Who are you?

[Steve Grindlay]

In another thread SamC said:

i have to admit i did originally use a false address as at the time i was not sure if i should reveal my real address for internet safety reasons.

This is no criticism of you at all, SamC, but it set me thinking. Why do so many apparently concerned and genuine contributors to this forum hide behind pseudonyms? If you have a valid point to make, why not let others know who you are?

As a matter of principle I've used my own name when posting in chatrooms, forums or newsgroups, for more than ten years with no adverse results. And equally, as a matter of principal, I tend to pay more heed to the comments of those who appear to use genuine names...

Actually, on reflection, this is not entirely true. When I've felt compelled to make chrisf type comments, I've used a pseudonym, but otherwise I've been me.

[Greg Whitehead]

I'm with Steve on this one. You do tend to get genuine comments from those without pseudonyms. I do find on occasion that people join, berate a few people and places and then get bored when they get ignored and are never to be seen again (ChrisF aside). People know my full name (although I'm actually a Gregory), which train I travel on to and from work and the street in which I'm currently living.

It keeps me reasoned in my responses. It may not be the most responsible attitude but we can sleep easy in the knowledge that criminals will find out a million more pieces of useful information just by going through our recycling 'bins' or getting their hands on the PCs/servers that banks discard.

[leaf]

steve and greg

having been subject to a bit of cyber stalking myself when going by my real name i feel safer going by a pseudonym,it is amazing what can be found out about a person with a few clicks of a mouse so for this reason i will be known only as leaf!!

[Greg Whitehead]

That's entirely your choice and I understand why AgentX (don't worry Leaf I would never disclose your real name against your wishes) Looking back through SamC's posts, God I'm really making an assumption here!, I get a slight inkling that she's a good deal younger than we are so perhaps if I'm right, as a young woman, her cautiousness is to be applauded.

I would never speak on Steve's behalf but I do feel his point is valid and I think he used SamC as an example as she posted that comment. SamC and yourself (Leaf) have different reasons for using a pseudonym - what grates with me is people who log on just to cause trouble - they hide behind their anonymity.

[leaf]

greg

i do understand the point you are making,i have seen lots of trolls in forums like this one and all of them use a 'fake' name.

must dash Q is on the phone!

[kster]

But what name do you use? My nickname is "Kster" (don't ask why, I didn't make it up - it was just one of those things that stuck). Anyway, most people who know me, know my nickname and therefore will know my posts (should they look on the forum). I can't imagine that I'm the only one, in fact I would assume that a lot of people simply use their nicknames. It isn't a case of hiding behind a pseudonym or internet paranoia it is just the natural thing to do.

[Juwlz]

Yeah, I agree with you kster. My nickname is Jules so Juwlz is just a funny spelling of it cos there was already a 'Jules' so I couldn't have that one.
I didn't want to put my full name on until I found out whether they are any nut-cases on here. Now I know for a fact there are so I am meeting up with some of them! (just kidding)

[stringfellow]

How do you know my real name isn't 'Stringfellow'? I could be a down on his luck strip club owner. It isn't by the way but I am skinny.

I have a fairly rare surname and would be easily traceable otherwise and just in case I decide to write something completely offensive I'd rather remain anonymous!

I also like the idea that you don't jump to conclusions if you don't know peoples real names, if my real name was Tarquin or Rupert or Sebastion or Cressida or Penelope (apologies to anyone with those names!) some readers/contributors may have preconceptions about me. With a pseudonym I could be young or old, male or female, black or white and unless I choose to give personal information about myself people are none the wiser.

[Greg Whitehead]

So, you're not a balding, lecherous, northern, gregarious, dodgy night-club owner just taking a hiatus in leafy Sydenham

Damn, I thought I might have found a soulmate.

[Annie]

I just think that people are more likely to give their opinion on sticky subjects if they are not known by their real names.
Individual choice really.

