I once emailed a writer I respected who had set up his own website to ask him a question about his past experiences and was annoyed later to find my query had been posted on-line on his site giving my full name. If you were to Google my real name it is the one and only hit you'd come across. Fortunately, my query was fairly innocuous and nothing I'd be embarrassed about but a co-worker once mentioned to me she'd Googled my name and had come across the post and how she'd found it interesting. What really struck me was the sense I had lost control of who I could permit to probe my past. I never repeated that mistake - I always used aliases after that - as I want to control what info about me is available for all and sundry to see.
One male colleague I worked with was arrested for paedophile abuses. I Googled his name to see what came up about his court appearance and got no result. I wonder if the police and court system are now wise to the reach of the web and deliberately keep people's criminal records away from the public gaze - excepting serious crime cases obviously - to give them a second chance. ---In [email protected], <dhamiltony2k5@...> wrote: I have yet to figure out who the “Dick Mays” is who posts here. It's a great anonymous handle. However, who so ever he may be I do appreciate the substantial content he often does bring to FFL. He is always on topic here and I value that. If it is his real name I sure hope his employer does not sack him for posting here. -Buck ---In [email protected], <awoelflebater@...> wrote: On Thursday, November 7, 2013 10:57:55 AM, "dhamiltony2k5@..." <dhamiltony2k5@...> wrote: It is way better than just anonymity, I hacked this guy's yahoo mail account a long long time ago and use it at my free will. Ha! The sap, he's never figured it out. I bet he'd be really mad at me for using his account for my purposes if he ever figured it out. However someone here actually equating his name with me, I think the FFL moderator here should ban whoever did that for violating the FFL guidelines about revealing people's identities on FFL. Outing people who wish to remain anonymous or lurk on FFL, that really is foul. -Buck ---In [email protected], <s3raphita@...> wrote: Re Ann's: "What I say on this forum is what I believe and it conveys pretty accurately who I am.": And if a prospective employer was prejudiced against your opinions you'd not get that longed-for job/pay rise/promotion. You may be financially secure enough to not care less but there are a lot of people out there who might be in more desperate straits. If I was in a "position" to have to care I would not post at all. I don't like someone holding me hostage through/by my viewpoints and have a really deep seated rebellious streak if I feel I were to be censured for being who I am. If someone were to read what I wrote who actually had the power to fire or hire me (which seems unlikely) then I would need to be conscious of such a possibility and be prepared to live with the consequences if it came to that. I acknowledge other people's desire and need for anonymity but it just ain't me. ---In [email protected], <awoelflebater@...> wrote: ---In [email protected], <s3raphita@...> wrote: Re "I don't believe in anonymity. If I choose to post or subject others to my opinions and generally interact with them then I am more than happy to let them know my name. If I didn't want to associate myself with what I have written then I wouldn't write it. I don't totally understand the need for anonymity other than to keep oneself "safe" from repercussions that might arise as a result of what one might believe in. But then I'm all for accountability.": If I'm understanding you, isn't the problem here that when people post comments and opinions using their real, given name it means that when they apply for a new job (say) the employer can Google the name and see everything they've said. You could learn a lot about someone from chasing up all their opinions - things it might be wiser to keep secret. Might it not be a good idea to protect yourself with an alias? You're still free to reveal to whoever you choose what aliases you've used on-line - but *you* have that choice. By using your real name you're giving hostages to fortune. All sorts of things can be dredged up but if my would-be employer were to choose not to give me a job based on my opinions herein expressed then I don't want the job. What I say on this forum is what I believe and it conveys pretty accurately who I am. I still say, if you don't want what you represent yourself to be on these public places then don't participate and if you do then be brave enough to face the consequences. (FFL is the one and only 'forum' I have ever engaged with. I have no time or inclination to spend my day roving the ether for opportunities to either vent or expose myself in great quantities. Big Brother may be watching but if he finds himself interested in me then God help us.) ---In [email protected], <awoelflebater@...> wrote: To clarify - I don't believe in anonymity. If I choose to post or subject others to my opinions and generally interact with them then I am more than happy to let them know my name. If I didn't want to associate myself with what I have written then I wouldn't write it. I don't totally understand the need for anonymity other than to keep oneself "safe" from repercussions that might arise as a result of what one might believe in. But then I'm all for accountability. ---In [email protected], <awoelflebater@...> wrote: ---In [email protected], <s3raphita@...> wrote: Can I mention something else that's been bugging me about FFL? I am Seraphita. That is Seraphita = Seraphita = Seraphita. That's the name I selected when registering with FFL. That's the name I always use. Simple OK? But we know there are a lot of people who have a sign-on name but who are also addressed by a familiar name. Correct me if I'm wrong but . . . "authfriend" = "TurquoiseB" = "Buck" = and the Lord knows who "wgm4u" and "awoelflebater" are! For the sake of new arrivals to FFL and the occasional lurker could some kind soul list the different aliases of the posters to this site so that everyone knows who is saying what to whom. It would make life so much simpler. Simple: awoelflebater is Ann
