# Online anonymity disappearing



## qubit (Nov 20, 2011)

Yes, it looks like the days of posting anonymously, or psuedononymously on a forum, as we do on TPU are numbered, if this article on New Scientist and the posting example set by www.techcrunch.com is anything to go by - go on, click on a story and try to post anonymously...



> Illegal and just plain bad behaviour online has sparked discussions of new laws to combat cyberbullying and secure the internet from criminal activity. Such legislation may soon be irrelevant. Several companies are building tools that can identify internet users with unprecedented precision. Proponents claims the new tools will lead to a safer and less hostile internet. If the internet is to keep developing, they say, perhaps we can no longer afford to live in an anonymous environment where no one need ever be held accountable for their actions. Are we ready to abandon the option of shielding our online identity?
> 
> "The internet would be better if we had an accurate notion that you were a real person as opposed to a dog, or a fake person, or a spammer," Eric Schmidt, Google's executive chairman, told an audience in the UK at the Edinburgh Television Festival in August.




Now, the following is just f* scary. 




> There too, however, identity technologies are waiting to catalogue their misdeeds. Whether or not you share your identity with the websites you visit is no longer entirely within your control.
> Indelible ID
> 
> One of the most powerful identity tracking systems now available is offered by BlueCava, a company based in Irvine, California, that helps websites monitor fraud, among other things. BlueCava's software "fingerprints" any device that someone uses to visit a website, be it a desktop or laptop computer or a mobile device like a smartphone. That fingerprint is made possible by the hundreds of types of data that browsers send when connecting to a website, from the machine's operating system to the time zone in which the device is set to operate (see diagram).
> ...



Best to be as Mr Average as possible, then...


And this is a really important point, one which people are so used to doing, they don't even think about it:



> What's more, online social networks collapse our social lives to a single space, completely unlike normal life where we generally interact with different groups at different times and in different ways. A person might share a radical political view with a friend but shy away from expressing the same opinion at work, for example. It is normal for us to take on what sociologists call different "social roles", yet this behaviour is inhibited by the openness of Facebook, and less directly by the less transparent technologies that bind our online activities into a single identity.



Oddly, nowhere in this article does it discuss the likelyhood that identity theft will become rampant. _Tinfoil hats go on_

*New Scientist*


So, should TPU adopt Big Brother-style user identifying software like this? Vote in the poll - yes, it's a public poll, we want to know who you are. 

And my vote? A big, fat, *NO.*


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## Darkleoco (Nov 20, 2011)

Troubling very troubling, seems like privacy and rights are becoming a thing of the past now doesn't it?


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## entropy13 (Nov 20, 2011)

I voted "no" because there were a lot of words added after it, but not too much that my brain won't be able to comprehend it anymore. That's why I didn't vote "My brain is too small to comprehend such deep questions" because my brain is too small to comprehend too many words typed in one option. But I just typed too many words in one statement just now, so even I don't really comprehend why I can't comprehend too many words but still type too many words in a single statement.


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## Fourstaff (Nov 20, 2011)

Keep It Simple, Stupid. If we don't like a particular member of TPU due to bullying flaming etc, banhammer will strike from the sky. No need for such tactics which will cause people to leave.


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## Jack Doph (Nov 20, 2011)

Until personally identifiable information is collected, there's nothing sinister.
If such a thing were to occur, then at least under Australian law, the offending party would be liable for prosecution (explicit permission *must* be given prior to any such information gathering).

Also, privacy.net is far from a great place to see info in great detail - in keeping with the above example it gets my State wrong and is unable to locate *any* fonts.

That said, I voted no, obviously


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## _JP_ (Nov 20, 2011)

*This just looks like another way to shove advertisements into our faces, to me.*

This:





> Several companies are building *tools that can identify internet users with unprecedented precision*.


& this:


> Proponents claims the new tools will lead to a *safer* and less hostile *internet*.


Don't go together.
Simply because these tools always manage to be used for all the wrong reasons, once they get to the wrong hands.