[SamC]

hi everybody. i used samc as samantha curtis is my name. i have been on many other forums before and i found there were some weirdos on there so i did not know what sydenham town forum would be like. yes i am probably younger than some on here i am 29. i will be 30 on the 27 october.! i lied about my real address as well for the same reason but i have changed it now. there are some very nice people on here. the eagle, leaf, lemonade, jewlz, greg, annie. there are some i am not sure about but i had better not mention any names except to say 1 user whos name starts with c and ends in f and has 6 letters

[lemonade]

.....there are some very nice people on here. the eagle, leaf, lemonade, jewlz, greg, annie.

Hello SamC
Thank you very much for the compliment.
I chose the name Lemonade. Many people in the past have asked about my chosen name's origin. As you know my name is Ade. My surname is very similar to Lemon...Hence Lemonade. My real details were witheld on purpose. I too did not want "outsiders" knowing my real identity. It can sometimes be all too easy to get into a heated debate where because I'm right and everyone else is wrong, words can be typed.
(Admin excluded ) I could call any forum member a ****** ***** ******* if I choose to and I know it would be very unlikely I'd get a knock on the door and a punch in the face.
Luckily it hasn't come to that & my nose remains unf******ed!
Spellchecker:- Fractured

[lemonade]

I accidently posted 2 identical posts at once.

[Annie]

I just like being an Enigma!

It's the most exciting part of my life

But i do enjoy the Sydenham Forum ,best site i know and sooooooooo friendly

[reasontobecheerful]

If you know too much it would be dangerous for you all. Hush now! I've said enough. I must go. (reasontobecheerful bungy jumps off the gasworks at bell green and into a waiting Aston, driven by the glamourous Mrs Cheerful)

[Annie]

Shhhhhhh, Agent Cheer.
There are people in the shadow's

(always check the harness before you jump)

[Illuminance]

Illuminance (usually 'E' in formulas) is the total amount of visible light illuminating (incident upon) a point on a surface from all directions above the surface. This "surface" can be a physical surface or an imaginary plane. Therefore illuminance is equivalent to irradiance weighted with the response curve of the human eye.




Also known as Steve

[Annie]

Ah!
Steve i have astigmatisem ,I HAVE THAT CURVE

[ElvisPresley]

Hello
Well I have used ElvisPresley as Elvis Presley is my name.
OK (& I'm certain I'm not fooling anyone here) this is really Lemonade.
I wanted to see how easy it would be to use another identity....And may I say it is too easy. I even submitted a fake email address!
Hmmm!

[admin]

Lemonade,

The site allows open registration. It is important that new and maybe inexperienced visitors find it easy and quick to make their first post. In the olden days you could post without registering. But we had to stop that because of abuse and the add it the Visual Confirmation and other traps to stop the spambots.

Fortuneately the level of abuse on the current policy is tolerable. I had to delete the first abusive pornlink poster since June this morning. We don't verify fake addresses because the professional spammers *all use* genuine email addresses nowadays and it adds in an extra verification step which may reduce new genuine members.

The use of multiple identities and unidentifiable nicknames is a tricky question. You might note I use 'Admin' when posting in administrative mode and '*****' when posting in a personal capacity. It sometimes helps if a person with a public role & name can sometimes post what they really think, instead of what they are supposed to think under a 'nom de plume'. STF will protect their real identity.

It all depends on you all posting sensibly most of the time. The more an Admin has to intervene, create new rules, procedures and checks - the less it becomes a relaxed, open and welcoming community.

What will not be tolerated is what is known as 'sock-puppetry'. That is the use of a name to post deceptively. I have banned a few occasions when the same person has been using two or more names to give apparent support to himself or to attack others and when banned people have re-registered. That's not a perfect science, sometimes its obvious, sometimes it isn't.

But good to have further evidence that Elvis is indeed alive and DIYing in South London

Admin

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PS I am moving this from Town Hall to Town Asylum as it is a discussion on Forum Administration & Policy rather than Sydenham