A Du'er was just fired from his job having been stalked by a post

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

and now everyone is answering this question.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=105&topic_id=3652159&mesg_id=3652159


Could you at least make it DIFFICULT for someone to harass you?

Many on that thread may not care, but I guarantee you if harm befalls you, you will care.

It is easier than easy to ask a bunch of personal questions and use that info to google you....

again...I do not think the threadstarter meant any harm..but people...think before you post...if you still don't care, then fine..but just in case you DO care...consider the fact that it may not be wise to post personal information.

see this thread:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=4107281&mesg_id=4107281

[MissB]

1. Exactly.

And ignore the posts that ask you your middle name, and what high school you went to.. blah blah blah.

All good advice, NSMA! :toast:

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

8. Which high school is a real easy way to find you

especially when people give their age on a poll thread and their first name and/or middle name..I mean...if it's Bob..it might not be a biggie...and if it's Billy Bob, it might not be a biggie..but otherwise

[merh]

34. But what if we post fake middle names

and high schools and the like. :shrug:

It's kind of like taking the repuths fund raising materials they send in the mail and stuffing the postage prepaid, return envelope full and dropping it back in the mail to them. Just a bit of personal satifaction knowing that you played the game better than they did. ;-)


:hi:

[Kathleen04]

67. Or go by your

middle name a la me. :)

My first name is way too rare so that's why I do it..

[Tallison]

70. Yeah, mine too, though I use it anyway.

This thread has me giving it second thoughts. On the other hand, being new here, I want to be as frank and forthcoming as possible about personal stuff to deflect any suspicion that I'm a troll, which all newbies are understandably under. Oh, the dilemma...

[I Have A Dream]

77. Hi, Tallison. I understand your point about being a newbie...

and worrying that people might think that you're a troll. However, as a fellow low-poster, I've found that people don't expect anyone to reveal anything that might compromise their safety. I think as long as you're not saying things to defend Rove or things like this, you'll be trusted for the most part. If not, things will change slowly as you get more posts.

Please don't take any chances. There are some really sick people out there who can look at all of our posts and piece a pretty good profile about us using all of them. Personally, I'd rather be called a troll than be stalked. Please stay safe. :hug:

[Tallison]

79. Thanks. It's interesting this is all in wake of that recent thread in the

lounge about whether or not to show your profile (I think started yesterday) and what people may infer from one's decision to do so or not. Being new, after reading that particular thread I decided to continue erring on the side of open disclosure (as I started by using my real name in these forums). Funny, I was thinking earlier in the car today about how I was probably one of the few here to do so and how instantly about 1,000 people out there would recognize me. Thankfully I'm already pretty outspoken in the "real world" - at work included - about anything I might post on here. But Jesus, this thread is really sobering regarding the reality of some people's malicious intent...

But dammit, can you imagine all the repugs out there scanning this thread right now taking satisfaction in the level of apprehension now seizing some DUers over this incident? As much as I'm tempted to say, "Yeah, I'm going to think twice before posting something incendiary," I'd rather say "Fuck you, double-fuck your unconscienable party, and here's my full name."

So fuck them. And here it is: Tallison Heather Rausch of Falls Church. I'm in the book, assholes, and I dare you to try compromising me. :mad:

[greatauntoftriplets]

2. That's exactly why I read that thread....

and moved on.

[Misunderestimator]

3. Exactly.

Thanks for pointing that out.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

4. Between Andy and Walldude, I'm keeping personal info to myself

these people are pure evil. If this were 1940s Germany, these assholes would call the Gestapo on neighbors hiding Jews.

[bigwillq]

6. So, that means I can't ask

what your bra size is?:evilgrin:

[Kathy in Cambridge]

11. Only if I can ask you about your naughty bits

:P

[bigwillq]

17. Well, my screen name

does begin with "big"!!!!:evilgrin:

[DS1]

22. Wrong!

These assholes would call the Gestapo on EVERYONE but themselves, and let those the Gestapo thought continue to exist.

