The Real Me?

[ChinaLama]

I couldn't exactly find a topic on this, but I was wondering, how much are you willing to reveal about your "real" life online?

A couple of years ago or more, I would more or less openly advertise anything in my life. I probably drew the line at unnecessarily revealing my postal address, but even that wouldn't have been a big deal for me. But ever since about a year or half a year ago, I've been so jealous about keeping my "real" self separate from my online persona that I usually don't even write out my first name online anymore. I don't talk about what I do for a living; I rarely talk about school; I almost never write out my email address, phone, or even date of birth for anyone. I even got a PO Box because, even though I get a lot of work-related mail, I'm trying to steer people away from knowing my home address, because, if I may flatter myself, I'm afraid that someday I'm going to meet a stalker.

Unfortunately, I'm also lazy and careless on protecting my identity, so it's easy enough to find out almost anything you'd actually want to know about me if you did just a slight amount of research. I also go on bouts of exhibitionism when I drop all my guard and expose myself completely, making it harder to retreat to anonymity later. :( For instance, right now would be one of those semi-exhibitionist moments. I'm already regretting it. ;)

[thaite]

I had a stalker, but from real life and not online.

Depends, I guess. Some of you know who I am and where I work, etc. I draw the line at spelling it out, but I think anyone who pays attention could eventually figure it out, and I doubt that I'm all that interesting enough for anyone to do that.

[kimpossible]

I'm considering joining the sexylosers so that means I might start blogging but it would be stupid internal dialogue things... nothing too personal or weepy. That's what a therapist or friends are for.

Since I'm a homeowner I have a permanent address which is available to the public. There's no real way for me to avoid junk mail. Your name gets rented out.

I'm not too afraid of stalkers. My dad has a pretty high security clearance with access to intelligence stuff. He's always asking if I need some people checked out. And worse case scenario I'm quite handy with a gun. In fact I love guns.

I also go on bouts of exhibitionism when I drop all my guard and expose myself completely

Whoah. Don't need to know about that. :)

[thaite]

I have a picture of me in my underwear. Wanna see?

[kboy75]

nothing where i could be help me a victim of identity theft (i.e. - no addresses, phone #'s, family names, etc....) there is a fine line between openness and riskyness.

otherwise i'm an open book. but a couple times i had some weird things happen to me... random Asian people have come up to me at some random bar/lounge downtown, tap me on the shoulder and say, "uh... are you kboy?" they knew me from my blog or some other sites i'm on. kinda funny, but kinda freaky too...

[mr. x]

nothing where i could be help me a victim of identity theft (i.e. - no addresses, phone #'s, family names, etc....) there is a fine line between openness and riskyness.

otherwise i'm an open book. but a couple times i had some weird things happen to me... random Asian people have come up to me at some random bar/lounge downtown, tap me on the shoulder and say, "uh... are you kboy?" they knew me from my blog or some other sites i'm on. kinda funny, but kinda freaky too...

hey kboy you got a post for every day of the year

[kitty]

my parents used to be pretty freaked out about going online and revealing too much. 'cuz of it i never used to post my real name or address.

now i do sometimes, 'cuz I figure it couldnt hurt.

[Tao]

I couldn't exactly find a topic on this, but I was wondering, how much are you willing to reveal about your "real" life online?

A couple of years ago or more, I would more or less openly advertise anything in my life. I probably drew the line at unnecessarily revealing my postal address, but even that wouldn't have been a big deal for me. But ever since about a year or half a year ago, I've been so jealous about keeping my "real" self separate from my online persona that I usually don't even write out my first name online anymore. I don't talk about what I do for a living; I rarely talk about school; I almost never write out my email address, phone, or even date of birth for anyone. I even got a PO Box because, even though I get a lot of work-related mail, I'm trying to steer people away from knowing my home address, because, if I may flatter myself, I'm afraid that someday I'm going to meet a stalker.