> If the internet is to keep developing, they say, perhaps we can no longer afford to live in an anonymous environment where no one need ever be held accountable for their actions.


Ah, but people are already accountable for what they do on the internet if it is serious enough, so this an invalid argument.


> Are we ready to abandon the option of shielding our online identity?


Those that already have facebook, yes. The rest? Nope.avi

Also, don't forget Skynet.


*Puts on til-foil hat and starts changing MAC addresses*


EDIT (forgot about the poll and the thread's original title): No. I like my identity here as it is and my real one is not factor. I will identify myself if needed, but until then, I want to keep being known as _JP_.


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## twilyth (Nov 20, 2011)

Yawn.

Here's what it got from my browser



> Connection: keep-alive
> Accept: text/html,application/xhtml xml,application/xml;q=0.9,*/*;q=0.8
> Accept-Charset: ISO-8859-1,utf-8;q=0.7,*;q=0.7
> Accept-Encoding: gzip, deflate
> ...



And because I use a VPN, the ip address comes back to a location in Texas.  I'm not in Texas.


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## AlienIsGOD (Nov 20, 2011)

To be honest i could really care less, alot of sites have FB connect so im showing my real name to any of those sites.  I personally have nothing to hide and would use my real name if required.


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## PVTCaboose1337 (Nov 20, 2011)

Most of the guys who were on TS know, that we generally know everyone's names already.


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## EarthDog (Nov 20, 2011)

Not that I have anything to hide... but still F no. Moderators/member need to do their jobs is all...and here, they generally do a fine job...especially considering all the members that report posts.




PVTCaboose1337 said:


> Most of the guys who were on TS know, that we generally know everyone's names already.


And how many people come on TS vs the active member base?


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## DOM (Nov 20, 2011)

I use the first 3 letters of my name lol


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## Kreij (Nov 20, 2011)

I voted yes because it would make it a lot easier to find you doofuses and beat the snot out of you if you trash me here at TPU.


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## MilkyWay (Nov 20, 2011)

No, it should remain a personal choice. People who break the rules will be banned.

I dont see the point as people can forge a name or lie about their location.


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## Kreij (Nov 20, 2011)

Actually, I don't care if you guys know who I am or where I live. 
I would be thrilled to have you stop by, talk tech and drink beer until we fall over.


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## sliderider (Nov 20, 2011)

Kreij said:


> Actually, I don't care if you guys know who I am or where I live.
> I would be thrilled to have you stop by, talk tech and drink beer until we fall over.



Until someone you pissed off shows up at your front door with a gun.


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## Kreij (Nov 20, 2011)

sliderider said:


> Until someone you pissed off shows up at your front door with a gun.



LOL, just one?
*Notice to anyone coming over *: Bring guns. We can cut down trees with large bore weapons (like we did last weekend when we had the monthly Jeep club meeting here), and bring a change of clothes, the ATV trails are a bit muddy.


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## twilyth (Nov 20, 2011)

Kreij said:


> LOL, just one?
> *Notice to anyone coming over *: Bring guns. We can cut down trees with large bore weapons (like we did last weekend when we had the monthly Jeep club meeting here), and bring a change of clothes, the ATV trails are a bit muddy.


What.  No autonomous portal guns?  I'm guessing that's in the budget for next year though.


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## _JP_ (Nov 20, 2011)

Kreij said:


> I voted yes because it would make it a lot easier to find you doofuses and beat the snot out of you if you trash me here at TPU.


Feel free to come anytime, I'll prepare something for lunch.


Kreij said:


> Actually, I don't care if you guys know who I am or where I live.
> I would be thrilled to have you stop by, talk tech and drink beer until we fall over.


Hold the drinking, add shooting something.


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## btarunr (Nov 20, 2011)

You expect a fair poll on such an issue, and yet don't make it a truly anonymous one?







The irony.


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## Kreij (Nov 20, 2011)

LOL ... nice catch Bta.