[RPM]

5. i started that thread

sorry - no malicious intent. Of course, there are those who see that and may form such intent.

I just wanted to know what the hell people do such that the lounge is bouncing all day...

:cry:

[Midlodemocrat]

7. Do you want me to delete it?

[RPM]

9. if you feel it is in the best interest of all involved.

i defer to your judgement

[Midlodemocrat]

10. Well, I don't think you meant any ill intent at all

it seemed in the beginning to be a typical lounge type post, but as a result of what happened to walldude and with Andy's funeral coming up tomorrow, maybe it would be best.

[RPM]

13. go 4 it

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

12. and I knew you meant no harm..believe me...it's just that with such

acts as have occurred recently, I think it's good for all of us to consider what we do and don't wish to disclose.

That's all...nothing at all on you ;)

[Midlodemocrat]

14. No, it was obvious to me that you weren't calling him out or

anything NSMA, I think your spidey senses were going off. Good call.

I deleted it.

[RPM]

16. yeah - we should all stick to breastfeeding & anal bestiality posts

its a much safer lounge when we do... :D

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

19. Hey, my friend...this even makes masturbation posts look benign

again..I meant no ill will toward you and I knew you were wondering what people did and not using it for any reason...unfortunately we have assholes who don't have enough to do in life studying us and we need to be aware of that fact and consider it when divulging things that may make us vulnerable.

Peace

[RPM]

20. i know - im just playin

:D

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

25. i know...I didn't mean to piss in your punch bowl at all :)

[RPM]

28. wasnt taken that way

:toast:

[Nikia]

15. Why I didn't give details of my recent interview

I haven't posted my picture or my hometown or my real name, but I wouldn't want to be coincidently be recognized by the interviewer while they are making a decision about whether or not to hire me.
Sometimes I do feel that I already have revealed too much.
I think that those of us in smaller towns have to be careful about posting information along with the name of our towns. Those of us who went to smaller schools also need to be careful. I think that it would be a mistake to ever name your company unless perhaps it is Walmart, McDonald's, or other chain that is in almost every town, but not in conjunction with the name of your town.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

21. Yes..especially people who live in rural areas need to consider this

[Misunderestimator]

32. I just saw a news segment about this... that universities are googling

candidates... and finding their blogs... and turning them away because of the opinions they express.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

51. I'm SO glad that in Brazil, all you have to do is pass the exams.

Better universities have harder exams. Lousy universities have wimpy exams. Nowhere does the whim of an asshole behind a desk come into play.

[DS1]

18. You know, NSMA, I'm with you on this

If truly believe that IF I had started something as simple as an excel spreadsheet on every DUer that joined since I did, I would be able to pinpoint the name, age, sex, probably appearance, marital status, living conditions of, and on and on of every DUer that at least frequents the lounge.

Posting personal information is some dangerous shit, I wish some people would knock it off because they're clearly unable to either A) know when to stop or B) defend themselves should they push some asshole freepers buttons the wrong way.

There's too many picture threads, there's too many what town are you from threads, there's too many what is your zipcode threads. There's WAY too many birthday threads.

Did you know that with marketing databases being what they are these days a person with access to them can pinpoint exactly who you are going only by your birthdate and your zipcode? Granted, there could be some overlap, but then they'll drop in your gender, and other things, and get you.

Dangerous shit. I wish the picture threads would stop. And NOT only because I'm sick of seeing them 4 times a week.

[Midlodemocrat]

23. Yeah, the picture threads make me nervous, too.

I haven't posted my pic, and don't intend to. I have sent some DUers a pic of my kids via PM however, people that I have come to trust through their posts.

[bigwillq]

26. I'm really surprised when some

DUers post pics of their kids. I would never.
I never posted a pic of myself but not b/c I'm worried about stalker's or anything like that.

I'm just a dork when it comes to posting pics on the computer.

But the kids pics are another story.:hi:

[MissB]

29. Same here.

I rarely even talk about 'em.

