Quote:
Originally Posted by Locke
in the end I think its just like anything else, people should have the right to choose.
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This.
In real life, I get to chose how much of my life I want to share with other people, and I should have the same option on line. My Facebook settings are clamped down as tight as they can go, (yes, I realize that doesn't make my profile impervious, but it's the best option available at this point without abandoning FB entirely) and if I want someone to be able to see into the more personal aspects of my life, I wil grant them access as I see fit.
Unlike some, I do not have an online alter ego. Who I am on the internets is pretty much the same as what you get in real life. I kept a blog for years, and although I used my real first name, I did not use my last name or name my wife or children in posts involving my family. I feel that they also have a right to their privacy, and it is not my place to expose them without their knowledge or consent. As much as identity theft is a problem, I am not nearly as concerned about someone stealing my identity as I am about someone using my internet activity as a way to get to my family. Using my real name would only heighten their potential exposure, and if a forum were insist that I use only my "real" identity, I would likely discontinue using that forum immediately.