Well... it's true.

http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/ ... 9405c.html

There are times when people would like to make a comment (not necessarily negative or personal) that if their identity were known, it would be interpreted as being personal. There are many folks who assign credibility, or the lack of it, strictly on the identity of the poster (speaker) or their organizational (think of politics) affiliation.

As others have pointed out, there are times when you'd like to comment. If you responded with your real identitiy, your comments may well be taken as a policy statement for your organization or employer when that is not the case and you are not authorized to make such policy statements.

Many employers (and organizations) have rules and policies in place that could result in termination or disciplinary action if you post in a public place, or say publicly, anything that would betray trade secrets, business practices, partnerships, or create negative publicity.



I suspect that an equal percentage of posts that are not erased are also made using phony names.

Another quote "What a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to decieve"
If I google my name I get neo classical artists, cricketers and someone from the Orkneys, I think there was a US politician of that name also.
Gavin Hamilton is my name and it first appears in the family tree around 1680 FWIW. If another had used it I would have had to register under a variation of it or some other handle but I would still sign with my name which is what this discussion is about. I would not try to decieve by underhand methods - my view is that if I can't post it under my own name I won't post it - maybe some others should do the same.

Just to add my $0.02:

All too many people work for organizations whose managers
would never understand or accept anyone who is different
from them. And all too many of us do find it very hard
to get any job at all, especially in these times of shipping
as many jobs as possible overseas. And if posting here under
my full name would be likely to prevent me from getting a job
I would desperately need, or to keep a job I desperately need,
I would never ever post here.

I think it is far more sensible to let the moderators do the
excellent job they do and not to worry about the flames
some people post. Perhaps we can look at such flames as
proof those people's pop-offs are working properly - they are
just letting off steam. After all, who among us has never
ever gotten mad and said or written things we later wish
we had never said or written? No one is perfect!

I thank everyone who pointed out that prospective employers
now usually Google most prospective employees before hiring
them. If a you are revealed as a railfan, that alone might be
enough to be thought of as unacceptably weird and could,
therefore, prevent you from being hired. And this does not
even begin to touch the difficulty you could be in from the
posts on the Web you have made.

Remember: one person got in the news because that person
lost their job because they posted something unflattering about
their employer in their personal blog! Soooooo....it does make
a lot of sense for many of us to be very careful about what we
write on the web - 24/7! - and about how fully we each
choose to identify ourselves on the web. I think "superheater"
made some very good points, and I do not respect him any
less because he chooses not to disclose his full name.

I agree with both Onder and Ron Travis. They make very
good points. Truth is truth, no matter who speaks it.

Ross: None of this concern about what our employers might
do to us is "poppy-cock". It is a very real concern to many
of us who have to do a lot just to keep a roof over our heads
and food on the table.

I use my real first name, and call myself "Margaret (SP fan)"
because that is the name I use everywhere on the web.

For reasons of personal security, I would much rather not
use my full name. Zabasearch.com has made finding
people's home addresses and phone numbers much too easy.
Is this an issue that most men do not worry about?

I like this forum a lot, and see very few flames. Thank you,
moderators!

Margaret (SP fan)

I'll add my own 2 cents as well, for whatever value it may hold.

Adding someone's real name is, as Erik pointed out, a burden which would likely all but kill off this board. Off the top of my head, the quickest and most effective way to determine that we all are exactly whom we claim to be, would be through some sort of billing system, where we would need to pay for board access and thereby providing account information which would confirm the user's identity.

Names are not the best means of identification. A perfect example is myself, both my father and I have the exact same name, including two middle names. The only difference between the two of us (name-wise) is he is Sr, and I am Jr. A simple effective means of telling the two people apart, except neither of us uses the Sr or Jr desginations for anything.

