# Why won't you tell us where you're from? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 28, 2006, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-you-tell-us-where-youre-from/374474 "2006-09-28T06:09:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-you-tell-us-where-youre-from/374474/1 "2006-09-28T06:09:36Z")
I notice a lot of folks here - without counting I suspect it’s a majority - don’t fill in the “Location” field or put something useless but cute in there. It’s often a nuisance when someone asks a location-specific question (on legal topics for instance) and there’s no clue where they come from. So to those that do this: why? Did you just not notice that field? Are you afraid someone will be able to pin down your real identity? Just curious. ---
**Author:** ![Antigen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/848f3c/32.png) [@Antigen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antigen)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-you-tell-us-where-youre-from/374474/2 "2006-09-28T06:12:55Z")
Because it’s just something we can have fun with, I guess. Like having a clever username - why not use your real name? I change mine now and then to reflect my mood or circumstances, but whenever I ask a question that depends on my location, I’ll be sure to include my actual location within the content of the post. ---
**Author:** ![Sierra\_Indigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Sierra\_Indigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sierra_Indigo)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-you-tell-us-where-youre-from/374474/3 "2006-09-28T06:18:04Z")
'Coz I was feeling flippant when I filled out my profile details, and can’t be arsed changing it back. Whenever I ask or answer a question that’s location specific, however, I will still put down where I’m basing my info on. Even with the location field, people still don’t always understand where it is you’re talking about (look at the amount of times **FlyingRamenMonster** gets given US-specific info because her location says Perth WA). ---
**Author:** ![Campion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@Campion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Campion)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-you-tell-us-where-youre-from/374474/4 "2006-09-28T06:42:41Z")
[QUOTE=Askance] Are you afraid someone will be able to pin down your real identity? Just curious. [/QUOTE] Exactly! No, the truth is, I see so many people with clever things in their “Location” field, and I think, “Hey! I’m clever! I should put something clever there…” [Long pause while I try to think of something clever] “Okay, let’s just leave it blank.” For what it’s worth, I’m currently an Angeleno. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-you-tell-us-where-youre-from/374474/5 "2006-09-28T07:17:25Z")
[QUOTE=Campion] No, the truth is, I see so many people with clever things in their “Location” field, and I think, “Hey! I’m clever! I should put something clever there…” [Long pause while I try to think of something clever] “Okay, let’s just leave it blank.” [/QUOTE] Exactly. And by _actually posting your real location_, you would be clever beyond clever by deconstructing the attempts of the board’s various aspiring comedians in a post-modern style. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-you-tell-us-where-youre-from/374474/6 "2006-09-28T07:33:06Z")
And some of us post from several continents a month. Location is pretty meaningless 😛 ---
**Author:** ![lavenderviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cdc98d/32.png) [@lavenderviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lavenderviolet)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-you-tell-us-where-youre-from/374474/7 "2006-09-28T07:41:57Z")
I guess for me it _is_ partly a privacy thing. Someone who already knows you might be able to recognize you based on very little information. I’d prefer to avoid that if possible, so I feel in most cases that knowing I’m American is sufficient. 🙂 I would certainly mention my location for questions where it was relevant…but fortunately so far haven’t felt the need to do so. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-you-tell-us-where-youre-from/374474/8 "2006-09-28T11:26:50Z")
[QUOTE=Askance] So to those that do this: why? Did you just not notice that field? Are you afraid someone will be able to pin down your real identity? Just curious. [/QUOTE] This is why I only put my state. There are over a million people in New Hampshire, but only a few thousand in my town. I think a lot of people are more concerned about being tracked down by the unsavory than being “outed,” honestly. A whole lot more people read this board than post, so you never know that everyone is safe. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-you-tell-us-where-youre-from/374474/9 "2006-09-28T11:32:42Z")
[QUOTE=Campion] No, the truth is, I see so many people with clever things in their “Location” field, and I think, “Hey! I’m clever! I should put something clever there…” [Long pause while I try to think of something clever] “Okay, let’s just leave it blank.” [/QUOTE] Yeah, that’s my reality, too. I always include my location when pertinent to a post. Heck, I’ve given my neighborhood and major intersection. I’m not worried about being outed - I’m just as TMI in real life. I just don’t have anything clever to say. And my daddy taught me if you don’t have anything clever to say…you should go ask your mother. But she was no help, either. ---
