Would you post under your real name?

texas

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I don't use my real name just in case I post a REALLY stupid question or response to a post, and someone recognises me and then has written proof of how stupid I am ������(well to be fair it has already happened a few times) , hopefully no one I know has recognised me yet.

/\ This.
 

timefort

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I don't (obviously), but mostly because I want to be able to ask questions without people who I do know being offended I felt the need to ask the question / didn't take their advice etc etc. I've escaped from a stalker ex-boyfriend, and am old enough to be concerned about just what information exists about me. I don't facebook or twitter for similar reasons. That said, anyone who knows me in RL would instantly recognise my user name.

However, imagine my confusion when lurking round H&H one day to find a just added post, by a new user, with my first and surname as their user name. To this day I don't know whether someone was having a laugh at my expense, or whether they genuinely share my (I didn't think that common) name :eek:
 

Jenni_

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I would, I think, and I would post the same as I do now- anyone with a modicum of intelligence can work out who I am, and I think I have half of HHO on FB :D

You don't have me ;)
I would, I almost do kind of. My first name plus my location and I always name venues etc in my reports so its not hard to work out who I am :D

Plus I have some HHO's on FB too.

ANd as for my real second name... I have enough problems with it in real life never mind on the internet! It may be short but even Scottish people seem to struggle with Gaelic names :p
 
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FinalFurlong

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What trottingon said!! Id be scared that someone I know recognises me and did something. I also know I can use HHO for help with personal problems without worrying about being judged
 

Tayto

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When I set up my account, I put my real name as my screename - mostly because I am rubbish at remembering login details! I have nothing to hide though so dont mind if people know who I am :D
 

Perfect_Pirouette

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No- never.

I don't care if I give an opinion on someone else's thread that I think somebody may see and not like, but I do care about opinions in my own threads that someone IRL may see.

I post sometimes in other non-horsey parts of the forum about personal(ish) stuff that mainly, I would like unbiased opinions about, OR if I just need to get something off my chest (friend peeing me off or something) and I absolutely do not want people that know me IRL reading that, especially people I do not like or get on with IRL.

Sadly, I have had a few people come upto me IRL saying 'I've seen your post on the HHO forum' blah blah blah and I'm like arghhhh, dammit. I know when you post on an open forum that is the risk you take but really, this is quite a large forum and I would think to some extent it is possible to stay anonymous for a certain amount of time.

However anyone who knew me IRL would instantly recognise me from my signature so I suppose I can't be that bothered ;) I also have a few HHOs on my FB.
 

Enfys

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No I don't think so, I have been Enfys on here for years, I like being Enfys, although plenty of people know me on Fb.

The name I am generally known by isn't actually my given name at all, it will get you to my front door (and if anyone gets here then they deserve a coffee at least :D) but it won't get you into my bank accounts. I think to preserve real anonymity on here you would never mention names, locations, or post anything but the most unremarkable photos. Some eagle eyed soul would recognise your yard, horse, husbands best friends sisters horse and find you out :D

To Officialdom I am still known by the names on my Birth Certificate.
 
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Enfys

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I do often wonder if we have any 'famous' riders on here hiding!

Oh yes, we sure do :D

Kelly Marks (or someone pretending to be her) uses her own name.

There are some very well known trainers and professionals here, I know at least two users who are at lofty heights in their particular tree.
CR and Breeding in particular are pretty well populated. :)
 

JFTDWS

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Oh yes, we sure do :D

Kelly Marks (or someone pretending to be her) uses her own name.

There are some very well known trainers and professionals here, I know at least two users who are at lofty heights in their particular tree.
CR and Breeding in particular are pretty well populated. :)

I've heard tell of interesting folk in CR... One never really knows with the less prolific/photo-posting posters who they could be.

FWIW, I'm actually Mary King - the photos of the plebby highlands I keep posting are actually a clever rouse to maintain my cover ;)
 

JennBags

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I choose not to, from an Internet privacy perspective, but I am identifiable to anyone who knows me, and that doesn't bother me as I wouldn't post anything on here that I wouldn't say IRL. I also shy away from making any posts of a particularly personal nature.
 

Sussexbythesea

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Horsey people locally who know me in RL (and there are several on here) would recognise me from my pictures that are in my profile and from what I've posted so I'm not really hiding anything from anyone.

However due to my work I would not want someone to put my name in a search engine and come up with everything I have ever said although they would find my name on show lists and other things I am involved with like RC activities.

99% of the time I'm really careful to post considerately (and boringly so) because thats what I am like in RL and also I don't ever want it shoved back in my face another time. Occasionally I have breached this ethos :eek: and said a few things in anger (usually with a bit of help from a glass or two of vino) which I have later regretted and caused me great self-inflicted angst.
 