[SarahB]

35. I don't do kid pics.

Or if I have, they're old ones that are really out of date. I never say my town. I never say my last name. I don't say where I work or specifically what I do. I probably say too much still though, but I'm in no way a public or well-known person (you google my name and you don't come up with me period). People could compile a general thing on me, but a not a specific who and where.

[bigwillq]

37. Looking back

I've revealed some things that maybe I should just keep to myself.
Sometimes it's kind of easy to get caught up in "sharing" on DU!

[xmas74]

42. The one pic I posted of my kid was almost 3 years old.

I'm careful about her. Occasionally I'll mention her first name but there seems to be a slew of kids w/in her age group w/ the same name (I can think of two in her preschool class that are w/in 4 days of her age). I've told what I do for a living but not where I work. That would be harder to pinpoint since I don't work where I live and commuting is pretty common in my area. And there are a number of women in my town in the same field who also commute at least 45 min. to an hour daily for the same kind of job who are also w/in the same age group as I am.

[ScreamingMeemie]

76. I post pics of my kids.

Live free or die is my motto. I won't be stupid enough to post my address or other really pertinent info, but if they want to get you...they'll get you no matter how careful you think you are. I still believe in America. I also believe in anti stalking laws (I've had problems with an ex) and defending myself. I'm just saying, I won't give in. :hi:

[SoCalDem]

93. I once emailed a perfect stranger

because she had posted the usual semi-nudie little kid pics after bathtime..and a bunch of her little girls in the wading pool..and THEN

included a FREAKING MAP with directions to their house, highlighted for the annual barbeque..

I was gentle, but got the point across (the site was pulled the next day)that there were so any perverts that scoured the web, and she might as well have offered them a ride to her house so they could grab her kids..:(

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

24. One time on old DU, Bev Harris posted a spread sheet in the lounge

detailing the gender of every DU'er she knew of. Once I saw that she kept an actual spread sheet, I stopped trusting her...that was my FIRST CLUE about her.

[MissB]

27. And in my opinion

she may not even be one of the really scary freaks. In my opinion, she may well be a garden-variety non-stalking freak. Or not.

[philosophie_en_rose]

30. Rhetorical Question...

Who has the time for that? Who has the energy for that?

I try not to share personal information, precisely because of stalkers and people with too much time on their hands.

[nashville_brook]

62. rhetorically: only weirdos would expend the energy, BUT

that, imho -- puts the ball back in our court to play nice and not inflame the passion of the unhinged.

[DS1]

Yes, there was NO reason but malice to keep track of that

other than to prove a point, or store data to turn things around and twist the screws on people.

[JanMichael]

57. I don't remember that one....what a freak

I just found out a few weeks ago that Rabrrrrr is a man....and it's more or less because I just don't really care!

Except about you, and Misunderestimator....and Salin....and Zomby.....

Well...you know.

[salin]

72. I missed that - very, very creepy

what was the point? To demonstrate what you point out (how easy it would be to gather data) - or just that it didn't occur to her that it would creep folks out that she was "taking down information" on us?

[Gormy Cuss]

40. which reminds me , I'll be over your place later

Stewie just turns me on so.

:yoiks:

Seriously, as a privacy rights advocate, I am very cautious about the amount of info I reveal here. Before I bought a house I had the marketers so confused they could never draw a bead on me. I had successfully hidden my employment, my purchases, marital status, you name it. It was relatively easy in the pre-911 "papers please" era.

On a related topic, can we please get the lunkheads in the Dem party to make privacy an issue? With all the so-called "ID theft" these days maybe, just maybe, the public is ready to deal with this.

[Ariana Celeste]

31. I do agree that people should be wary

of what personal info they post. But I sure am not going to stop posting pics or little things like that. Some of us have no reason to be afraid of those douchebags in FR. But there are certain things that shouldn't be posted. That much is true.
It's always smart to retain a certain level of anonymity online, FR or no FR. There are plenty of other creeps online, too.

