to give this info. Maybe some of us want to keep the all-powerful state from spying on us, you commie pinko. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2000, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secretive-profiles/8034/4 "2000-03-03T02:11:00Z")
No, actually, I don’t (for example) put a link to my home page, because that has my address and phone number, and if I post to MPSIMS “I’m going on vacation for three weeks” there might be someone who would decide to take advantage of my absence. As far as not putting what your real career/interests are, I think that’s pretty harmless and could be put there. ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2000, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secretive-profiles/8034/5 "2000-03-03T02:31:00Z")
No no, Arnold, I wouldn’t put a link to my address or anything like that. Just the general geographic location. I’m not _that_ dumb, you fascist. Peace, mangeorge (Leftist pinko rabble rouser) ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2000, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secretive-profiles/8034/6 "2000-03-03T02:40:00Z")
Because if it were ever generally known that I’m a really a sixth grade student from Marquette, Michigan, I feel it would hurt my credibility. 🙂 - Rick ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2000, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secretive-profiles/8034/7 "2000-03-03T02:53:00Z")
Well, some of them are not so much disguised as smart-ass. Not that I would ever do something like that in my profile. * * * Your Official Cat Goddess since 10/20/99. _SD chat:_ **\** Kat’s here! the board must be down! ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2000, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secretive-profiles/8034/8 "2000-03-03T04:28:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Because if it were ever generally known that I’m a really a sixth grade student from Marquette, Michigan, I feel it would hurt my credibility. I dunno. I think we could probably deal with a sixth grade student poster. (Your _other_ problem would be harder to overcome, of course.) ---
**Author:** ![seriousart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@seriousart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seriousart)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2000, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secretive-profiles/8034/9 "2000-03-03T06:24:00Z")
Personally I wonder about usernames. Seems kinda silly, huh? I understand the whole honesty through by being anonymous thing, but sometimes it just seems a bit much. Like we’re all a bunch of superheroes with secret identities. Superheroes who are neglecting they’re duties of protecting their fellow man by spending all their time on the net. Although I suppose we could all be super-villans… that would make sense… Its a bird… It’s a plane… It’s seriousartman! whooosh. ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2000, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secretive-profiles/8034/10 "2000-03-03T06:56:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Why do so many Dopers omit or disguise information in their profiles? I’d say it’s a mixture of semi-unreasonable paranoia and sheer laziness. * * * I am the user formerly known as puffington. ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2000, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/secretive-profiles/8034/11 "2000-03-03T14:52:00Z")
This one seems to have run its course, but it belongs in ATMB anyway. Perhaps someone there will have something to add. * * * [Change Your Password, Please](http://204.95.48.199/cgi-bin/ubbcgi/ubbmisc.cgi?action=getannounce&ForumNumber=3&Start=2451545.99&End=2451911&Session=2451598.1854) and don’t use HTML, as it has been disabled