Anonymity and the Internet

[Dion]

From my experience you can learn a lot about a person from what they post. Everything from personality to thier likes and dislikes. Still it takes awhile for me to trust where i feel comfortable about giving out personal info.

[Yeah_Baby]

Originally Posted by Blaster86

I really want to make this my avatar.

[FireFly]

I've met lots of you so I guess I don't care much. However, I do have to say that losing my anonymity has really hampered my stalking capabilities.

[The Fonz]

If I wasn't anonymous I don't think I'd be able to say things on CP like I currently do. I probably wouldn't tell everyone that I sharted while lying in bed last week.

[missdpuck]

Originally Posted by Locke

Like gems in the noonday sun.

Rubies or emeralds?

[Winsor_Pilates]

Don't value anonymity much at all. I like to think of social internet sites as a compliment to me social life, not a replacement for it. If it leads to meeting people in real life and people knowing who I am, IMO that's a good thing. I have no reason to hide.

[burn_this_city]

Doesnt matter to me. My life didnt come crashing down around me by posting my pic in the mug thread.

[bigtmac19]

Originally Posted by The Fonz

If I wasn't anonymous I don't think I'd be able to say things on CP like I currently do. I probably wouldn't tell everyone that I sharted while lying in bed last week.

Well from reading a lot of your posts Fonz, that little tidbit doesn't surprise me at all. You have an inordinate number of posts regarding bodily functions.

[Maritime Q-Scout]

I think I've mentioned this on CP before, but one thing I find very odd and very bizarre about CalgaryPuck is the fact that I don't know anyone in person.

I've turned a friend of mine from here now living in Calgary to CP, and he uses it mostly for the ticket exchange. I've met HalifaxDrunk at a pub in Halifax, and other than that . . . yeah, no one.

Contrast that to other hockey forums I post on, I know just about every single poster of a local hockey forum, I've met countless posters in other cities, have partied with, crashed at their place, used to discuss major decisions, helped make major decisions, hell I emceed the wedding reception of two posters I've met online on forums like this.

I really want to get to Calgary to met people who post here, like people have said above you get a better feel for posters once you've met them in person.

Anyway, if anyone is ever around Cape Breton let me know, I have zero problem with people stopping me and saying "do you post on Calgary Puck?"

[bigtmac19]

Originally Posted by Maritime Q-Scout

I think I've mentioned this on CP before, but one thing I find very odd and very bizarre about CalgaryPuck is the fact that I don't know anyone in person.

I've turned a friend of mine from here now living in Calgary to CP, and he uses it mostly for the ticket exchange. I've met HalifaxDrunk at a pub in Halifax, and other than that . . . yeah, no one.

Contrast that to other hockey forums I post on, I know just about every single poster of a local hockey forum, I've met countless posters in other cities, have partied with, crashed at their place, used to discuss major decisions, helped make major decisions, hell I emceed the wedding reception of two posters I've met online on forums like this.

I really want to get to Calgary to met people who post here, like people have said above you get a better feel for posters once you've met them in person.

Anyway, if anyone is ever around Cape Breton let me know, I have zero problem with people stopping me and saying "do you post on Calgary Puck?"

I have a friend who has a place to rent in Port Hood and I was thinking of heading down there this summer depending on availability.

[wittynickname]

I'm far more careful about anonymity on other boards, but with CP it generally doesn't matter, because most people who post on CP are from a continent away from me. I've met one CPer, and will meet a couple more before this hockey season is over, but generally I'm not all that worried about keeping things secret because of the distance, the chances of anyone here knowing who I am in real life are slim and none.

[ResAlien]

Pfft, I'm in Denver. Don't care either way, but also don't go plastering my photo all over the internets. I've shared some rather personal stories, but the anonymity thing doesn't change that. Unfortunately, I'm an ass in regular life too. Meeting some of you jokers might not be too bad, not like that'll ever happen. Only reason I'd come back to Calgary is to see my Father's grave.

Although I do have random feelings that some of you are kids I grew up with, at least a lurker or two. The anonymous thing is nice though, the post your mug thread did provide a bit of creepiness. I have perused the Facebook group to match a name to a face. Removed my mean dig

[NuclearFart]

I may have, or am going to, put a finger in your bum at some point.....it's best that we don't know each other

[ResAlien]

Originally Posted by NuclearFart

I may have, or am going to, put a finger in your bum at some point.....it's best that we don't know each other

If you're a dude, not cool. If you're a lady, well, giggity giggity.

Don't ruin this and be a dude.