**Author:** ![Eureka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/74df32/32.png) [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-you-tell-us-where-youre-from/374474/10 "2006-09-28T13:06:25Z")
Another vote for not being clever enough to come up with something clever. And frankly, there is a bit of validity to the notion that I don’t want anyone to know I’m me . . . so sometimes I don’t answer questions to which I have an insight based on where I live or have lived. And yes, I have revealed an assortment of information about me which would allow people with access to certain paper documents\* to figure out who I am --but they’d have a hard time figuring out where I am now from those. I’m also kind of lazy and so don’t spend much time thinking about changing my location field. And frankly, I like the clever answers better. Nothing wrong with real info, but you’ll find real info on me in odd places, not my location field. If I ask or answer a question where location matters, I’ll usually provide enough information for that question in the text of the post. \*Certain paper documents. Yearbooks, student directories, maybe even the program from a particular musical ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-you-tell-us-where-youre-from/374474/11 "2006-09-28T13:16:02Z")
If you examine my posts & get to know me, you’ll find out where I live. My _Location_ describes my community in a spiritual sense. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Carl\_Corey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Carl\_Corey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carl_Corey)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-you-tell-us-where-youre-from/374474/12 "2006-09-28T13:19:37Z")
Because I don’t want my dear brother Eric to find me. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Greenback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/2bfe46/32.png) [@Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greenback)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-you-tell-us-where-youre-from/374474/13 "2006-09-28T13:22:30Z")
[QUOTE=Carl Corey] Because I don’t want my dear brother Eric to find me. 😉 [/QUOTE] That’s it. We need a tinfoil hat smiley. ---
**Author:** ![Lionne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Lionne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lionne)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-you-tell-us-where-youre-from/374474/14 "2006-09-28T13:36:25Z")
Because my location is easily figured out by viewing my profile links. I, too, can’t think of anything clever, so I just like to remind myself that I’m right where I want to be at this particular time in life. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Weird\_One](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@The\_Weird\_One](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Weird_One)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-you-tell-us-where-youre-from/374474/15 "2006-09-28T13:43:37Z")
Because simply entering Arlington, MA seems so boring. And 99% of the time, where I live is irrelevant. So I tried to split the difference between informative and clever: Boston is nicknamed The Hub, and Arlington is a suburb (kinda) of Boston. I realize that many people on the board, especially those outside the U.S., probably don’t “get it,” but I’m fond of it. And as others have said, when location _is_ relevant, I mention where I am, or what knowledge I have of that place. I grew up in Milwaukee and went to college in Baltimore, so I occasionally participate in threads about those cities, too. ---
**Author:** ![Subway\_Prophet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecb155/32.png) [@Subway\_Prophet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Subway_Prophet)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-you-tell-us-where-youre-from/374474/16 "2006-09-28T13:44:22Z")
I don’t put my location because in reality it’s pretty damn boring. I don’t put where I’m _from_ because that’s a too-long and too-boring story that would fill at least three paragraphs. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-you-tell-us-where-youre-from/374474/17 "2006-09-28T13:52:44Z")
> [@](#): > > That’s it. We need a tinfoil hat smiley. This whole board is a tinfoil hat smiley. ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-you-tell-us-where-youre-from/374474/18 "2006-09-28T13:55:59Z")
Because I talk about where I am all the time - if I listed in the “location” spot it would be redundant. Besides, I’m clever. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-you-tell-us-where-youre-from/374474/19 "2006-09-28T13:57:55Z")
Because I ga-ron-tee you haven’t heard of the place I live in now. There’s less than 10,000 people in an entire county the size of Indianapolis. My way is much more fun… ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-you-tell-us-where-youre-from/374474/20 "2006-09-28T14:07:15Z")
It’s not any big secret where I’m from (Carlisle, Pennsylvania, BTW). I simply chose to append a bit of personality to the location field. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-you-tell-us-where-youre-from/374474.md?page=2)