But I don't want you to know who I am!

[Drince88]

Originally Posted by €uroMeinke

Interesting

I do wonder how one would be expected to enforce it. You caould require it part of registration, but what do you verify the information against? I suspect an awful lot of John Smiths and M. Bormans to sign up..

Well, it didn't say you had to DO anything with it? Like taking a photocopy of your Social Security Card when you start a new job - I don't believe there is any requirement to actually CHECK it against a database. (Maybe there is now, but I don't think there was initially)

Originally Posted by €uroMeinke

On the other hand, here on LoT there are few of you that I don't know personally, so privacy in some ways has already been forfieted.

But (in my case, anyway) I would not have started posting on any internet message board without an initial anonymity to it. And I've only met a couple of people in person, so that means I give up my privacy to ALL? And THIS is a manageable size community - what about the mega-boards (I've been posting on the Disboards recently because I want to rent points - yikes that place is huge!) - I MAY have met a couple of people on that board only because of their association with other boards, does that mean I give up my privacy to ALL of them?

[Gemini Cricket]

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

Nope, would be the end of message boards.

Of course, if I have anything to say about it ... The LoT would flaunt any such unconstitutional regulation.

Waitaminute... the LoT would flaunt this law?

[innerSpaceman]

Ooop, looks like Lisa must have taken over my typing fingers.

[wendybeth]

Originally Posted by Gemini Cricket

Waitaminute... the LoT would flaunt this law?

Not only would we flaunt it, we would deify anyone who tried to contraindicate us in the process!

[Not Afraid]

HEY! I wasn't even around!

[alphabassettgrrl]

Originally Posted by €uroMeinke

On the other hand, here on LoT there are few of you that I don't know personally, so privacy in some ways has already been forfieted.

I think what troubles me most about this kind of thing is that the lines between home and work are getting fuzzy and the workplace is creeping more into the home and limiting speach in ways governments cannot

Meeting people from the boards is not forfeiting your privacy. You can choose to stay a screen-name and never meet anybody in real life. I think requiring your real name and address would indeed be the end of message boards. Possibly if it were closed, only accessible to members... no, not even then. There are too many wack jobs in cyberspace, and I don't want them being able to look up where I live. I have tried very hard to keep a low cyber-profile.

It's a conveniance sometimes to be able to find people through directory assistance or the web, but if a friend can find me, so can a wacko. Not a happy prospect. Luckily I'm not the type that people look up, nor am I worthy of note on the 'net.

I think if companies get bent out of shape over what people do in their off time they'd have few employees. Maybe if something comes to their attention, but really, if you go looking? A whole lot of us have skeletons in our closets. I've probably got enough for a chorus line.

I'm sure it's happening, but there does need to be a limit.

[€uroMeinke]

I have mixed feelings about "privacy." Once upon a time people lived in small communities where everyone knew each other's business, why shouldn't we expect other people to "know" about us. But I may be confusing concepts of privacy with anonymity.

[alphabassettgrrl]

I know I would be considerably more reluctant to post on something like this board if my real name and address were available on it. Even if it was supposedly hidden, only for the board owner's records, it makes me nervous.

You're right, we used to be all in each other's business. Was that really a better way to live? I'm not sure. It had benefits (if you cut somebody off in traffic everybody knows about it vs anonymity in a big city) but it has decided downside as well. Maybe less of a downside if you fit the profile of everybody else in town, but for a weirdo like me??? No, I'll keep my privacy, keep my distance, thank you very much. I like to be able to choose who knows what. Especially considering how easily connections can be made in this age of the net. It's startling how much can be found out about someone. I have tried to keep my profile as low as possible, and succeeding for the most part. I have never found myself in a search engine, and I like it that way.

[€uroMeinke]

Originally Posted by alphabassettgrrl

You're right, we used to be all in each other's business. Was that really a better way to live? I'm not sure. It had benefits (if you cut somebody off in traffic everybody knows about it vs anonymity in a big city) but it has decided downside as well. Maybe less of a downside if you fit the profile of everybody else in town, but for a weirdo like me???

See I wonder about that - people conceal their differences in anonymity, and sometimes we are expected to do just that. The work place is sometimes that way - just act corporate, show no odd interests and nobody's feathers get ruffled.

But when we all know each other's quirks - you're somewhat forced to accept them - or realize they aren't all that wierd after all. It's the unknown that we are most afraid of and anonymity creates a lot of that.

[Mousey Girl]

This is one of the few places that I am comfortable enough to post my real name, and that of my family. I learned how precious privacy is when I had aquired a stalker from a chat room. After he took things offline to threaten me and Nickolas, even going so far as to call my house and tell David exacly what Nick wore to school that day and to tell him I was having an affair with him (because I refused to have an affair). I learned my lesson. If this law goes into effect this would be the only place I would remain a member.