[nashville_brook]

61. right-o, especially on the photos

i'll post photos of my dogs. i don't have kids (gee, is that too much personal info). if i had kids, i would never post them online. toooooo many creeeeeeps. for real. and i don't post my photo on my blog profile. that just feels creepy.

but my views -- my identity -- an email address... they're there. i am thankful for every old friend who has found me thru my blog address. there's been dozens. not ONE -- never has anyone emailed me personally to flame or threaten, since july 2002. i'll keep you posted.

[enigmatic]

33. yep

Let's be careful, folks..

[Wetzelbill]

89. so what's your name and address again?

:)

[enigmatic]

92. Here you go!

Buck Naked
69 Twin Peaks
Pork Butt, Idaho:)

[democracyindanger]

36. And some people 'round here think hiding your profile

is suspicious, when actually it's just common sense.

[Misunderestimator]

48. Except that you don't have to put anything in your profile...

and just show your join date...

I'm one who thinks it's suspicious. :hi:

[hippywife]

49. I was suspicious when

they were calling people who had no profile or hid them "freepers." Like they were daring people to put their personal info out on display. I erased my profile the first time someone got fired for something they posted on DU. I live in such an obviously red place, it wouldn't be too hard to narrow things down.

[Cyndee_Lou_Who]

38. Recently, the LTTE 'assignment' made me think of this...

People are posting their LTTE's verbatim, and the paper to which they sent. The paper publishes full names and cities... and now that can be tied to a DU name and ALL posts... I hope Skinner warns people...

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

39. agreed

[Kathy in Cambridge]

50. Thankfully, I have a very common last name

but if my letter gets published, I'm still not bragging about it on DU.

[Democracy White]

56. I don't have a very common last name

so I was wondering if you write and LTTE if you can use a fake name?

Dee

[Misunderestimator]

71. A good thing that I doubt mine will be published :)

I won't do that again.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

52. I was THIS close to posting my letter when I connected the dots. (nt)

[uppityperson]

91. I put mine here knowing it could be traced. I'm not worried.

I have a file on my seditious activities, peace marches, protesting the "election", etc. Most people around here already know how I feel. If anyone wants to know more, or find me, they will be able to already. I'm not worried. I mean I am a little, but not enough to stop me. If someone wants to find out about me, they can. There are too many of us to stop us all. I will not let my life be ruled by that fear. There is enough otherwise to fear. Onward with courage.

[xmas74]

41. I've never been too worried about personal info.

My first and middle name are very unusual and I went to a small high school. Most of the people in my town already know how I feel about a subject (or subjects). They already use things like my bumperstickers (I only have two but that Save HeadStart one screams out to most people in this town). If someone googled my real name they would see me linked to articles in my area about work w/ various causes that are considered highly liberal in the first place. I've already had one person make a comment about it (I went up for a job and wasn't hired. Turns out the person in charge of hiring googled my name and found it associated w/ causes that he didn't like-namely working on the local Kerry campaign).
They already know who I am if they want to. That's fine w/ me. I already know who two freepers are in real life (won't say their names but they are not who they claim to be). If they don't bring up my name I won't bring up theirs. It's all good.

[JimmyJazz]

43. I recommended this so that it reaches more people. We all need

this reminder. :hi:

[bigwillq]

44. I will join you in the recommendation.

I think sometimes we get too caught up in "sharing" with fellow DUers that sometimes we forget about our own personal security.:hi:

[JimmyJazz]

46. It's not the worst idea in the world to throw out mis-information from

time to time as well. I've thrown out an incorrect birthdate, the wrong high school and the wrong home town....just in case someone is watching.

[bigwillq]

47. Threads like these

just give us fine DUers something to think about.
Again, it's so easy to want to tell people things about yourself so they can get to know you but yes, we should be more careful.

[shugh514]

45. It's true

like DS1 says if he kept track of all the posts he could compile very personal information. I haven't been here long but I see that there is alot of good company here and it's easy to get too comfortable and let your guard down. People reveal little facts without thinking about what they add up to. It's something to keep in mind.