Another example which I witnessed perhaps 2 years ago. On another board, someone posted with the name of Geo. Krambles. This person was mistaken for the late George Krambles, noted interurban historian and former director of operations for the Chicago Transit Authority. The poster asked a simple question, a question which in no way could have been construed as anything other than a inquiry,,, and he was bashed mercilessly for about a week for "passing himself off as George Krambles". The poster noted that he had posted several times (albeit very infrequently) in the past and was shocked at these attacks. In the end, the poster left the group in question due to the virulent nature of the comments posted (and allowed to remain, unfortunately). Now did this guy get disgusted and really leave, or simply come up with a new email address and start calling himself something else ? Other than him, no one will ever know.

It's all about content, not the author's name. War and Peace would still be a great novel, even if written by some guy named Joe.

Bravo for the suggestion that people post under their real names - I have felt that way for quite a while. Here's why:

1. As previously mentioned many times in this forum and elsewhere, the anonymous nature of the Internet creates real problems with flaming and the posting of misleading or inaccurate information.

2. I personally travel a lot to the conventions (NRHS, RPCA, etc.) and excursion trips, museums, etc. in this hobby, and I very much enjoy meeting in person the people I have only known electronically over the years. If people post with fake names on these sites that makes that interaction impossible. Judging from what I have seen on these sites over the years I have stood right next to some of the more-frequent posters on these sites on photo lines, at conventions, on trains, etc. but had no idea who they were. That's lessened a great deal the enjoyment of going to the NRHS convention, for example.

3. Putting your name behind a post - and making a name for yourself within this hobby/industry - does add a lot of weight behind your posts.

Chris Jacks.

I understand the points on both sides of this discussion, and I would endorse these words of Chris Jacks and encourage voluntarily the signing of posts and the use of a real name. If I have met an author and then read her book, I read it with better insight. I do enjoy meeting in person those whom I have seen posted here and from then on, their posts carry more weight as well as enjoyment. It adds a human level of community in this electronic environment.

Ed Selinsky

I'd hate to lose the contributions from many of those who have real reasons to be reluctant to use their real full names. Superheater, for example, can provide valuable insight into the interstices between the private and public sectors, and would not be free to do so openly for legitimate professional reasons. Trainlawyer, for another. We couldn't afford to have to go buy the kind of advice we can get from them openly on this forum.

I use about half my name, but almost anybody who needs to, knows who I am. I also respond to private mail no matter what they call me - and there have been several unofficial names applied to me in the process. I'm not trying to hide, and have taken some unpopular positions publicly in the past, in an effort to try to make our industry and professional organizations stronger. I don't actually care if you like me or not by any name.

I admit, I do to some extent view some posters opinions with greater weight than others - some, like Ross Rowland or Bennett Levine, as a result of their accomplishments. Some as a result of the content of what they have to say, whether or not they use their real names.

Our moderators do a fine job of putting out fires, and seperating information from attacks. I don't think we need to be trying to solve this non-problem. Let's leave well enough alone.

Dave Lathrop (not the one in prison in California)

Another though-provoking topic on what I feel is one of the best forums around.

I am not a good computer person. I was one of the last in my circle to even get into the cyber-world, and will always consider myself a novice within this realm. There are a good many things that I don't (and probably should) know. But I learned very early what evil can lurk behind a keyboard and the hurt that can be transmitted anonymously via the internet.

I was especially impressed by the comments of Onder, Mr. Travis, and Margaret, and the ones that mentioned the google and Zabasearch issues. There are valid reasons to with-hold. On the other hand, I salute all you noteworthy people who contribute in their genuine identity. A someone remarked, your names are known and respected. As for the "non-de plumes", I also see your side of this issue.

I have a very unique surname also. The only relatives having same being all located in New Jersey. I was TAUGHT by people that advised me on how to perform on these forums to never use a true identity, or share any statistical information while on line, to manually log-in every time, trust no-one and never open anything you aren't expecting or do not recognize. The paranoia is prevalent. I use the same "handle" on all forums I belong to, and find it easier for me in particular.

