How important is your ATS anonymity?

I have been here longer than my stats suggest, back in the day it was important to me.

Now as I feel more comfortable and learn more about other users I feel it less so.

It maybe that I have ended up more in BTS and that I am less paranoid but I really could not care less about it.

I have nothing to hide and my opinions are just that, if the MIB come and take me away I will go happily if they let me make us all a coffee and allow me to send a few emails to family members first.

There are a few members here who are quite open about themselves, is it time to drop the tinfoil hats and paranoia or am I becoming complacent?

a reply to: nonspecific

Pretty much unimportant personally, i've posted various pics of me, talked about unusual jobs/experiences i've had and where i grew up in some detail.

Even disregarding the pics, if someone who knew me fairly well read certain posts of mine, i think i'd be pretty easy to identify.

Agreed that the whole BTS thing is good for loosening up here rather than solely tickling our collective paranoid nerves on ATS.

a reply to: nonspecific

I'm not worried about men in black type scenarios.

What I am worried about is family and friends finding out I visit a site like this, because in all honesty they would think I was a right weirdo. And though that sounds sad, it's true. I have to keep ATS my dirty little secret.


So yes my anonymity is of great importance to me.

Anonymity on the Net is typically an illusion. It takes significant work to be hidden. All of your ATS posts are stored and linked to you by TPTB. Several Snowden leaks and documents talk about it. You probably already know that and are just referring to anonymity from other ATS users. Personally I find them less harmful than the Gov...but that's my thought.

Just depends, if you're a general run of the mill civilian, no one cares about you -- no one cares for your name, your address, your IP, your user-agent or your java version.

M'eh. I don't worry about the PTB. I did have a dude here that tried to track me down about 8 years ago, with nefarious intent. He got close. It would have been his funeral though. Lucky for Vic.

originally posted by: intrepid
M'eh. I don't worry about the PTB. I did have a dude here that tried to track me down about 8 years ago, with nefarious intent. He got close. It would have been his funeral though. Lucky for Vic.

I assume we do not talk about Vic anymore?

As a long time member do you understand the question though, As it becomes more about general topics and politics does it still need the hiiden aspect?

I understand that for some it does but I do not say anything here I would not say anywhere else?

originally posted by: nonspecific

originally posted by: intrepid
M'eh. I don't worry about the PTB. I did have a dude here that tried to track me down about 8 years ago, with nefarious intent. He got close. It would have been his funeral though. Lucky for Vic.

I assume we do not talk about Vic anymore?

Again... M'eh.

As a long time member do you understand the question though, As it becomes more about general topics and politics does it still need the hiiden aspect?

Yes I do but there are exceptions. I've met about 20 ATS members. I've been to two of the first ATS get togethers. It was fun.

I understand that for some it does but I do not say anything here I would not say anywhere else?

Same here but I clean up my language for the board.

I just assume that all the alphabet agencies already know who everyone is...even on ATS. I still like the veil of anonymity, but I certainly am not naive enough to think it protects any of us.

I'm not under any illusion of it being private but I like the anonymity.

Its not like I have anything to hide, or anything I wouldn't say to someone in person, but I've always belonged to many social groups that rarely interact from homeless on the street to very wealthy, that it is second nature for me to adjust who I am to fit the social scene. I mean, you just can't talk about your failing stocks with your rubby buddies, right. What is appropriate or important to one may not be to another. Though I don't censor on ATS, I do feel it represents a certain mindset (a good one that I feel at home in but for that reason don't advertise in my other worlds that I spend time here.

I personally don't really care either way. If someone were to ask who I really am I would more than likely tell them, in the grand scheme of things I'm not really that important that I have to hide anything.

a reply to: Daavin

Who are you?

My name is phil allard " you killed my father now i will kill you " ..
nah i dont care what people think of me in the real world with my opinions .. lol i really dont care what people i never met will think of me . As for the govrrnment i don't care .

originally posted by: freedomSlave
My name is phil allard " you killed my father now i will kill you " ..
nah i dont care what people think of me in the real world with my opinions .. lol i really dont care what people i never met will think of me . As for the govrrnment i don't care .

Good answer Phil,

If that is your real name....

I couldn't care less about the Gubment discovering my identity here. They're gonna get whatever they want if that's their goal. It's more of a thing that I don't want people I know in day to day life to read my thoughts here, so I keep a different username than I usually have.
While I'd love to have some friends that are into this stuff, I don't need my friends that I have judging me based on what I post. And of course, I wouldn't want any company I worked for happening upon them either. Not their business.

Editing to add: Also, while I don't have downright attack-based postings against certain religious groups, I am openly an atheist here which I consider to be a dangerous stance amongst some people. THAT scares me more than any possibility of the government putting me on some list.

Must of been pretty akward the first couple of minutes did you guys have to do some ice breakers?? a reply to: intrepid

Meh.. aside from ats dont waste my time with social media .. too damn old and tbh dont give a tinkers damn in hell about insignificant first world problems that westerners whinge about on social media .. as to privacy its dead in todays world .. for that I disappear back out to the boonies far from so-called "civilization" .. unless I want to be found I wont be found .. let them have fun looking all they want ..

When I first joined, yes, I was very worried. I have relaxed a bit on it though. As others have said. I am not to worried about TPTB. I am fairly insignificant in the grand scheme of things.

If I wanted to hide from TPTB I am already SOL.

I am more worried about things like potential employers. It is a well known fact that it is common for them to do a Google search on your name or a photo search. Which is why I would never post my picture here or use my name.

Like others have said on here, I know privacy is just an illusion.

A little mystery is nice I guess. I think my friends would think I have a screw loose if they knew I was on here.

Not that I'm embarrassed. It's my business where I decide to hang out.

Someone did another thread where they asked for first names. I gave mine.

So I guess I can go full monty. My name is Dawn Adams. I live in Wisconsin, and I'm a receptionist. I'm glad to be on here.

There. I don't think anyone will come drag me away and throw me in a hole. My hubby sits beside me when I'm on here and laughs. He knows I enjoy coming here and doesn't judge me.

Just google your screen name and see what comes up.

From that listing any halfassed hacker can find out who you are I would imagine. Just a guess....