[bliss_eternal]

53. To be on the safe side, I chgd. the name in my profile, etc.

Better to be safe than sorry, I suppose. In these times...

[nashville_brook]

54. this is a hot topic

i would never tell anyone how to conduct themselves in terms of disclosure -- but, i feel like it's an issue that everyone is going to bump against, either as an ethical issue, or a security issue.

i've been a writer and a lefty columnist for many years. people know me and know my politics. when i'm at work i never talk politics. that's for writing. if a freeper won't hire me b/c s/he has read something i've written that goes against their politics, i totally accept that. their loss. frankly, i'm done -- zip -- zilch -- done with working in industries that don't square with MY values. BUT, that's a luxery that not everyone has. judge it for yourself.

i want to turn this around, though -- what exactly WOULD you do differently if your name (your real name) were on every one of your posts? how would that change your online life? politics aside (b/c we DO live in strange times), how would it impact your life?

as far as political discourse goes...a poltical life with no identity has less value for me. i choose to live in THIS world... where my name and hometown are my identity. it keeps things simple and true. for me.

[gmoney]

55. If anyone needs me, I'll be hiding under a rock

...but I'm not telling you WHICH rock.

[Democracy White]

58. Ok you've got me scared

With all of this talk about people and freepers getting a hold of our information, is there any chance that one of these crazies may stalk us in RL, maybe even harm or kill us? Is there any incidence of this happening to other DU'ers?

I certainly don't want to be the victim of a "hate" crime due to where I post at.

Dee

[nashville_brook]

60. ok, get a hold of yourself

i can't say for a hundred percent -- but if you're not out there picking *personal* fights with our right-winged brethren -- please don't expend any cortisol (stress chemicals) on worrying about it. it's not worth it. you are way more likely to experience identity theft from someone going thru your trash for junk mail (or from buying tickets thru ticketmaster, as was my experience).

i published a lefty paper (some would say radical) in upper east tennessee in the mountains. you don't get any redder than that. our offices had big windows on the ground floor. we sponsored high-profile events. we lived high-profile lives in the music community. if anyone wanted to do us harm, they could of. time are different, sure. but please, don't start thinking that folks are going to stalk you for posting about kerry or bush or the election or your dog or anything.

the incidence that happened yesterday had to do with a poster revealing the intention to culture jam. his client found him out -- and given the location and the info provided in his post -- it wouldn't be too difficult to figure out. granted, the client blew it all out of proportion, but given the poster's intent to culture jam (subliminally, albeit) it's kinda, sorta understandable that his client would be pissed.

that incident is a good object lesson in being responsible. we ALL have those. may all of ours be so gentle. it was a gig, not a career. when i finally got done reading the thread (there's prolly been more written since this morning) it seemed to me that payback was all on the "gentleman's" level. no fisticuffs. just a lost gig. there's proportionality here, folks.

[Droopy]

64. I know for a fact that there are psychotic people out there

who would do someone harm if it was within their power. I used to be one of them. This is not the first time that someone on here has been hurt by a lurking right winger. I know of two other DUers who have been targeted by trolls. One guy lost his job because of a troll and some trolls figured out where a woman DUer lived. So you see that it's possible to be really hurt by the information you give out on here.

[nashville_brook]

68. oh yeah, there ARE psychos out there. we should keep that in mind in

every thing we do online and in the "real world."

but seriously -- if there's an incidence of an unprovoked attack, please let us know.

and likewise, i think (and this is just my opinion) it's a good policy not to get too far up anyone's butt in forum discussions. first of all -- it's bad form in the sense that YOU are likely to regret mean things you say in the dark night of your soul. secondly, it's the personal attacks that lead to trouble -- not discussion of the relative importance of one philosophic message versus another.

disagreement amongst political opposites is what our country is built on. by all means, engage in lively, meaningful discussion. but it's smart, and good karma not to go for anyone's throat personally -- in any situation.

wouldn't it be a nicer virtual world if we treated each other as least as respectfully online as we would in person?