I don't think we can eliminate "ghost" writers anymore than we can eliminate turmoil in the middle east. I would be more concerned if this problem was one or more persons continually changing their identities to muddle or intentionally disrupt the list. But that isn't what we have here. It's just diffrence of opinions that occasionally get out of hand. Let's all try to be gentleman and get on with these topics, and let the moderators do their jobs.

Just my humble opinion.

R.B.O.

First of all, I checked the public database for a fellow licensee practicing my profession named Ross Rowlands. There is none, similarly, I checked to see if any other posters have such a license-none appeared. Therefore I will assume I know the requirements of my profession best.

MORE IMPORTANTLY, you will note that there was a clear assertion that I misuse employer internet resources. I do not. My current employment is of such a nature that employee internet usage is more or less continuously monitered-so if I did-I'd be as free to use my real name as other posters. This is exactly the sort of thing which causes me to post anonymously. I have no intention of allowing an agent provacateur to make an anonymous phone call to an employer or displinary board because he/she wants to squelch criticism.

Maybe not.

Try Ross ROWLAND [skip the letter "s"].

In a profession where one keystroke can make the difference between accurate reporting and a libel lawsuit, I know better. I would point out the difference to you, if I thought your mind weren't already made up in advance.

I took your admonition as I mistyped the name in question.

Results are the same. However, I'm not a lawyer, and I'm not a ( or ever going to confused with a professional) typist. I type with very heavy fingers and use the hunt and peck method.

So what should readers tae more umbrage at, a spelling error ot the assertion of employee misconduct made without any reasonabe knowledge.

Nonetheless, I'll concede the point I made an error.

Just to get back to the original topic of discussion on this thread, as much as I hate to reduce myself to this level of personal discourse..........

At least I have the option of running Ross Rowland's name, presumed age (and I have enough resources on hand to discern it), etc. through all those online databases, Google, etc. if I should so choose. And I already know that if I choose to pay for background checks, etc. that I'm likely to come up with an item or three that may cast him in a bad light.

Ditto for my own name and information.

And I should know--I have two private investigators looking for the owner of two collectible vintage automobiles that a partner and I have custody of but can't sell for the money owed me until I find a title. I know all too well the travails of people's personal histories.

That's more than I can say for the guy who hides behind a pseudonym and flings personal attacks against others from behind that pseudonym.

Yeah, sorry if this sounds lie a personal attack. But I'm addressing the topic raised by others.

I'm humbled by the responses to this question(and to the many messages I've recieved back channel-thank you) and to the many valid points of view. I was especially moved by Margarets posting and I want to apologize for my cavalier remark about posting/employer consequences. It was wrong,ignorant and insensitive and I truly regret having said it. Being self-employed all my life I'm obviously oblivious to the reality of what can happen in the real world of holding a job and it's a mistake I shant repeat.
It's also obvious that a clear majority prefer posters who do not hide their true selves but most respect the fact that for some it's a necessity and that without that option we'd lose some good contributors.
As Mr. Ledbetter reminds us, if we do our best to follow the guidelines there won't be an issue and for those who suffer a momentary lapse we can be grateful for our very able moderators!
Ross Rowland.......no s please.....

Wow, thank you very very much for the apology, Ross!
I am quite touched that you are a man enough to admit -
and in so very public a place! - that you made a mistake.
wow......

Margaret (SP fan)
[only half anonymous! :) ]

An interesting debate going on here, one of the reasons I have this site
in my favorites. I was advised a long time ago that when it comes to
the NET, error on the side of caution. Posting my real name adds or
subtracts nothing from any comments or statements I may make here.
These very words I write, are they anymore less valid if I post as O-6-O,
Jon Doe or even Row Rossland? An all out flame job should and could
be handled by the moderator and this site is tame compared to many. I've
crossed the line a few times on other sites(not proud) and have apologised
to the aggreaved party openly and back channel with my real name. There is just too many reasons not to post on a open and public site, any
personal info, but let the debate go foreword.

Mike Something