Originally Posted by SecretMethod70

I don't have different online "personae," but there are certainly things I may say or discuss here that I would prefer some people I know in person not read. The fact is, there are things I'd rather not deal with my friends - or, worse yet, employers - knowing about me. This is not out of shame, but simply a recognition that not everyone needs to know everything about me. As such, I'm happy to add people as friends on facebook, but I won't be joining any TFP groups.

When I first joined TFP 5 years ago, the internet didn't seem like the public place it is now. Friendster hadn't even started yet, let alone MySpace or Facebook. I didn't think twice when using the same username that I use for everything else on the internet and which my friends know me by online. If I were to sign up today, I would use a different username to help distance some things I discuss here from people who may know me in real life. In fact, I've been wrestling with the thought of creating an alternate online ID for some time now. Doing a Google search of my real name yields nothing of concern, but anyone who knows my standard online handle can easily trace me here, and they don't even need to register to read some things I'd rather they don't.