I forgot to say: I added “PNW, USA” because of these location complaints. At very least, everyone knows where the USA is. Of those, I’m fairly confident that I good percentage realize that “PNW” is a common abbreviation for the Pacific Northwest of the USA.
[QUOTE=Bippy the Beardless]
What’ve you got to complain about, you live in Hawaii, just shut up will ya’
Is that what you wanted 
[/QUOTE]
But, but, but no Target?
[QUOTE=The Weird One]
I think a lot of it comes down to, those of us who don’t explicitly state our location just aren’t that bothered by not knowing where other people are. I don’t understand why some of you feel so strongly about this issue. You keep saying that we’re not being clever, and yet there are a number of posters whose joke locations I find amusing and/or clever. Who is it that has “Location: BEHIND YOU!”? I think I laugh every time I see that.
[/QUOTE]
I like the poster with Location: Location: Location:
I find several funny and many interesting. I knew **Weird One’s ** right away, living in MA before, and I like figuring out where an unusual location could be.
I think I’m being fairly precise about my location 
All right, I am a Philadoper.
Let me explain my earlier post in this thread. It was a joke involving my username. Those who get the name would understand it. My other choice was “walking the shadows”, and I may switch to that at some point.
Now if someone asks a question in which their location is germane, I can understand why that would be annoying. But if the location is not relevant, tough noogies. It is that doper’s perogative as to how much information they want to share. I can’t understand getting annoyed by it on general principles. And yes, I find some of the “joke” locations funny.
Well, mine should be enough to tell what state I’m in, at least. My only peeve is that I had to abbreviate it, because the whole phrase wouldn’t fit in the field.
I changed it from a previous one that just became less and less current as the years went by. (This one’s starting to get a little dated, too).
[QUOTE=Yookeroo]
To those of you who think you’re being clever: you’re not.
To those of you who think we should know where you are based on previous posts: we don’t.
To those of you who are afraid to post too much info about yourselves: I can kind of understand this, but really, would it be so bad to give us the state/county/region/country without getting too specific?
Knowing where a person is from can give a little bit more context. I know many of you are giving us that info when you feel it’s relevant to the specific topic, but there are times when it’s not directly relevant, yet would still be helpful to know.
[/QUOTE]
I am afraid to post too much info about myself because I am afraid of lurkers (sorry, benign lurkers) and guests who do not feel kindly disposed to me (because naturally, all Dopers must be kindly disposed to me, is it not so?). I fear that one of these people, in a bad mood or in a moment of actual offense at the things I say, might track me down and report to my employers that I am dispensing advice combined with snarky humor on a message board. When you work for the government, having a known sense of humor, in public, can get you fired. I am very grateful for the shield of anonymity provided by “gabriela”. It allows me to talk about my profession and tell stories that otherwise would be restricted to the few people inside my profession who are within the reach of speech.
If you read my posts, you may notice I never give any names, remove identifying details from my stories as best I can, only discuss cases that have been adjudicated, do my best not to give a clue where I live and work, and never post a photo that is not freely available to the wide world on the Internet… and even so, never from one of my cases. That is because I am discreet and cautious, and aware of my obligations as a physician to the dead. Also, if anyone ever does track me down, I don’t want to get fired.
And you think I could post my state and you wouldn’t be able to find me? I disagree. There are fewer than 20 people in my line of business in virtually every state in the country.
Sorry if it’s your pet peeve. But my location field is going to remain blank.
Gabriela, happily employed in forensic pathology, and not about to give that up for a message board
[QUOTE=ltfire]
Feel free to GOOGLE mine.
[/QUOTE]
You mean someone does not know the most famous address in sports? 
I think my location narrows it down enough. Specifying the town is not too helpful, it is a smallish suburban town and I had room left over to identify my primary geekdom. Dozens of posters know where I live anyway.
[QUOTE=YaWanna]
As a few others have mentioned, if you Google mine, you will find out where I am. First option, bingo!