[Droopy]

75. Well

I call going after someone's job and seeking out someone and harassing them for their political views to be unprovoked attacks. Those people who were sought out didn't do anything other than express their opinions on a message board and they were punished for that. It would be kind of like someone throwing a rock through your storefront or harassing you at your home because of the ideas that you expressed in your newspaper.

But I do agree with you that people should treat each other with respect no matter what means they are communicating through.

[nashville_brook]

80. someone please correct me if i'm wrong -- but it was a gig and the poster

voiced the intent to fiddle with it to subliminally toss in some cognitively dissonant "slides." put the shoe on the other foot. you are (lets say) Verso publishers and have a booth at a tradeshow and have contracted someone to do your multimedia. you are lurking at a RW forum and come across someone planning on "jamming" on your presentation that you are PAYING FOR. wouldn't you fire the contractor? i would. especially if there were planning on putting subliminal material into my presentation that runs counter to my philosophy.

now -- do i think our guy should be despised for his aborted action? no -- it's cool that he had this thought and that his first impulse was to do some fairly innocuous jamming.

he got caught and paid the price -- which was a GIG, not a full-time job. so the damage is contained for our erstwhile culture jammer.

point is, tho -- that 99.999 percent of the folks hanging at DU are not posting about their intentions to culture jam a paying client. let this be a lesson. it wasn't an OPINION that was posted -- it was an INTENTION to mess with a PAYING CLIENT.

no one EVER threw rocks through my windows no matter how vitriolic we were at the state of affairs in our redneck little mountain town. never, not once. that's not to say there weren't campaigns launched against us -- there were! but, imo, they were fair game. dirty, but not violent and not something we couldn't fight with a little elbow grease.

[Droopy]

85. I wasn't even talking about the person

described in the original post. But if that person would have kept his mouth shut about personal information he wouldn't have lost the gig. That's the whole point. If the people I was talking about would not have divulged personal information they'd still have their jobs and their peace of mind. It's unlikely that the worse will happen. But I'm not willing to take the risk that something will not go wrong especially because I'm sure there are people out there who should be on psychiatric meds that monitor sites like this one. It only makes good sense.

[Democracy White]

65. That clears it up

I certainly don't have the fortitude to *pick* a fight with any fundies. I'm too nice of a person to do that. I just was wondering if there were any freepers that were crazy enough to actually cyberstalk a member here if they don't like what he/she was saying and if it could turn into RL stalking.

I have heard stories before of people, hackers cyberstalking others on forums, msg boards, etc. and esclating to cyberstalking which ends up in a brutal beating and/or murder

So when I started reading some of the posts on this thread I got worried because I don't want to be the target of such an attack

There are people out there that are crazy enough to do it.

Dee

[nashville_brook]

78. righton -- it's a good question, and one that goes to the heart of

what it means to be human... American... and an Online American engaged in charged politcal discourse. these are really complicated questions. and they deserve lots of attention.

i wasn't able to see the original post that kicked off this thread... but i gather it had to do with someone posting some sort of "roll-call" question.

totally and completely -- it's smart not to post pics of you or your family. it's just too personal.

and please, if you have a link to a story about a political cyber-stalking ending in a brutal murder -- POST LINKS! that's insane... and i mean in the crazy, messed-up way. everyone needs to be aware of such things!

[Droopy]

59. Dear DUers, Be careful folks.

Here's a post that I wrote on the matter that complements NSMA's post.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=105&topic_id=3286286

I think we need to have a sticky with a word from Skinner on the matter.

[RPM]

63. And now people are giving away their BIRTHDAYS

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=105&topic_id=3656267&mesg_id=3656267
:eyes:

[Kathleen04]

69. Doh!

I deleted mine--I need to start being more careful..

[Kathy in Cambridge]

73. I never give away my birthday.

you're asking for identity theft.

[RPM]

74. yup

u said it

[bridgit]

66. more than proper...good advise ~

:kick:

[Wetzelbill]

81. What about harassment?

Because I've been getting harassed.

