Anonymous or not? Page 3

Surely it's up to us how much info we share. If you have any concerns or questions you can pm the person concerned or the admins.
As the victim of an internet and subsequent real life stalker I try to be careful with my info and who I knowingly share it with.
As for friends or cliques - some people naturally get along better than others, just as they do in the real world.
I knew several of the people on here before I joined and have become friends with many I have met in person since. I am hopefully meeting up with a few more for the first time this year.

Free country. People have many reasons for using or not using a name. Fear of stalkers. Fear of bosses. Bosses who are stalkers. Stalkers who are bosses. Some are honest. Some aren't. That's the internet and the risk you take when you join a forum.

And I think I know Timbo, Ruby and others rather well. Even though I have no idea what their real names, what they look like etc.

I don't see how posting under real names would remove the anonymous factor unless it was someone who you had meet in real life.

So for example if poster xyz who you'd never met suddenly revealed that their name was Joe Smith what difference would it make? It is still someone that you don't know except from the posts they've made.

Quote: reds @ January 9 2012, 11:15 AM GMT

I don't see how posting under real names would remove the anonymous factor unless it was someone who you had meet in real life.

So for example if poster xyz who you'd never met suddenly revealed that their name was Joe Smith what difference would it make? It is still someone that you don't know except from the posts they've made.

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Well you could then research them and find out more about them and stalk them. If you wanted to.

You're acting as though the site was advertised as anonymous, and then when you got here and realised a few of us knew each other you were annoyed?

I'm a bit confused as to what this thread is about...

You could. I think I might have misunderstood the question, I was meaning more in terms of just posting and "knowing" people on here.

Quote: dellas @ January 9 2012, 6:47 AM GMT

Thanks Ruby, you have proved my point, it is NOT anonymous, so why not change it?

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Change it to what?
You want us to all pick new names overnight and start over? Stop being friends in real life?

Quote: reds @ January 9 2012, 11:26 AM GMT

You could. I think I might have misunderstood the question, I was meaning more in terms of just posting and "knowing" people on here.

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I don't think it's 100% clear what the thread is about, I might have misunderstood too.

The only reason I use my own name online is because I'm trying to bait someone into stealing my identity. God knows I'm done with it.

Quote: zooo @ January 9 2012, 11:25 AM GMT

You're acting as though the site was advertised as anonymous, and then when you got here and realised a few of us knew each other you were annoyed?

I'm a bit confused as to what this thread is about...

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I'm guessing here but I get the impression that Dellas has the type or personality where acceptance in a group is important to her, and for whatever reason she feels a bit outside the group and wants a pat on the head every now and again?

Quote: zooo @ January 9 2012, 11:25 AM GMT

You're acting as though the site was advertised as anonymous, and then when you got here and realised a few of us knew each other you were annoyed?

I'm a bit confused as to what this thread is about...

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The fact some of you on here know each in "real" life doesn't bother me, if anything I think it makes it more friendly. I lurked around here for a really long time before I actually signed up, part of the reason I did is because everyone seemed to mostly get on. Some other forums I've seen just full of people attacking each other for having opinions or people just been very nasty about things in general. Anyway my point is I think the fact that some of you know each other helps make it a friendly place.

Quote: Will Cam @ January 9 2012, 11:35 AM GMT

I'm guessing here but I get the impression that Dellas has the type or personality where acceptance in a group is important to her, and for whatever reason she feels a bit outside the group and wants a pat on the head every now and again?

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You could be right Will (if that's even your real name . ). Not everyone can be a maverick Lone Wolf like the Rob H-ster.

Quote: dellas @ January 9 2012, 6:14 AM GMT

It has occurred to me that this web site is not 'totally' anonymous the reason being, a lot of people know each other personally.

This can lead to problems, I put it to you, what is the definition of anonymous?

and if we follow that definition, this BCG is not totally anonymous.

Do we change the format? and if not why not? can we improve this forum?

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Don't see what you're saying here? how can it lead to problems? It's as anonymous as you want it to be, the choice is our own.
Although maybe we could have a 'Show us your mug' thread, who'd be up for that?? Really though, I like the whole avatar and screen name setup, not in order to be anonymous as such but because it's more fun...simple as that for me.

Quote: reds @ January 9 2012, 11:40 AM GMT

The fact some of you on here know each in "real" life doesn't bother me, if anything I think it makes it more friendly. I lurked around here for a really long time before I actually signed up, part of the reason I did is because everyone seemed to mostly get on. Some other forums I've seen just full of people attacking each other for having opinions or people just been very nasty about things in general. Anyway my point is I think the fact that some of you know each other helps make it a friendly place.

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Aw, I agree!
There's an American forum I sometimes post on where quite a few of them know each other, and like you I think it makes for a rather nice, friendly atmosphere.

And in the beginning, no one here knew each other in real life. It's just a natural process.