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## cheesy999 (Nov 20, 2011)

qubit said:


> "A typical machine has 4000 to 20,000 fonts," says BlueCava chief executive David Norris. Fall outside this average and your machine is distinctive. "If you have 1926 that's a lot of uniqueness," Norris says.



these font things don't seem to work as well as they should

If i run that pivacy.net site on google chrome i get a grand total of 0 fonts recognised, this goes up to around 100 in internet explorer though

does this make me unique?


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## Inceptor (Nov 20, 2011)

I voted 'No' because this site is not immune from the small minority of immature and/or disturbed users who would act in various malicious ways against you, for no tangible reason.  That is, the ones that DON'T know who you are already.

For me personally, there would be some people, who, if they came to this forum and read my posts, saw my avatar picture, and location description, might recognize me, but I don't particularly care about them recognizing me.  They're the 'known unknowns', it's the 'unknown unknowns' that are the problem. Heh.


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## Kreij (Nov 20, 2011)

There are people who behave poorly because of the anonimity that the internet allows.
They would NEVER act that way if they were face-to-face with someone and might have to own up to their actions.
I am WYSIWYG in both real life and online, for better or worse, but to hide behind the anonimity of the 'net and cause misery is being an epic coward in my book.

As always, just my 2 cents.


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## entropy13 (Nov 20, 2011)

twilyth said:


> Yawn.
> 
> Here's what it got from my browser
> 
> ...



Although they did get my country right when I checked privacy.net, it's not necessarily solely my IP address. 

I still remember getting banned in a local server for Diablo II years ago for violations my IP address made, during a time period that I wasn't playing. LOL So the person that should have been banned would have been able to play then since that meant the ISP "rotated" the IP addresses around already.


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## qubit (Nov 20, 2011)

btarunr said:


> You expect a fair poll on such an issue, and yet don't make it a truly anonymous one?
> 
> http://img.techpowerup.org/111120/bta9073.jpg
> 
> The irony.



Yes, it was intended to be ironic. I was originally going to do it anonymously, but then reckoned that the ironic humour was worth going for.

Making people really give out their real identity online is a terrible idea on so many levels and that's what my post is about. As expected and hoped for, the No vote is winning by a country mile.  In hindsight, I think I should have voted the my brain is too small option, to make things even funnier, while clarifying my real position as a No vote.

btw, I like the chocolate pieces avatar.


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## twilyth (Nov 20, 2011)

Kreij said:


> There are people who behave poorly because of the anonimity that the internet allows.
> They would NEVER act that way if they were face-to-face with someone and might have to own up to their actions.
> I am WYSIWYG in both real life and online, for better or worse, but to hide behind the anonimity of the 'net and cause misery is being an epic coward in my book.
> 
> As always, just my 2 cents.


I go out of my way to make sure I'm anonymous and I don't understand people who aren't jealous of their privacy.  But then as a retired attorney, I tend to look at things from a worst case scenario.  Of course I understand that isn't always justified.  However if it doesn't cost you anything (or very much) to remain anonymous, then the nominal effort involved is justified - however remote any potential consequences might be.


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## btarunr (Nov 20, 2011)

qubit said:


> Making people really give out their real identity online is a terrible idea on so many levels and that's what my post is about. As expected and hoped for, the No vote is winning by a country mile.  In hindsight, I think I should have voted the my brain is too small option, to make things even funnier, while clarifying my real position as a No vote.



Don't worry, even if 99% of TPU's registered users voted "yes" in this poll, we still won't change the way forum members are recognized. TPU is not a democratic institution, but it's not evil either.


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## qubit (Nov 20, 2011)

btarunr said:


> Don't worry, even if 99% of TPU's registered users voted "yes" in this poll, we still won't change the way forum members are recognized. TPU is not a democratic institution, but it's not evil either.



OMG, I should hope TPU never implements something like this!  lol

Did you have a look at that TechCrunch website? It's shocking to see people's real ID's in the comments. They really have no clue to what they're opening themselves up for. :shadedshu

Sadly, I feel that this trend might spread.