Enfys

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I've heard tell of interesting folk in CR... One never really knows with the less prolific/photo-posting posters who they could be.

FWIW, I'm actually Mary King - the photos of the plebby highlands I keep posting are actually a clever rouse to maintain my cover ;)

Hi Mary, we were at school and AVHPC together, remember me? :)
 

JFTDWS

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Hi Mary, we were at school and AVHPC together, remember me? :)

Er, absolutely... Unfortunately one or other of the many falls I must've had over the years has left me with a degree of amnesia...


That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it :p


Well spotted with fburton too - I thought they were a she too :eek: :eek:
 

GinaGeo

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I would post under my real name if it weren't an open forum that would bring me up from a google search. As it is it isn't and I don't want people from real life; bosses, colleagues etc being able to google my name - a little privacy is nice. If I had a common name it might be different, but seen as nobody else shares my name I'd be far too easy to find.

My username is my first name, slightly jumbled and includes my nickname. Anybody that knew me in real life would know me straight away and I don't mind that - I've nothing to hide.
 

lucindakay

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i use my real full name, i didn't realize it wasn't normal, and i don't really care, my cousins bestfriend has exactly the same name and she also rides so it would be difficult to work out which one was me, i am the most ditzy person ever and it had never crossed my mind that i'm the only one going under a real name! well i've never said anything rude, mean or stupid(hopefully) so i don't mind at all really, i don't think i know anyone in RL but if anyones from the same hunt they may recognize my surname but thats something i'm proud of
 

Kelly Marks

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Oh no I'd never use my real name :)
I think this can be one of the scariest forums - but then I read once you should do one thing that scares you every day (or was it every week? Or year? Can't remember now).
I find my facebook page easier to just have fun chats (when I should be doing admin) but I think I've made one or TWO friends on here as well ;)
 

RealityCheck

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I think I'm slightly more anonymous on here than on US forums (which allow a lot more advertising so everyone has website links everywhere).

Regardless, it's perfectly easy for the eagle-eyed -- especially anyone in the USA or Canada, or who follows breeding -- to work out who I am.

Besides, after having in foal mares on marestare for 6 years, thousands of people have seen me looking bedraggled at 3am, facing the problem of trying to pull a foal and making sure ones PJ bottoms don't slip down a bit :cool: I can't complain too much about people working out who I am on a forum.
 

ThereSheIs

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I probably wouldn't, but I'm not all that fussed if someone recognises me. I try not to say anything too outrageous or that I wouldn't say to people I'm talking about to their face. I'm not especially controversial (or exciting!), it doesn't matter to me.

It's not like I'm Linda Parelli or anything.... :eek::eek::eek::eek:

No really I'm not! :rolleyes::D:D
 

Ibblebibble

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i am using my real name :D i used to use my first name on forums and still do on 1 or 2 small ones but HHO is so big that i didn't want to be easily identifiable at first, now i don't mind and would happily post under my real name. I'm not exiting enough for anyone to want to stalk me :(
 

HashRouge

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Well, no. But that's because I'd be scared some weirdo would get obsessed with me and then use my real name to track me down and murder me. I have an over-active imagination :D

But I don't say anything on the forum that I wouldn't say in real life.
 

moana

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Yes. I feel that if we are able to say something on a forum then we should be able to say it face to face and therefore not need to hide behind a screen. Of course many of us use an alias to prevent our locations being revealed to anybody with dubious intentions.
 

fburton

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You are a HE??:eek: No reason why you shouldn't be of course, just that 99% of the HHO seem to be females, and one assumes :eek: (yep, right we all know about assumption don't we?)
Oh dear, have I shattered illusions? Or maybe you're now thinking "Ah, that explains a lot!". :D Yup, I'm a guy. I don't know if I would have preferred anonymity had I been female - the stalker possibility isn't something I've ever worried about, but I can see why it might be a concern.
 

scheherazade

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I must be pretty thick as other than those using what appear to be real names and a one or two I have "met" thru other online stuff, such as feeding courses, I have no idea who any of you are in real life. I only post on here if I think I have something to offer or need advice myself very like me in real life, I think.

My name on here is my surname in RL But I haven't met anyone else on here that I know in RL or do I ? :confused:

Hi - you know me!! But you're not thick at all cos it took me ages to work out who you were, and that's even with your surname!! xx
 

scheherazade

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Oh dear, have I shattered illusions? Or maybe you're now thinking "Ah, that explains a lot!". :D Yup, I'm a guy. I don't know if I would have preferred anonymity had I been female - the stalker possibility isn't something I've ever worried about, but I can see why it might be a concern.

Now you have outed yourself as a guy, you have every reason to be very afraid of stalker like actions - from the "ladies" of HHO!!! <dons tin hat and runs away to hide!>
 
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