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anneyce
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08 Sep 2012, 12:14 pm

I just googled my WP username and it had popped up within the search results showing some of my postings here. I do not use this username often, but if I did publish some more information (for example my current location), it would be easy to track me down.
This is a bit scary because I do not want to "advertise" that I'm an aspie or lets put it that way: I'm not ready to come out as one.

Thing is, I do have a few questions, but in order to get an answer, I'd need to at least tell where I live... How could I protect my identity? Maybe a completely new username would be some sort of a solution (so at least the average user wouldn't find me)?


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TallyMan
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08 Sep 2012, 12:25 pm

The only forum hidden from the Google bots is the Members forum. You could post there; other than that you must be aware that nothing you post on the internet is truly anonymous. You should never use your real name on here or use the same username on more than one site unless you don't mind people linking them together. This can last for the rest of your life. What you say today can come back to haunt you in ten or twenty years time. Potential employers routinely type in the names of job seekers into Google to look at their facebook page or see what internet forums they post in and what they get up to in real life.



Sweetleaf
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08 Sep 2012, 12:37 pm

Its not really a good idea to give your exact address online in general.

Also if the employer does not know what someones online username is...how would they find what that person says on other sites? unless they have it linked to their facebook account or something? Also though the notion that one should be super careful what they say lest a potential employer does not hire them bothers me......why should someones life revolve around what a employer may or may not like? that said its obviously best not to publicly say things that will get you into legal trouble...but if an employer is so nit-picky they would not hire someone based on say their 'intrests' maybe that employer is not worth impressing.


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anneyce
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08 Sep 2012, 12:58 pm

Yes, I'm aware of all that, I'm separating my "identities", and this username only shows up along with my posts on WP. I'd probably not get fired if someone knew, but the thing is that I want to keep this issue private, or at least decide by myself who to tell. And on a side note, I'd never give out my real address, but only the country would already be risky enough.

Or, just screw'em and stand by it...


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Disraeli
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08 Sep 2012, 1:04 pm

As Tallyman said there is no real such thing as anonymity on the internet and though this is a safe haven for Aspies on the internet it would be wise not to post anything you wouldn't want people to know in real life because you never know whether or not that information can be used against you in real life some time down the road. Unfortunately there is nothing Wrong Planet can do to hide your information from Google, so you must be selective about what you post on this website and on other websites in general. That is, unfortunately, the nature of the internet today.



Surfman
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12 Sep 2012, 7:10 am

I googled 'tin foil hat' earlier this evening

and the 3rd google hit was to a WP thread, being a thread about hats that I made a comment on.....

scary huh!



Tequila
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12 Sep 2012, 7:28 am

TallyMan wrote:
You should never use your real name on here or use the same username on more than one site unless you don't mind people linking them together.


If you pick a very, very generic name though the effects of that can lessen, as too many other people use the same username.



Tequila
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12 Sep 2012, 7:29 am

Sweetleaf wrote:
Also if the employer does not know what someones online username is...how would they find what that person says on other sites?


Or if someone uses their real name as a username, or if someone uses their real name beside their username.



Underscore
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12 Sep 2012, 1:47 pm

Surfman wrote:
I googled 'tin foil hat' earlier this evening

and the 3rd google hit was to a WP thread, being a thread about hats that I made a comment on.....

scary huh!


If you only typed that and searched for it, that isn't supposed to happen. It doesn't show up anywhere on my computer, and I don't think WP ever will be frequent on any search. It's relatively small.



TallyMan
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12 Sep 2012, 2:29 pm

I was using Google to find a particular atheist quote and it too had WP on the first page of results! I wonder if they've been messing with the search engine results to give higher ranks to sites they know you've visited recently?


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Surfman
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12 Sep 2012, 3:40 pm

Yes

Another forum I was regular on, often came up when I search a subject only[that had been discussed on that forum]

I've had WP in my first page of results, many times only searching a subject

Time for a tin foil hat?



TallyMan
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12 Sep 2012, 3:47 pm

Surfman wrote:
Time for a tin foil hat?


See if you can buy any "two for the price of one" and I'll go halves with you. :lol:


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aSKperger
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13 Sep 2012, 9:35 am

Quote:
Time for a tin foil hat?


It depends. What are you afraid of exactly?



TallyMan
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13 Sep 2012, 9:41 am

aSKperger wrote:
Quote:
Time for a tin foil hat?


It depends. What are you afraid of exactly?


We know who you are - we're sending the boys around later to duff you up and steal your marbles. :P


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Sweetleaf
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13 Sep 2012, 9:43 am

Surfman wrote:
I googled 'tin foil hat' earlier this evening

and the 3rd google hit was to a WP thread, being a thread about hats that I made a comment on.....

scary huh!


not really...I do google searches all the time and it comes up with forum topics quite a bit, It never really struck me as scary.


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Sweetleaf
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13 Sep 2012, 9:45 am

Tequila wrote:
Sweetleaf wrote:
Also if the employer does not know what someones online username is...how would they find what that person says on other sites?


Or if someone uses their real name as a username, or if someone uses their real name beside their username.


Well that's why you don't use your real name, or put your real name next to your user name. Sure Facebook requires a real name but I do not find it that hard to avoid putting things on there that would get me in trouble. I am not one of those 'hey lets go party and put pictures of underage drinking on facebook.' types or 'lets go smoke this cannabis and say where and when on facebook' I swear some people are idiots about these things.


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