[nashville_brook]

82. how so -- can you say?

[Wetzelbill]

83. oh the usual disagreements but with a little too much anger

I had to put somebody on ignore earlier this week for example. Nothing out of hand or anything. Usually, you can just avoid people, or sometimes they end up as Freepers and get booted anyway.

[Maddy McCall]

84. At DU or in the real world?

If DU, register a detailed complaint with Skinner.

If in the real world...well, DAMN, I hate that...can't give any advice.

:(

[Maddy McCall]

86. Do you remember those threads back around election time...

in which DUers en masse posted their whole names? Some even posted the cities in which they live.

The "My name is..." threads?

I guess call me chicken shit, because I had no intention of posting that here. It's one thing to trust DUers, but there are lots of people who read DU who do so only to gather information to harm us.

[proud2BlibKansan]

87. This is good advice

Back when I was a glutton for punishment I posted on a couple freeper dominated discussion boards. As soon as I mentioned I was a teacher, I had several of the folks I debated say that they wanted to turn me in and make the school district fire me. So I learned early on not to tell them where I worked. One of them sent me an email and said he was going to make it his personal mission to find out who I worked for and send them a porn email and claim I had sent it to his children! (And yes, he included a link to the porn he was planning on using to frame me.)

So I changed my email address right quick and turned him in for sending me porn. :) And that idiot was kicked off of that discussion board.

I also posted here a few weeks ago about a freeper who had been stalking me. Thanks to a couple of awesome DUers, I believe I have stopped that.

I realize nothing I have been through compares to what Andy Stephenson was put through in the final months of his life. But I do know how cruel some people can be. It really blows my mind that we cannot respect our differences and have healthy debates on the internet. But the fact is, there is evil lurking on the internet and we need to protect ourselves. Some of us have learned that lesson the hard way.

[Gemini Cat]

88. Thank-you NSMA!

This is something that has been concerning me for some time.

[ForrestGump]

90. That's why I never before posted my occupation and why, for a long time,

I never posted my location. Ditto where I come from. My career and the place(s) that it took me were too specialized, to the point that I'd be instantly found on the first page of any Google search. Career and location have opened up a bit of late (at least for now), but I'm still highly recognizable, in a very restricted and uncommon 'niche' occupation, and various other attributes still make me too easily unmasked.

For a long time -- and I guess it's still the case -- I was also concerned about career prospects, in a limited field, in light of information or opinions I may have expressed on DU. The university thing, for instance (that at least some schools now glean the Internet for skeletons in candidates' closets) sucks to the highest degree, and I've already -- long ago -- probably given some of them cause for concern with my dismemberments of f***wits on Usenet groups since the early '90s.

As it is, I've put out enough information that many who know me even moderately well might think "hmmmm," but I haven't given and won't give anyone, publically, the definitive 'smoking gun' to my identity. It's not paranoia, it's self-preservation. And, besides, I (like many) don't get a lot of privacy as it is, so why make it any worse?

[Maddy McCall]

94. Well, DUH. We know you run a shrimping company...

and you were born in Greenbow, Alabama. Doesn't take a whole lot of brains to figure THAT out!

:hi:

[ForrestGump]

95. That's in the county of Greenbow

I just felt like running...

:P

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

96. Cyberspace is like a box of chocolates

you never know what you're gonna get ;)

[Maddy McCall]

97. LMAO...

No, really. In context, that was funny as hell. :pals:

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

98. indeed

[really annoyed]

99. Yes, Be Careful

I have been a personal vicitm of a bully from Free Republic. Other people I talk to on the internet have received sexually explicit e-mails from him. The guy is anti-gay and anti-women to the point where he would probably physically hurt somebody if he got the chance.

It can happen to anyone.

[Zorbuddha]

100. Well, the bastards have made being up-front and honest too dangerous

to consider.

The long run effects of this bode ill for our society. Hell, look around...there is already a climate of deceit creeping into what islands of decency remain.

Shit. Just, shit.

[Zomby Woof]

101. .