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## Kreij (Nov 20, 2011)

btarunr said:


> TPU is not a democratic institution, but it's not evil either.



When I was asked to be a moderator they told me I had to be evil.


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## btarunr (Nov 20, 2011)

Kreij said:


> When I was asked to be a moderator they told me I had to be evil.



Yes, when it comes to maintaining forum order, you are asked to be a baby-eater, that's a different issue though. 

We aren't evil towards people who are in good standing.


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## AlienIsGOD (Nov 20, 2011)

qubit said:


> OMG that feels better!  Now your turn...



im on FB already and can be found with my nickname AlienIsGOD, already have several members on FB too 

i really dont worry about this kind of stuff 'cause i have almost 500 ppl on FB and most of them are there just for 2 specific games that I play on FB.  My identity is already out there and the comments i make NEVER put me in any kind of jeopardy or legal action, which is where some of that can lead to by idiots that forget/dont care when they make a malicous or incriminating post on a site.  

IMO if u got nothing to worry about, then u are fine


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## Kreij (Nov 20, 2011)

btarunr said:


> Yes, when it comes to maintaining forum order, you are asked to be a baby-eater, that's a different issue though.



Rofl ... you're the best Bta.


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## cadaveca (Nov 20, 2011)

My name and general location are part of my UID already.

I could care less about privacy online, and anyone that attempts to steal my personal info for financial gains, just ain't gonna gain much, and is likely to end up worse off.

Going through life as I have, holding secrets seems pretty pointless.


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## m4gicfour (Nov 20, 2011)

DO NOT WANT

Ugh. Yeah, because having a single globally unique ID (even if it's just a "profile" and not login details or credit card numbers) isn't a massive security risk... riiiiiiiiiight.

Imagine PS network or steam forums had been using that sort of software. Now the hackers, in conjunction with other stolen personal information, can track you to various websites and have a much better chance of taking advantage of reused username/password combos.


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## garyinhere (Nov 20, 2011)

I talked to qubit & apparently he is horney for a fee lol... Who cares if people know your real name? The time of the internet being open & free is coming to an end thanks to lobbiest and congress.


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## AlienIsGOD (Nov 20, 2011)

cadaveca said:


> I could care less about privacy online, and anyone that attempts to steal my personal info for financial gains, just ain't gonna gain much, and is likely to end up worse off.



Is it me? or are us Canadians just more laid back about this kind of thing


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## garyinhere (Nov 20, 2011)

AlienIsGOD said:


> Is it me? or are us Canadians just more laid back about this kind of thing



No you are just used to the usa telling you what to do already


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## m4gicfour (Nov 20, 2011)

AlienIsGOD said:


> Is it me? or are us Canadians just more laid back about this kind of thing



Yep. Just you.



garyinhere said:


> No you are just used to the usa telling you what to do already


+1


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## qubit (Nov 20, 2011)

garyinhere said:


> I talked to qubit & apparently he is horney for a fee lol...



Wha?  



garyinhere said:


> Who cares if people know your real name? The time of the internet being open & free is coming to an end thanks to lobbiest and congress.



Yes, big money in the form of vested corporate and government interests certainly do seem to be restricting the internet, little by little. :shadedshu



m4gicfour said:


> DO NOT WANT
> 
> Ugh. Yeah, because having a single globally unique ID (even if it's just a "profile" and not login details or credit card numbers) isn't a massive security risk... riiiiiiiiiight.
> 
> Imagine PS network or steam forums had been using that sort of software. Now the hackers, in conjunction with other stolen personal information, can track you to various websites and have a much better chance of taking advantage of reused username/password combos.



+1 Damned good point.


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## garyinhere (Nov 20, 2011)

I think it's because the internet is viewed as the wild west and their are no clear jurisdictions for various agencies and countries to control.


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## qubit (Nov 20, 2011)

garyinhere said:


> I think it's because the internet is viewed as the wild west and their are no clear jurisdictions for various agencies and countries to control.