Unfortunately, I'm also lazy and careless on protecting my identity, so it's easy enough to find out almost anything you'd actually want to know about me if you did just a slight amount of research. I also go on bouts of exhibitionism when I drop all my guard and expose myself completely, making it harder to retreat to anonymity later. :( For instance, right now would be one of those semi-exhibitionist moments. I'm already regretting it. ;)
i thought you wanted stalkers? well female ones...but then again, i don't think men would want to stalk you

[ChinaLama]

i thought you wanted stalkers? well female ones...but then again, i don't think men would want to stalk you

even though I joke about it and do have some stalker tendencies myself, I WOULDN'T want stalkers of any sex. :) it would suck if some psycho comes up to my door and throws acid in my face, going "IF I CAN'T HAVE YOU, NO ONE WILL!!!!" And to think a few years ago, during senior prom, i thought i wasn't being too creepy to say i'd kill off every one of this girl's future husbands/boyfriends just cuz i wanted her to marry me. :D

[Napoleon Chynamite]

There is nothing I would be afraid of showing people online that I am willing to show people in real life. Obviously that doesn't mean that I have nothing about myself I'd like to keep secret even though frankly I'm pretty much like a thick piece of glass....dense, transparent, and slippery. Okay maybe not slippery.

[Tao]

There is nothing I would be afraid of showing people online that I am willing to show people in real life. Obviously that doesn't mean that I have nothing about myself I'd like to keep secret even though frankly I'm pretty much like a thick piece of glass....dense, transparent, and slippery. Okay maybe not slippery.

fragile?

[coagulated fat]

but with sharp edges?

[John0101]

I'm not too afraid of stalkers. My dad has a pretty high security clearance with access to intelligence stuff. He's always asking if I need some people checked out. And worse case scenario I'm quite handy with a gun. In fact I love guns.



Woo, your no ordinary hapa. Do you own a gun? If so what kind?

Guns to me are a symbol of control and dominace over other people.

[Fireblade]

Meh, I expose enough that people know what's going on with my life, or what's twirling around in my head. I don't let them know the exact address of where I live.
(all females may inquire below) =D

But seriously, just be careful about what you put out there. I'm not fearful of stalkers. What I'm fearful is if information gets back to my parents. That would freak me out.

[Green_Circle]

I'm considering joining the sexylosers so that means I might start blogging but it would be stupid internal dialogue things... nothing too personal or weepy. That's what a therapist or friends are for.

Since I'm a homeowner I have a permanent address which is available to the public. There's no real way for me to avoid junk mail. Your name gets rented out.

I'm not too afraid of stalkers. My dad has a pretty high security clearance with access to intelligence stuff. He's always asking if I need some people checked out. And worse case scenario I'm quite handy with a gun. In fact I love guns.



Whoah. Don't need to know about that. :)

You seem like the all around kind of girl. I took a girl I was seeing out to the range and she loved it. Whenever I see her now she always asks me to take her out shooting again. So what are your favorite pieces?

[kimpossible]

Woo, your no ordinary hapa. Do you own a gun? If so what kind?

Guns to me are a symbol of control and dominace over other people.

I learned how to handle firearms from a very young age. My father owned a good many guns and decided to take the educational and skill based route to instill a healthy respect for killing tools rather than tell us not to touch them. I see them as a severe responsibility. I would never own one or use one on someone for controlling or dominating. Only to kill. I'd never draw on a person unless my life was in danger. Anything else is just stupid and asking to be killed.

[Emperor_Mike]

I'm an enigma in real life and in the online world. The less people know the better, I think.

[coagulated fat]

I think it's dumb when people try to be enigmatic and mysterious on forums, I mean you're posting on an internet message board for christsake, how enigmatic could you be?

[Emperor_Mike]

I think it's dumb when people try to be enigmatic and mysterious on forums, I mean you're posting on an internet message board for christsake, how enigmatic could you be?

Quite enigmatic as far as divulging personal information is concerned. I suppose one can argue that those of us who haven't met face-to-face are mysterious in a way. We're not talking about waltzing into YW, giving single word answers and the like, of course. That's just ridiculous.

[Faithless]

I think it is interesting how much folks will review in their online profiles --

Stuff like, they're blog web sites (and even having a blog),
Putting pics in the gallery...

I guess they feel a high level of trust.