# The real life of posters: Private or public? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [February 19, 2013, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-life-of-posters-private-or-public/650798 "2013-02-19T15:40:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2013, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-life-of-posters-private-or-public/650798/21 "2013-02-19T17:41:50Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > All good suggestions. And **Czarcasm** , **Really Not All That Bright** ’s post isn’t a defense of “stalking,” however you’re defining that. It’s a suggestion that posters who are concerned about their privacy should be careful about the information they make available. I got that from the post, and it’s cetainly true, but in this thread I’m concerned about an attitude from some here that all’s fair and on the table when disagreeing with another poster. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2013, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-life-of-posters-private-or-public/650798/22 "2013-02-19T17:49:03Z")
Lest there be any confusion, I am officially opposed to stalking other posters\*, regardless of whether you disagree with them. Also, **Simple Linctus** went way over the line by initiating off-board contact. \*Disclosure: I am Facebook friends with a number of posters here, and “real life” friends with some of those people and some other posters. I assume that doesn’t count as stalking since they accepted my friend requests or friend requested me, and don’t scream and call the police when we go out for beers and stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2013, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-life-of-posters-private-or-public/650798/23 "2013-02-19T17:50:03Z")
Duplicate post. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2013, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-life-of-posters-private-or-public/650798/24 "2013-02-19T17:50:35Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Lest there be any confusion, I am officially opposed to stalking other posters\*, regardless of whether you disagree with them. Also, **Simple Linctus** went way over the line by initiating off-board contact. > > \*Disclosure: I am Facebook friends with a number of posters here, and “real life” friends with some of those people and some other posters. I assume that doesn’t count as stalking since they accepted my friend requests or friend requested me, and don’t scream and call the police when we go out for beers and stuff. A proper friend waits until the tab is paid before calling the police. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2013, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-life-of-posters-private-or-public/650798/25 "2013-02-19T17:54:13Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > I got that from the post, and it’s cetainly true, but in this thread I’m concerned about an attitude from some here that all’s fair and on the table when disagreeing with another poster. I’m not suggesting it’s fair game and we don’t encourage it. I’m acknowledging that this stuff happens online and that posters should be circumspect for that reason. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2013, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-life-of-posters-private-or-public/650798/26 "2013-02-19T18:02:10Z")
My apologies for reversing myself and for perhaps underreacting to the phone call incident. **Simple Linctus** has been suspended indefinitely while the staff decides what to do about his attempt to contact **pchaos** ’ office. ---
**Author:** ![Garfield226](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Garfield226](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garfield226)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2013, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-life-of-posters-private-or-public/650798/27 "2013-02-19T18:18:40Z")
If we’re operating under precedent, it’s 30 days suspension and welcomed back with loving arms, right? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2013, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-life-of-posters-private-or-public/650798/28 "2013-02-19T18:19:39Z")
> [@Garfield226](#): > > If we’re operating under precedent, it’s 30 days suspension and welcomed back with loving arms, right? This will be the one post where I strongly advise everybody to stick to the actual thread topic. ---
**Author:** ![Garfield226](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Garfield226](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garfield226)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2013, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-life-of-posters-private-or-public/650798/29 "2013-02-19T18:20:44Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > This will be the one post where I strongly advise everybody to stick to the actual thread topic. Isn’t the thread topic what the punishment should be for looking into a poster’s private life? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2013, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-life-of-posters-private-or-public/650798/30 "2013-02-19T18:25:19Z")
> [@Garfield226](#): > > Isn’t the thread topic what the punishment should be for looking into a poster’s private life? No. It’s about posting that information on this board, not the act of looking for that information. Like I said, your next post about this hijack - or any comments posts by anyone else furthering this hijack - will result in warnings. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2013, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-life-of-posters-private-or-public/650798/31 "2013-02-19T18:25:37Z")