Yeah, they _hate_ that, with a capital *H*. The RIAA/MPAA in particular, fair use and other business models be damned!

Everybody, put www.techdirt.com in your bookmarks for revealing info on what these vested interests constantly get up to.


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## cadaveca (Nov 20, 2011)

AlienIsGOD said:


> Is it me? or are us Canadians just more laid back about this kind of thing



WE consume a large portion of the glocal internet traffic, and more people percentage-wise up here have access to high-speed internet. It's been legislated into law that the entire country will have Wi-Fi access to the internet, from border to border, by 2014.

With such prolification into our lives, it's only natural we're a bit more accepting of the internet being a real thing, and naturally, when it's tied into your life in such a way, you're more willing to really "merge" online and offline into hte single entity that they really are.



garyinhere said:


> No you are just used to the usa telling you what to do already






Yes, that's why we have the Royal Army and Navy, and use "olde English", and the metric system. 

The difference is that we do not place ourselves as important, living under what is really Royal Assent. The individual is less important up here, where clearly...down there it's different.

Troll fail. 



m4gicfour said:


> Imagine PS network or steam forums had been using that sort of software. Now the hackers, in conjunction with other stolen personal information, can track you to various websites and have a much better chance of taking advantage of reused username/password combos.




Having accounts like that directly tied to your real identity, to me, provides more security, than anything else. those accounts are directly tied to me as a person, rather than some random anonymous name that has no link to me whatsoever.


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## AlienIsGOD (Nov 20, 2011)

garyinhere said:


> No you are just used to the usa telling you what to do already



ROFL hardly dude

None of my friends that i have talked to about this kind of thing fret over it either.


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## erocker (Nov 20, 2011)

cadaveca said:


> and the metric system.



How dare you bring up the metric system! How DARE you sir! 

Stay on topic folks. 

Thanks. 

I don't know why the question of TPU forcing people to use their real names is even being brought up. It's not happening.


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## cadaveca (Nov 20, 2011)

erocker said:


> How dare you bring up the metric system! How DARE you sir!






It has come to the point up here that many companies that we deal with on a daily basis, telephone, cell phone, internet, gas, power, cable, and even the government, are moving to "paperless" systems that require access to the internet.

Even schools...my kid's homework is sent to me every day by email. The school even teaches the kids how to effectively search using the internet. Society as a whole up here is adopting a much more "online" lifestyle such that online anonymity is really going to be a thing of the past, very soon, at least here.


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## FordGT90Concept (Nov 20, 2011)

Cyberbullying is only effective when the one being attacked knows the attacker.  Anonymous attacks, although can be worrying, people tend not to take seriously (there are rare exceptions, of course).  Case in point, which would you be most offended by:

A) A random stranger coming up to you and saying, "You suck!"

B) Someone you knew well coming up to you and saying, "You suck!"

Most people's response to A is "Okay?"  Most people's response to B is "Why?"  B is potentially devastating, A is memorable but altogether unimportant.


I think on that basis alone, it is self-defeating.


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## Damn_Smooth (Nov 20, 2011)

I voted my brain is too small because DERP???


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## streetfighter 2 (Nov 20, 2011)

I voted No, but I mean "No", not "No plus some editorial flare provided by our good qubit".

Sometimes my privacy concerns border on tinfoil, but anonymity has a power that most people do not appreciate.


Kreij said:


> I voted yes because it would make it a lot easier to find you doofuses and beat the snot out of you if you trash me here at TPU.


I may be stupid, incompetent and a doofus, but I am not a transvestite walrus.

http://www.theonion.com/video/google-opt-out-feature-lets-users-protect-privacy,14358/


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## CDdude55 (Nov 21, 2011)

It would suck if we had to use our real names as user id's and it's not so much of privacy, i am never considered with the people i interact with daily who i don't know to know my name. I'm not concerned that after they know my name they're going to go home and try to steal my identity, so i apply the same reasoning online. Plus i have an Iranian last name that most people can barley pronounce correctly, so i like to believe it adds an extra layer of security lol. 

