I understand the OP’s position. I’ve had two “close calls” over the years that gave me pause:
Many years ago I asked a question in a forum I was very active in (not the SDMB). I asked about a certain device. One of the replies I got said something like “I have one of those, you can borrow it if you’d like. I think we work in the same building.”
More recently I was at a friend’s house and used the facilities. She had a Straight Dope book in there as bathroom reading material. I was low-key horrified at the possibility that she and I had unknowingly interacted on the Dope.
I knew this one! Not because I’ve ever wanted to use it; I read and post on my phone and I’ve fat-thumbed the Reply arrow so many times that I know what all the little icons do now.
Aw, thanks! I’ll probably be back to my normal posting levels soon. My kids, I think, have already lost whatever interest they had in my SD identity. As one kid said, “I thought I’d find out you had a second family or something. But it’s mostly boring stuff about recipes and politics”. Hmmm…that might make an appropriate user slogan for me-- Mostly boring stuff about recipes and politics
Haha, or maybe this one for a user slogan. Or I’ll get my username changed to ‘sofound’.
I’ve shared a few discussions from here with my wife and children both to get their thoughts. One son joined a conversation briefly at my suggestion. I do not consider this anonymous in any way. Of course I am sure I have said embarrassing things here; but I do that everywhere!
I also have had cause to think it would be nice have an anonymous option for subjects I would not want to share with all and sundry. But I get why there is not. So I am left with discussing those with a few people IRL instead!
Side note, as a fellow sufferer, if touch-screens remain what they are for another generation or so, I fully expect a wave of “thumb-thinning” elective surgery to be a new fad.
I mostly lurk, but post occasionally. I don’t think I’d be upset if people in my family tracked me down. My wife at least knows I read and post here, I often mention things I read or show her interesting posts, sometimes she asks me what people here think about some issue. But she hasn’t shown any interest in joining and has sites she participates in that I haven’t gotten involved in (some subreddits, comments sections on some newpaper websites).
The curious thing is that she had a stronger connection to the 'Dope than I did, originally: When we met in Chicago, she was a freelance contributor to the Reader and Cecil consulted her once about a column he was writing.
I use motu throughout the interwebs and I have generally done a good job of not leaving anything I wouldn’t want others to see. I do have one other “handle” that I use that is not motu. It is from my first home online and my name would not make sense elsewhere. Also, I think I recognize a couple of posters here from other sites though I never felt a need to confirm.
I assumed it was like “soloist” but with a missing letter.