_Simulposted with Marley’s warning and removed._ ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2013, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-life-of-posters-private-or-public/650798/32 "2013-02-19T18:29:24Z")
I don’t share the outrage. (Although, I do agree it shouldn’t be done.) I don’t see the need for discipline in the form of suspension or banning. There wasn’t a clear violation of any rule. How is this different than looking for information about \*\*umkay’s \*\*funeral? My opinion, tell \*\*Simple Linctus \*\*this wasn’t cool and move on. ---
**Author:** ![Garfield226](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Garfield226](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garfield226)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2013, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-life-of-posters-private-or-public/650798/33 "2013-02-19T18:31:54Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > No. It’s about posting that information on this board, not the act of looking for that information. Like I said, your next post about this hijack - or any comments posts by anyone else furthering this hijack - will result in warnings. So which of “that information” did SL post on this board that warrants the suspension? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2013, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-life-of-posters-private-or-public/650798/34 "2013-02-19T18:37:35Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > I don’t share the outrage. (Although, I do agree it shouldn’t be done.) I don’t see the need for discipline in the form of suspension or banning. There wasn’t a clear violation of any rule. How is this different than looking for information about \*\*umkay’s \*\*funeral? Because looking for information isn’t the same as calling someone’s home or place as business. That’s much more intrusive. > [@Garfield226](#): > > So which of “that information” did SL post on this board that warrants the suspension? He’s being suspended while we decide how to handle his phone call to **pchaos** ’ office (or what he believed might be **pchaos** ’ office). The thread is about that issue and about disclosing posters’ potential real-life information. ---
**Author:** ![Garfield226](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Garfield226](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garfield226)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2013, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-life-of-posters-private-or-public/650798/35 "2013-02-19T18:38:47Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > He’s being suspended while we decide how to handle his phone call to **pchaos** ’ office (or what he believed might be **pchaos** ’ office). The thread is about that issue and about disclosing posters’ potential real-life information. So to be clear, you’re saying SL didn’t post any of that information on this board? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2013, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-life-of-posters-private-or-public/650798/36 "2013-02-19T18:39:12Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > How is this different than looking for information about \*\*umkay’s \*\*funeral? I didn’t really participate in that whole shitstorm but I imagine nobody contacted **umkay** ’s “relatives” and left voicemails. What if the dude he contacted isn’t even the right guy? ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2013, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-life-of-posters-private-or-public/650798/37 "2013-02-19T18:42:26Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Is there an official policy concerning the gathering and releasing of personal information about another poster without their permission? If not, shouldn’t there be? When you figure out how to make it apply to Google, Facebook and Acxiom, let me know. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2013, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-life-of-posters-private-or-public/650798/38 "2013-02-19T18:45:33Z")
> [@Garfield226](#): > > So to be clear, you’re saying SL didn’t post any of that information on this board? You would know the answer if you’d read the Pit thread or paid attention to this one. If you haven’t done that, feel free to bow out of this discussion. If you have a real question after you’ve looked at the Pitting and reviewed this thread, you can post it. If you just have snark, don’t bother. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2013, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-life-of-posters-private-or-public/650798/39 "2013-02-19T18:45:48Z")
> [@NitroPress](#): > > When you figure out how to make it apply to Google, Facebook and Acxiom, let me know. When you figure out I was talking about SDMB policy and not the entire internet, let me know. ---
**Author:** ![Garfield226](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Garfield226](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Garfield226)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2013, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-life-of-posters-private-or-public/650798/40 "2013-02-19T18:50:15Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > You would know the answer if you’d read the Pit thread or paid attention to this one. Marley, you’ve stated that the purpose of this thread is to talk about personal information posted to this board. You announced SL’s suspension in this thread. I am asking you a direct question: Did SL post personal information to the board? You’re refusing to answer me. You can answer, or you can let your stubbornness be on full display. Which one will you choose? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-life-of-posters-private-or-public/650798.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-real-life-of-posters-private-or-public/650798.md?page=3)