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Sierra Ledge Rat
Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
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Nov 13, 2012 - 08:36pm PT
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Why would someone use a screen name rather than their real name?
Good question. Because everyone else does?
A couple forums to which I belong are so small that we all know each other and hang out together on occasion. So screen names are okay. Even if someone uses a false screen screen name we still know who it is anyway from their comments and language.
I started using my real first and last name on the last few Internet forums that I joined. I don't like using screen names.
Harry Marinakis
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Gilroy
Social climber
Boulderado
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Nov 13, 2012 - 08:44pm PT
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I have an screen name that is my nickname and my dad's before me because them damn Texans can't handle the true pronunciation of a Cajun's real name. Besides, how do we know you're really Roger Brown? On the internet, nobody knows you're a dog....
There are plenty of solid reasons not to use your actual name on the intard webs. Not to mention, I don't care if you don't take me seriously. Those that know me will and that's all I really care about.
Keith Guillory
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Jaybro
Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
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Nov 13, 2012 - 08:49pm PT
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My name is as common as it gets. No one uses it.
John Anderson
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Plaidman
Trad climber
South Slope of Mt. Tabor, Portland, Oregon, USA
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Nov 13, 2012 - 09:08pm PT
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I have to have a screen name cause my real name is Scott Peterson.
It really is a perfectly good name. I've had it all my life and I am older than that creep that offed his wife and baby!
Actually I like being Plaidman. And it is just Plaidman. Not The Plaidman.
Kinda like you wouldn't call Superman The Superman. Or Batman The Batman. So it's Plaidman. Kinda like Catwoman. I am a Scottish kinda superhero.
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Captain...or Skully
climber
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Nov 13, 2012 - 09:12pm PT
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Dig it, Plaidman. But for a while, Batman WAS called The Batman.
Seriously. In the comic books.
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Gene
climber
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Nov 13, 2012 - 09:13pm PT
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I chose mine cuz it's short and easy for me to remember.
Gene
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Mungeclimber
Trad climber
the crowd MUST BE MOCKED...Mocked I tell you.
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Nov 13, 2012 - 09:14pm PT
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why does anyone need to know who a random poster is?
if the behavior or posts are problematic, the issue is how to get rid of it, not how to uncover what the real name of the person is.
if it's more about knowing who I am as a person, then well, like the rest of us one must go climbing with us, meet us at the parking lot, at the crag, or email us.
But I've already met Roger, so it's all cool. :)
basically search engines changed the nature of posting in a BBS. There's nothing to hide per se about who I am, just no reason to have our posts be judged out of context (the true definition of privacy btw).
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High Fructose Corn Spirit
Gym climber
-A race of corn eaters
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Nov 13, 2012 - 09:14pm PT
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Really, what's the big deal one way or the other?
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Mark Sensenbach
climber
CA
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Nov 13, 2012 - 09:15pm PT
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I agree. real names work for me.
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zBrown
Ice climber
chingadero de chula vista
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Nov 13, 2012 - 09:16pm PT
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not trying to one up anybody, but I just Googled 'screen names' and came back with 320,000,000 (in 0.16 seconds no less). a little bit of knowledge can be very powerful.
This guy, YZEIF11521, seems a little suspicious, I found over 30,000 emails from him to
Paula Broadwell (and if you think that's her real name, you got some real thinkin' to do).
Bruce Petraeus
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Fletcher
Trad climber
Fumbling towards stone
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Nov 13, 2012 - 09:16pm PT
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This has been hashed out before, but it's worth discussing again (as others have noted). In general, it tends to be a good idea to be who you are. Sometimes, that can be a screen name, though, like Locker! Would you call him anything else in person? I think he's even got a tatto of one on his forearms, if I recall correctly!
Others, like Dingus Milktoast (or DMT), need to keep their identity hidden because I think he needs to to protect his job. Must be a spook or something. Ha ha! But again, not doubt he is real and we all know who he is going way back to the wreck.climbing daze. If I ever were to lucky to bump into him in the woods, I know him fer sure!
If you are a woman, all the more reason to want to be protected by a screen name. There are goons out there and we've had our share, unfortunately (though hopefully that's been minimal). There are some people here who I thought were guys for years until they posted a picture of themselves! There sure are some pretty dudes out there!
And, then there's just yer basic privacy. There are bots out there crawling sites for names and info on you. Names are a piece of that and I respect people who want to obscure that for this reason. And Facebook et al. do this personal info collection stuff to the max because you willing give it to them (sometimes despite your best intentions). ST is pretty low tech, but I like it that way. And I come from almost 30 years of startups and other tech companies! :-) But as you'll notice from the ST ads, even those are generated based on the content of a particular thread.
As for me, I just just my middle name as my screen name and always sign my real first name. And that's really me in the photo.
Eric
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MisterE
Social climber
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Nov 13, 2012 - 09:21pm PT
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Because when your employer/potential employer googles your name because it is easy and standard, I don't want them to know I am a risk-taker. That comes later, after I have established my reliability.
Duh.
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Nov 13, 2012 - 09:36pm PT
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I had a name. Or at least I assume I did. But things get complicated after enough turns of the wheel, and one forgets... So I just get by as best I can, and don't worry about who I might have been when I was a real, living being.
If that don't do it for you, well, I've climbed with a lot of the people who populate this place, and they can tell you whatever name they gave me.
Tami calls me Davey, for whatever that's worth.
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GDavis
Social climber
SOL CAL
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Nov 13, 2012 - 09:40pm PT
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Always allow anonymous voices. You can choose not to be offended and to ignore others who are negative, and its those anonymous voices that sometimes spark the best ideas.
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pud
climber
Sportbikeville & Yucca brevifolia
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Nov 13, 2012 - 09:50pm PT
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Pud is a spiritual name from the early Roman days.
To "pud" was to give of ones self without expecting anything in return.
You could say someone was "puddable" if he/she was known as a helping individual.
A "pudder" was only helpful sometimes.
Not everyone liked to be "pudded" but everyone loved "pudding"
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Ghost
climber
A long way from where I started
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Nov 13, 2012 - 10:19pm PT
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but everyone loved "pudding"
Especially chocolate pudding!
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Plaidman
Trad climber
South Slope of Mt. Tabor, Portland, Oregon, USA
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Nov 14, 2012 - 01:08am PT
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Dig it, Plaidman. But for a while, Batman WAS called The Batman.
Seriously. In the comic books.
I am not a comic book character. Just A character.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Nov 14, 2012 - 01:19am PT
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We all wanne be someone we're not, right?
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froodish
Social climber
Portland, Oregon
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Nov 14, 2012 - 01:41am PT
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I'm easily discoverable to registered users (via my email address, which I've used for decades in many different 'net contexts), but my screen name does provide a bit of obfuscation to folks who aren't registered. That's the line I've decided upon. Seems to work so far.
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