[pylon]

I have no issues about meeting people in here. I would however have issues meeting someone off a website like the wild rose semi-automatic weapon club website or the donkeys are beautiful cuddly creatures club. I picked up a great group of players for my mens team, and they are a great group of guys. I also love CP for the general lack of incoherent flame wars and unstable trolls.

[ResAlien]

Originally Posted by fotze

Probably the only dude you would ever let finger your hoop and pay him afterward and thank for potentially saving your life.

Allright, well now I'm just lost. Or maybe he has a license plate that says ASSMAN.

[missdpuck]

Originally Posted by ResAlien

Allright, well now I'm just lost. Or maybe he has a license plate that says ASSMAN.

Don't worry Peter Griffin , he's a doc.

[GreenTeaFrapp]

For me, the biggest worry is having what I post on here, or some other internet forum, cross over into my work life. Back when I was in university I posted a lot on usenet under my full name not realizing at the time that it would be hanging around and still searchable many years later.

While I was in school I was at one point accused of being the leader of a shadowy underground international organization that did all sorts of nefarious things. Not exactly what you want a prospective employer to see if and when they search your name unless your applying to the mob, the Hells Angels or the Edmonton Oilers.

The real story behind that actually goes like this. There was a legendary kook at my university, who for this story we'll call Squirrel Boy. Anyway, one morning during frosh week I'm heading on the bus back to school after doing Shine-a-rama. I've been up all night, I'm really tired and I'm not in the mood to deal with much. Suddenly, I hear this whiny, squeeky voice who is complaining about everything and turn around to see what looks like a short, pudgy, unkept 14 year old with thick dorky glasses. That was my first encounter with Squirrel Boy.

Like I said I was tired and in not exactly the happiest mood. I just want to sleep, even if it was just on the bus, and Squirrel Boy was preventing that from happening. I may have then turned to Squirrel Boy and told him to shut the eff up or I'd cause him some sort of physical harm. He then got up and went looking for a different bus to get him back to campus. I then heard some girls, who were in the same frosh group as Squirrel Boy, say that he was ALWAYS like that. The bus took off while Squirrel Boy was still ranting and raving away looking for another bus.

The next day was the highlight of frosh week for facilitators like I was that year - a trip to the water park, which was informally known as "buy your facilitator a beer day". I had a great day, lots of beer from my frosh put me in a great mood, and that good mood continued when I got on the bus to go back.

The ride back was on standard school bus was packed and since my shoulders are kind of broad the seat beside me was one of the last one to be filled. Now who should hop on the bus at that point but Squirrel Boy. Squirrel Boy was kind of an oblivious kook so he didn't recognize me from the day before and decides to sit down beside me but I sure as hell recognized him. Since I was in a good mood I took a different approach to his annoyingness on this occasion. I engaged him in a conversation that covered topics such as virginity, his success with the opposite sex on that day and the attractiveness of the females on the bus. The conversation didn't last long. Squirrel Boy quickly became vexed and, after turning a new shade of red, decided to look for somewhere else to sit on the back of the bus. There wasn't anywhere back there for him to sit and the people in the back forced him to go back to his seat after a couple of minutes. I then proceeded to embarrass him the remainder of the trip which entertained a bunch of my female frosh who were sitting nearby.

Later in the school year due to a series of bizarre incidents on campus Squirrel Boy became a legend and I discovered his real name. I then posted an account of my interactions with him on some school newsgroups. Because of what I posted, Squirrel Boy named me as the leader of the aforementioned organization that he created out of thin air along with a rather lengthy FAQ about the organization as an explanation of the whacked out, but completely true, stories that had circulated about him on the internet.

Squirrel Boy's FAQ is hard to find online these days but let that be a lesson that you never know what kook is going to invent crap about you on the Internet.

[Prototype]

I will only meet people in Chicken On The Way basements.

Seriously... I've met people from the site, and I think it adds to the experience. I try to be as protective as I feel I need to be around these parts. Maybe a little more loosy goosy (that's right, I said it) than on other sites, but I feel more comfortable here, cause there's a common bond that brings us here. I honostly think that I could sit a watch a game with 90% of the people here... past that, it's dicey, but watching a Flames game with CP nation would be cool.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by ResAlien

Although I do have random feelings that some of you are kids I grew up with, at least a lurker or two.

I have run into a number of friends from school through this site. Twice this has happened where the other person came into my office! I find that quite hilarious, and while both cases were unexpected they were pleasant surprises.

There is one poster here who I'm almost positive I know from school. I don't actually know who they are, but from things that they've posted I just think that we know each other.