I put it the way I did because it not only says where I am, it says something about what I like, and it promotes my city to people who share my interest. Three purposes in one little word. How concise!
[/QUOTE]
I never googled it before, some reason I thought you were in Seattle instead. I picked up the some clues in threads but made the wrong guess.
Jim
[QUOTE=SurrenderDorothy]
-
I’m a kid and I know there are predators out there. I’m not TOO paranoid about it- I’ve mentioned my location before in posts, so if you really wanted to know you could look it up. Hell, you could probably even figure out my name and what school I go to if you really really wanted to. But putting it in there along with every post means it’s paired with all kinds of other information. So if I say “Oh yeah, at the science museum where I work…” and I have my city along with every post, it’s pretty easy for any random person to have too much information on me at once.
-
I realize this is a public forum and has a lot of lurkers. I’m a little paranoid about people I know coming on and recognizing me. Again, it’s a matter of having all the info in one place versus having to look it up (and possibly pay $14 to look it up) .
[/QUOTE]
I think SurrenderDorothy made two excellent points here. Not perhaps a worry for someone such as BearNenno, but entirely and completely appropriate for him/her.
“1984”
[QUOTE=What Exit?]
You mean someone does not know the most famous address in sports? 
Me thinks that most sport fans in the tri state area should pick up on it.
It’s the other 47 States and beyond that might say Huh?
…or, they just might think that I came from Santo Domingo and settled in that area. 
Why don’t I give my actual location in the little field? I don’t have a real reason. I just don’t feel like it. I’m not trying to hide my location or anything. Just ask and I’ll gladly tell you that I’m a student at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia.
I guess I could put Blacksburg in the location field, or Virginia, or Blacksburg, VA, but what would be the point? For the vast majority of my posts, my location is as completely irrelevant. Whenever it is relevant to the discussion at hand (like here), I’ll mention it.
[QUOTE=gabriela]
Gabriela, happily employed in forensic pathology, and not about to give that up for a message board
[/QUOTE]
Hint.. Gabriela is a girl!
[QUOTE=BrattiAtti]
My blank location field is a weak attempt to deny that I live in Hicksville*, Idaho.[/SIZE]
[/QUOTE]
But why not at least put your country in there?
[QUOTE=SurrenderDorothy]
-
I’m a kid and I know there are predators out there.
-
I realize this is a public forum and has a lot of lurkers. I’m a little paranoid about people I know coming on and recognizing me.
[/QUOTE]
But why not at least put your country in there?
[QUOTE=Moe Szyslak]
There seems to be a major prejudice about my area of the country on this board.
[/QUOTE]
But why not at least put your country in there?
[QUOTE=Askance]
But why not at least put your country in there?
[/QUOTE]
Easy for you to say, but I’m from Liechtenstein! It’d be a dead giveaway!
Wait…crap!
[QUOTE=The Weird One]
I think a lot of it comes down to, those of us who don’t explicitly state our location just aren’t that bothered by not knowing where other people are.
[/QUOTE]
And therefore other people must not be bothered by not knowing where you are? 
[QUOTE=gabriela]
And you think I could post my state and you wouldn’t be able to find me? I disagree. There are fewer than 20 people in my line of business in virtually every state in the country.
[/QUOTE]
But why not at least put your country in there?
[QUOTE=Askance]
But why not at least put your country in there?
[/QUOTE]
I’m U.S.-centric. Unless a location explicitly states another country, I assume they live in the U.S. If one lives here and posts just that, I get aggravated. “USA” is not special or specific enough; I’d rather have (and see) a blank field.
There’s nothing about my use of language to give anyone the assumption I’m not in the U.S. Did that sentence make sense?
With more thought on the original subject, I don’t think people care so much about me as a poster; therefore, they ought not care about my location. “Someone posted upthread…*” Sigh. 
*Not a real quote. Will not provide cite. Take at face value. Thanks.