Would your friends/family recognize you here on WB?

[Pencil Pusher]

Have you ever thought whether you'd inadvertantly meet friends and/or family while on here? We each have these unique screen names that others may or may not know about. Along with these names are our online personalities, so my question is whether your friends/families would recognize these online personalities as the same person they know outside of the internet.

I always thought it'd be weird to encounter someone I knew like this. You know, nobody really knows beans about others here unless we reveal it and so maybe the chances would be that you'd responded to or disagreed with your internet family/friend without knowing who it was and vice versa. Maybe sort of like a car cuts you off and you honk and signal that the driver is number one (add expletives depending on the severity of the incident) and then you realize it's your friend, as does he, and you both laugh it off and call each other putzes.

Since there is such anonymity [man this phat dictionary was a wise purchase] on the internet, it's easier for some folks to go a little overboard on the reactionary department than others, and likewise for internet behavior in general. Would you feel a little ashamed or apologetic if your family or friends discovered your online identity? I don't think there's any particular right or wrong answer, perhaps you're not assertive enough in real life but you can be on the internet, or perhaps you're extremely opinionated on the internet but an introvert in the real world. And all sorts of variants. I don't think you'd need to really justify your internet behavior anyhow, it's more a question of looking at your posts through other's eyes, those belonging to folks that care about you.

Pandora's Box?

[wacocelt]

Without a doubt, as I'm sure the few folks who I have hiked with that post here will tell you. I may be an idiot, but I'm a consistent one!

[Buckingham]

I love me, I'm a great guy, why would I ever want to be anyone else?

Other than Spiderman I mean, because really, how cool would that be. Plus I could finally ditch these pain-in-the-tukkas glasses.
I think I'll cut the mosquito netting out of my Hennessy so as to make myself open to as many spiders as possible. One of 'em has to do the trick.
:jump :jump :jump :jump :jump :jump :jump :jump :jump :jump

[dougmeredith]

Well since my screen name is my real name, I can't really hide behind that. The opinions I express here are consistent with my day to day opinions. I may occasionally carry an argument further than I would if I was face to face with someone, but I fight that tendency.

Doug

[Kerosene]

My extended family is aware of my trail name, my passion for the AT, and my style, so no, I don't think they would be surprised. Then again, no one in my family is likely to spend any time on a board such as this!

[jimmyjob]

yeah, my WB name comes from my name. its just a nick name my friends gave me...

i don't have a trail name yet.....:(

[Jack Tarlin]

Actually, Pencil Pusher, the Internet anonymity thing doesn't apply to everyone. Some of us here actually use their own names, and are perfectly willing to be "responsible" for everything they say here.

People that might feel ashamed of something they've posted here, or who wouldn't want their friends and families to know what they've written here should probably re-think their contributions. It's kind of like a Trail register entry: If you'd feel bad about your grandmother or little nephew reading something you've written, and wouldn't want to admit the entry was yours, then it's probably something best left un-said.

If you don't want to be associated with something posted here (or anywhere else on the Internet), or if you'd feel ashamed to put your real name on it, there's a simple solution: Don't post it. I'd like to think that most of the folks here wouldn't post something on Whiteblaze that they'd be unwilling to say to someone's face (tho there are certainly some major exceptions to this!!)

[orangebug]

There is very little real anonymity, Internet and otherwise. Borish behavior usually shines through in all aspects of life, even if you are the BTK murderer.

[Footslogger]

With me ...What you see is what you get. Friends and family would have no problem identifying me here at Whitblaze or anywhere else for that matter.

'Slogger

[tlbj6142]

I think the Internet just allows us to behave the way we want to, rather than the way we ought to.

I often read on this, and other, board that "no one on the trail behaves" like this. Well, in truth, the trail still puts social pressures on folks to behave a certain way. If someone makes you upset on the trail, you might just walk away and bitch about it under your breath. Whereas, on the I-net we are free to speak our thoughts without worrying about other folks feelings and/or "real" confontation.

Another example, if I'm on whiteblaze and notice that A-Train is on line, I am under absolutely no obligation to say "hi, how's the weather" or any other "pointless, shallow, small-talk". However, if I were to run into someone I know at the Grocery store, I do. Which medium is "better"? I'd argue the former.

So, in a word, the Internet is just plan "better" than the real world as the real world isn't real.

[Sly]

Sly here, Sly in real life. :sun

[max patch]

Never tell a lie.
Never kiss ass.

[SGT Rock]

I'm a lot nicer here than I am in real life.

[rickb]

I'm not proud of my spelling on WB.

God knows I wouldn't be so casual with an e-mail to my boss-- or even my family.

I might not know how to spell everything, but somehow third grade errors (too vs two) and (their vs. thier vs there) keep leaping on the screen. Not to mention the garden variety of typos.

Thanks for not pointing them out, btw.

Rick B

[Kerosene]

You forgot "they're" Rick! :banana

[jackiebolen]

The fact that I use my full name as my screen name makes it pretty easy to recognize! That, plus how many hikes have Edmonton listed as their location.

[Buckingham]

I am just as simple on here as I am in real life, the key to an enriching life is a good sense of humor. All my family and friends are well aware of my passion for hiking, and a few probably remember my hiking name, and they all know already that I'm a few sandwiches short of a picnic, so no, nothing they could find here of mine would shock or surprise them in the least.

:jump

P.S.
So nobody thinks my psuedonym hides some form of shame, my name is Darryl John Boyle.
:jump

[TOW]

wow, what a good topic. yes my friends or family would know who I am. the way i express myself on the internet is the way i express myself period. at times i am bold and at other times docile, depends on the topic at hand....

[TOW]

I'm a lot nicer here than I am in real life. i bet that's the truth with your occupation, but i hear good reports about you, so you can't be all that ornery....

[frankcornbread]

Actually I would say that I am comparatively reserved on WB. I surely am more careful choosing my words than in my day to day. In the real world I'll call you a jackass...If I believe that's what you are. Here, I opt for restraint.

FC