Forum Member John Knox

[John Weddup]

Whys that Emma? surely your name and area wouldnt be giving away information that could be used against you? Obviosly exact details may not be a good idea but please expand as I may be missing out on the obvious here?

 

 

I agree budgie

 

on forums i write on, and there are few, I use my real name.

 

Never do I say anything I would not back up daytime.

 

Never have I had a problem or can imagine what that problem would be.

 

John

Edited May 10, 2012 by John Weddup

[John S]

After a minor scare a couple of years ago, I now have a sealed letter listing all the things that I would like someone to do should I shuffle off this mortal curl, including getting in touch with Elton and the owners of several other tinterwebsites that I'm on (obviously, it lists my usernames for all the sites). A worthwhile precaution IMO.

[Steve Walker]

I use my real name on this and some other forums and nommes de plume on others, but it really wouldn't be rocket science to link them up. Anyone who thinks the Internet is truly anonymous is experiencing a false sense of security, IMO.

[Emma two]

It depends upon one’s life history. For some it is very important to keep a low profile even, or perhaps especially online. I have former colleagues who use a couple of forums that I do and will strictly only use either their first name or a ‘nic’. For some it’s a matter of what they did professionally where they have now chosen to live. For example Ulster, and for others even cities on the UK mainland. Admittedly it can get a bit confusing and one has to figure out which ‘George’ etc is writing, but they let it out by saying things so we all know but no one else would. One I recently directed towards our forum here, he is a keen angler and I know that there is not a chance he would submit his full name and even county online, he worked in her Majesty’s prison service and specialised in looking after some especially nasty people who he wouldn’t want to come calling at the door. He hasn’t figured out the logging in yet, self confessed computer bewildered, I hope that he does get here. I use my ‘old’ (real name) in one of those online places, just so those from 30 plus years ago know who it is.

 

I was stalked in the last job I did, and because of that job, by a fundamentalist fanatic, I and several colleagues received strange things in the post and nuisance abusive phone calls. In the end the police intervened.

People speak more openly hidden behind nics, for example some of us get called things in here which would be enough to bring a ‘hate crime’ prosecution. The perpetrators could, and one time too many might be traced and prosecuted. As it is we can all see who is who by the things they freely say.

I never liked to let people know about my movements, for some people saying, I shall be spending Saturday on the boat all day, or worse still, ‘I’m off out fishing all weekend’ is interpreted as. ‘it’s safe to come round and break in’.

I like, nicknames (handles) they often show the real personality of the subject better than their ’real’ name, and they can especially creative. It’s the content that’s important, It would be sad if the nickname culture of online communities disappears because some people decide you are not legitimate with unless you put up a ‘real name’.

If someone breaks the law, or cons you, or does something illegal online it’s easy to identify that person, even if they do go by an alias. Using your real life name doesn’t exclude you from bad behavior or illegal behavior, and having a nic name doesn’t mean you won’t be caught. Its a mistake to believe that.

It is difficult to be anonymous these days, and if someone really wants to track you down then they will, but I am not going to assist those who would do me harm by helping them.

Apart from the terrorists, criminals and fundamentalist nut jobs who would do us harm, there is also the temptation from those who fall out often quite venomously within our pages here, to pay each other calls, send horrible things through the post, or order taxis, pizzas etc to turn up at strange times, perhaps you imagine me to be a bit paranoid, but these things happen, and at least one of our contributors has recommended such action as a ‘get even’ tactic, and you know what… I believe them.

Face book bewilders me, people go on there and lay themselves bare to the world, their movements, job, hobbies, relationships, finances, vehicles, and almost anyone can see that stuff, it’s a collective madness. I have a page there which I regret opening and haven’t visited in months.

 

We can make decisions, what we call ‘operational risk assessments’ and give our real personal details if we wish, either in open forum or in personal messages, but compulsory ‘real name’ declaration (not sure how that could be checked anyway) would have me logging off here for good, and perhaps some others too?

 

I know some will say, 'oh it's easy and anyone can find out who someone is', well perhaps for some clever people it is easy, but if somone logs into here as 'wormwetter' (or whatever) then I havn't the know how to find their real name and address from that, and I imagine that I'm not the only one?

 

The avatar is me and the fist name is real too.

Edited May 10, 2012 by Emma two

[Steve Walker]

I can find my own personally identifiable footprints on the Internet going back to '96 or so. And there are people on AN I've known since that time. I guess if you have a sensitive past you need to be careful - I think if I had that kind of background I might be loathe to participate publicly at all.