# Anonymity



## dontcare (Oct 6, 2008)

It varies. I tend to let down my guard, then become crazy paranoid and try to repent ... not always a possibility. I've made things up, sticking close enough to the truth that things still make sense.


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## hyacinth_dragon (Dec 28, 2008)

I try to remain anonymous. I give out personal info occassionally though.


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## WineKitty (Nov 26, 2004)

I have probably given out way too much personal info over time on SAS, and that does make me paranoid sometimes.... There are a few people on here who know my real name but I trust those people, they have posting and pming with me for years on this site.


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## Cypress (Dec 17, 2008)

I voted "I try, but I'll occasionally give away some personal info."

On the forums I try to keep my identity hidden, but in the chat I'm a lot more open with information.


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## Bredwh (Jan 24, 2009)

I don't care. I'll give you my name, phone number, address, whatever. I don't want to be anonymous. I don't think anyone I know would ever come on here but even if they did I'd rather they knew I had SAD anyway.


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## rdrr (Dec 31, 2008)

im extremely paranoid because im socially anxious about my anxiety.


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## User57854 (Dec 26, 2006)

hide!


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## VCL XI (Jan 19, 2004)

I'm so paranoid that I can't even allow myself to elaborate on the reason_ why _I'm paranoid. I'm the same way on any message board though.


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## WineKitty (Nov 26, 2004)

Bredwh said:


> I don't care. I'll give you my name, phone number, address, whatever. I don't want to be anonymous. I don't think anyone I know would ever come on here but even if they did I'd rather they knew I had SAD anyway.


That is awesome; I wish I was half as brave as you. If someone I "knew" IRL from work or whatever found out it was me on this site I would probably just want to die which is really stupid when you think about it. Your attitude about this is great and very healthy; unlike me...hiding in the shadows :hide as usual.


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## laura024 (Aug 11, 2006)

I'm not paranoid. I use my real name, problems, and pictures. So what if someone who knows me finds out I'm here? Yeah, I have social anxiety.


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## nightrain (Nov 17, 2008)

I don't really care. There are pics of me and my name in my profile. I can understand why someone would want to be anonymous though.


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## huh (Mar 19, 2007)

Meh...it doesn't bug me if people know my name or some personal details about me.


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## Fairyxo (Jan 28, 2009)

I have had an issue in the past with two people (and I don't even know how because I never gave out my address) finding where I lived. Luckily, I was out that day, but my mum called the police and for the duration of the time I lived there they never came back and I never spoke to them again.

I now won't give out _any_ personal details (surname, address, number etc.) because of the issue i've had in the past, and when it comes to pictures, it takes me a long time to trust a place to post them.

Anything I post is all true though.


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## Freedom2010 (Jan 29, 2009)

I use my real problems and first name, but I would never give away my last name, address, or phone #.


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## Just Lurking (Feb 8, 2007)

I am pretty open with information on this site.

And I couldn't care less about being "discovered". Yeah surprise, I have SA. Now maybe you'll understand me a little better.


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## LostinReverie (Mar 18, 2007)

It's ridiculously easy to figure out my full name. Sometimes I fear that certain members are going to find and kill me.


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## Drella (Dec 4, 2004)

I just don't want anyone here to know much about me, but I'm really not doing it out of paranoia. It just makes me feel awkward. For instance, I don't want to tell anyone my name, because I don't want them to refer to me by my name... it makes me feel weird.


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## Amocholes (Nov 5, 2003)

When I joined the site I decided that if it were to be beneficial then I would have to be open and honest. I have given pretty much everything except my last name, address and phone.


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## refined_rascal (Dec 20, 2005)

I don't really care if people know me here. But if they ever tried to use the information for malicious purposes, I'd make it my focus in life to hunt them to the ends of the earth. Like I said, I don't really care.


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## Perfectionist (Mar 19, 2004)

I'm really worried about it, from two sides: I'm worried someone on this site will have put together enough info from my posts and come find me one day, and I'm worried someone I already know has an account, and secretly reads all my posts and laughs about it.

I've still posted personal info, even with my worries. I've posted pics, and still kindof wish I hadn't. That makes it super easy to find someone.


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## hyacinth_dragon (Dec 28, 2008)

I think the more real concern is that co-workers or someone we know from some other venue finds us on here, and we most post thing we really would prefer they didn't know about us unless they are a close friend.
I'm not too concerned about the other people on here stalking me or trying to kill me...lol. I think many would be too anxious to approach me let alone stalk or kill me.


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## Canadian Brotha (Jan 23, 2009)

I've shared my music page on myspace as well as my name(usually my middle name as that's what I currently like to go by) with people here but I did have to work up to it. It took working up to partly because I'm a private person, partly for fear of discovery, & partly for fear of identity theft. I have shared here though as I think it's necessary to gain friendships that can help SA-wise, i.e. to give & take. 

Personally, I'm not one to have joined a thousand sites & posted info about myself but many do & that's where I think the identity theft danger lies. Having facebook, myspace, msn, yahoo messenger, skype, etc makes it very easy for a multitude of info to be gathered on you(yes I know, it's the paranoia speech) & that I find disturbing. If the internet has taught us anything, it's that perversion of the mind has a high percentage as a commonality in this world.


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## Lonelyguy (Nov 8, 2003)

I'm pretty selective with personal things online. There's a few sensitive issues I beleive are too personal to openly discuss on a message board because I don't feel comfortable discussing it publicly. I don't mind using my first name here...but I can count the number of people on one hand whom I've trusted enough to give my full name, address and phone number in the over eight years I've been online.


