I’ve no particular reason for asking; I’m just idly curious. How valuable is the anonymity of your screen name to you, and why? What have you written that you’d keep to yourself? What have you not written about because you’re note quite sure no one knows that you SDMB handle = you? How hard would it be for someone who knew you to infer your real-world identity simply by reading your posts?
It is my real first name. I wouldn’t change even if my last name were there too.
I don’t think anyone from work would figure it out; I post about work rarely.
Any of my immediate family would figure it out in minutes, if only from my style with words.
I wouldn’t change anything.
Wait, let me add something. If there was not a chance of random people stalking me, showing up on my doorstep, or harassing me and my family in any way, then I would post under my own name. However, when I joined, I was a single parent in a small town, with a semi-public job where I was pretty well known. It would have been easy for anyone to show up and make me worry about my son.
However, as stupid as I’m sure some of it has been over the years, I would not change anything that I have posted. I don’t post anonymously anywhere for the same reason: I don’t post things I would be ashamed to put my name to.
First name only? No big deal. I’m not particularily interested in posting embarassing stuff on the internet as it is. I doubt I’ve ever actually typed my real first name on the board, but I have hinted at it before. (Eureka is a nickname I picked up in college from people who were into “repronouncing” words.)
First and last, I think I’d quit posting. I like the illusion of anonymity that being part of a community, where most people’s names are much faker than mine, gives. I generally avoid posting thing which reveal my location–even to the extent of thinking twice about making posts like “Darn it! It’s snowing again, will spring ever get here?” although some of the places I’ve lived before I’ve mentioned. In general, if an acquaintance of mine is reading the message board, I’d just as soon that they not know who I am, and prefer not to know who they are. And there are things I’d tell a total stranger in real life that I would not revel on the board. (And probably vice versa).
Those who are really, really curious and determined can figure out who I am from my posts, as I know I’ve posted my full name once, around six years back, and I’ve mentioned my first name, university, and field of study on several occasions, the combination of which is sufficient to identify me. That said, I don’t think it’s something people can stumble upon if they’re not trying, and I like it that way. I don’t want a potential employer Googling me and finding 3,000+ posts on a message board, some of them dating back to when I was twenty-two, a few of them very ill-judged. It’s just none of their business.
Almost. I’m very circumspect about what I post anyway.
Probably. I already use my real first name, and put a link to my web page on my sig. Anyone can easily find out who I am.
Actually, I once did post as RealityChuck elsewhere, and Teresa Neilson Hayden quoted the post and told people my real name. So I’m not all that anonymous.
Lucy is my [middle] name. I use it here, I use it professionally. In fact, I think there are only 4 people in the world who use my first name when talking to or referring to me - and they cause no end of confusion for every one else.
There aren’t many guys (if any) out there with my name, so figureing out who I am probably wouldn’t be tough at all.
Anonymity is not at all important to me in all things except where ‘Big Brother’ is concerned. In that one arena I try to remain a nameless face in the crowd.
Lucy
I may continue posting, but I’d disappear any post about what I feel/think first. No one who knows me has any business knowing that.
I use this name in a lot of places - anyone who knows me would know who SnakesCatLady is. I’ve never posted anything on here I am ashamed of or embarassed about. People who are good at such things could find out who just about anyone is anyway; I go under the assumption that nothing I post on the 'net is private.
Probably. I’m a blabbermouth. Or blabbertypist.
– Jane N.
Anybody who cares could figure out who I am in no time anyway.
Louis is my middle name; B is the first letter of my last name. I have said on these boards that my last name is the same as that of a retired professional quarterback who did Monday night football broadcasts for several years. I’ve even said that my ex-wife’s first name is the same as that quarterbacks first name. If people can’t dope out my real name from that, I don’t know what further clues they would need. I wouldn’t be so free with the information elsewhere, though.
No, I value the anonymity. It’s not like I’m “famous” famous, but I do have an IMDB listing, I do work with and peripheral to many much more famous individuals in the entertainment industry, and it would be a little too easy or tempting to see me as a “representative” of my employer (that is why, when I’m asked to speak at industry conferences, I always have to decline because what I believe and what my company’s party line are are sometimes diametrically opposed to each other). Given that I post in Cafe Society more than any other, I prefer to have my opinions speak on their own and not have them trace back to a Real World Identity.
Even a year ago I would have said no way. But I’ve matured a lot in that time, and also gained a fairly decent relationship with my mother & aunts. I don’t even know if I would mind if they saw my posts! So I think I might not mind, especially since my name is fairly common.
I post under my own name on the other message boards I belong to. It’s a useful reminder not to say anything inappropriate. A pseudonym doesn’t really give much protection against someone who is determined to find out who you are. I try to operate under the assumption that everything I write online may eventually be traced back to me, or my family, or my employer.
coughs, points at username
I have no faith in the supposed anonymity of online pseudonyms. If someone’s sufficently dedicated, they can find their way through them, especially if you use them a lot, or for a long time. So, I don’t bother, and assume that my employer, girlfriend, etc. are reading everything I write online.
(Hi, Juda.)
I would, but I’d be more careful when bitching about my family, and my husband’s family. God forbid his daughter finds out what I’ve done with the stuff she gives us for Christmas.
Yup.
It’d take someone about 45 seconds to find me, I just think Bobotheoptimist is funny.
Correction, it takes 30 seconds if I cut’n’paste urls - 45 seconds was because I couldn’t find the stupid tilde key on this laptop keyboard
Now I’m starting to wonder if I should change a couple of things so it’d take a full minute to find my name, address, phone number, etc.
Damn you Skald! 