But i like my online '''identity'' to be separate from my personal identity because those can intertwine easily, i don't want my full name to be stapled to everything i do online (not to say i watch/do bad stuff online wink wink lol). So user ids act as a wall between me and the sites i want to interact with and i enjoy that.


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## Solaris17 (Nov 21, 2011)

no way brah because then if i told someone to get fucked they would beat me up. even though i have most of the mods on my cell phone.


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## DOM (Nov 21, 2011)

Solaris17 said:


> no way brah because then if i told someone to get fucked they would beat me up. even though i have most of the mods on my cell phone.



 i woldnt be scared... want me to protect you


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## D4S4 (Nov 21, 2011)

a random thought: WOOOHOOO my FREE bar code tattoo is almost here!!!


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## NinkobEi (Nov 21, 2011)

awesome now I can get trolls on league of legends' physical address? I sense a string of serial murders!


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## Inceptor (Nov 21, 2011)

*puts fingers to temples*
*raises head*
"I sense a disturbance in the Net, as if a million voices wish to cry out in anonymous terror, only to be suddenly silenced.  Something terrible is happening."

Meh, it'll happen eventually, but not yet, not yet, and not here.


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## twilyth (Nov 21, 2011)

Harold Camping could only dream about getting as many second chances as the doom and gloomers get on the net.


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## theJesus (Nov 21, 2011)

> What's more, online social networks collapse our social lives to a single space, completely unlike normal life where we generally interact with different groups at different times and in different ways. A person might share a radical political view with a friend but shy away from expressing the same opinion at work, for example. It is normal for us to take on what sociologists call different "social roles", yet this behaviour is inhibited by the openness of Facebook, and less directly by the less transparent technologies that bind our online activities into a single identity.


And that's precisely why I don't bother with fagbook or other social networking shit.  Also why I try to keep my online identity separate from my real identity.  Not because I'm concerned about getting caught doing something illegal, but because I'm concerned about nosy employers finding my posts on GN


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## btarunr (Nov 21, 2011)

Please don't post your personal details here. 

Posting your personal details online is like public nudity. Like going to your friendly neighbourhood mom&pop store butt naked.


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## Irony (Nov 21, 2011)

If TPU was closed off from the universe, yeah, I wouldn't care. But since it is open to the uncensorable scum of the earth who happen to coexist with us on this planet that seems to grow ever smaller, I prefer to remain as I am. or less so. 

I really woudn't care too much though, Because no normal person would go several hundred miles out of their way to do something about anything I said. Generally speaking. Other than maybe a few serial killers and such. But thats what RDX and high powered rifles are for; throw in a deranged stalker, and that makes for an unforgettable shooting experience.  






Kreij said:


> LOL, just one?
> *Notice to anyone coming over *: Bring guns. We can cut down trees with large bore weapons (like we did last weekend when we had the monthly Jeep club meeting here), and bring a change of clothes, the ATV trails are a bit muddy.



I don't have anything bigger than 30mm, can I come?
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipe...VW_Type_1.jpg/800px-GAU-8_meets_VW_Type_1.jpg


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## cdawall (Nov 21, 2011)

Kreij said:


> LOL, just one?
> *Notice to anyone coming over *: Bring guns. We can cut down trees with large bore weapons (like we did last weekend when we had the monthly Jeep club meeting here), and bring a change of clothes, the ATV trails are a bit muddy.



I'm in I will bring my Jeep and guns!


Oh and as of now I am the only person to have picked not sure so pure win for me  I would rather like to keep using screen names hell I picked my current one almost a decade ago to use on aim.


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## scaminatrix (Nov 21, 2011)

Aw man I would like to vote on this but there isn't an option for me.
I don't think it's a "serious breach of privacy and ID theft" so there should be another option which says something like "No." 
The last option is just silly! Oh wait loads of people voted for it


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