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## Kelly (Dec 12, 2003)

<--- What more do you need?

Have a nice day,
Kelly


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## OliverPilon (Jul 6, 2008)

i guess that even if i dont tell you my name, you can still read it next to my post : )


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## fauxhawk (Oct 26, 2008)

It just occurred to me how easy it would be for someone who knows about SAS in real life to figure out who I am on here just based on the references to my city. I should be more careful.


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## slyfox (Nov 18, 2007)

I have given my first name, posted pics of myself, told info about what city I live in, and probably much more. I'm not worried. Teachers often say your last name in class. The strangers in my classes are just as much of a potential threat as anyone I would ever meet online. They are probably an even bigger threat because they live near me. I don't think anyone would desire to stalk me, but it would make my life more interesting. Things are too boring lately.


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## bugfreak (Feb 21, 2009)

i don't mind sharing my name, city, and such. 

i will admit, though that someone might find me here/find out about my problem by doing a search for "bugfreak". like maybe someone from the new beetle forum i occasionally frequent might find out or something.


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

Penny said:


> There are a few people on here who know my real name but I trust those people, they have posting and pming with me for years on this site.


I know her first name & the state she lives in, but she knows far more about me. She knows my full name & phone number. Given that the number is listed one could easily do a reverse look up and have a map to my home.

My e-mail and AIM name also happen to be my full name with middle initial, so I don't hide much. And I'm sure I've given my phone # out to well over a hundred members by now. I don't worry. It's not like any of them are going to show up at my house, when few are even brave enough to call at all, and most who call need to be intoxicated to do so.


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

fauxhawk said:


> It just occurred to me how easy it would be for someone who knows about SAS in real life to figure out who I am on here just based on the references to my city. I should be more careful.


But the only people who know about SAS would be those with SA. If they found you on SAS they can't very well point at you and say "you have social phobia", since the fact that they know about SAS suggests they could just as well point at them self and say the same.


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

Lonelyguy said:


> I don't mind using my first name here...but I can count the number of people on one hand whom I've trusted enough to give my full name, address and phone number in the over eight years I've been online.


I'm one of the rare few who knows his full name & secret location. The name 'Dave' doesn't give much away since it's so common that we have a whole herd of Daves on this board.

If you look at his photo album you'll find out his middle initial as he only blanked out his last name on his ASE certificate.


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## fauxhawk (Oct 26, 2008)

..


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

^Your profile has no "about me" section so it would be very hard to link your screen name to any person in the real world.


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## fauxhawk (Oct 26, 2008)

..


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## Maverick (Feb 25, 2009)

To be honest, if someone who knows me in real life found out that I went to this site, I'm sure they wouldn't be surprised at all.


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## hyacinth_dragon (Dec 28, 2008)

I'm not too concerned about the members on this site. I'd rather maintain my privacy though because I don't like my life on display too much on the internet. I hate having my photo taken etc.


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## CopadoMexicano (Aug 21, 2004)

I just dont care


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## solasum (Nov 17, 2008)

I will not give out my name or picture on here, but I've said where I go to school.


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## slyfox (Nov 18, 2007)

Maverick said:


> To be honest, if someone who knows me in real life found out that I went to this site, I'm sure they wouldn't be surprised at all.


Same here. Someone finding out that I go to SAS is not one of my biggest worries. Considering my complete lack of social skills, I don't think anyone would be surprised


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## solasum (Nov 17, 2008)

I'm comfortable being anonymous. I want to live in either a big city or in the middle of nowhere.

Also, it's highly unlikely I'd ever post my picture here because I'd be afraid that I might know someone who's a member here or is a lurker.


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## LoneLioness (Nov 16, 2003)

I give out way too much info online. I've even told my (former) close friends who don't visit here that I post here. Nearly everytime its come back to haunt me. But being so open is part of who I am...and a quality I love in others. Heck, I even get upset if people I'm close with don't tell me stuff like what forums they post on.


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## ncislover (Mar 8, 2009)

i am an open book.


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

ncislover said:


> i am an open book.


And I'm the guy who on Society & Culture posts links to editorials that I manage to get published. Editorials that include my full name & city of residence.


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## ShyFX (Mar 6, 2006)

A and B, I guess. I'm paranoid, but I occasionally give away some personal info.


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## Shauna The Dead (Jun 16, 2005)

um I'm not trying to be anonymous at all. I don't see the point of all that.


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## FairleighCalm (May 20, 2007)

*I give out my info. But I can see where being anonymous would be more fun at times. And being anonymous you can just be like 'who cares' and that's cool. *


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## IllusionOfHappiness (Sep 6, 2007)

I'm pretty open. Guess I stopped caring somewhere along the way.


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## estse (Nov 18, 2003)

I'm a dude, so, you know, I can just kick ***


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## Shauna The Dead (Jun 16, 2005)

UltraShy said:


> And I'm the guy who on Society & Culture posts links to editorials that I manage to get published. Editorials that include my full name & city of residence.


I gave out that info about myself also - through posting my IMDB.com link. And my Facebook.


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## Roberto (Aug 16, 2004)

Realistically I don't think anybody cares. I am presently not real big on making friends or meeting people.


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## kenny87 (Feb 22, 2009)

I won't throw it all out there, at the moment at least, but if a person seems legit and wanted to know something I wouldn't mind telling, I wouldn't give my social security or anything but things within reason.


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## yellowpaper (Nov 13, 2007)

I'm always amazed at how many people don't mind exposing who they are


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