Quote:
Originally Posted by DixieGal
I believe that I would hesitate to join if personal data were required. I've got nothing to hide, but I can understand why people might choose to remain anonymous. You know all of the new members who "Introduce Yourself" and you never hear from them again? They are here and lurking. Click the "Quick Links" above and the spy link "Who's Online". At any given time, there are a handful of us posting and 200 silent lurkers. The only reason for some people to join at all is that the content changes when you log in. For instance, you can not got to the MR download library without logging in.
I'm just saying that if someone chooses not to reveal their location, shouldn't we respect their privacy?
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I agree. This is an open forum, never mind the silent members, there's also all the unregistered people who might be reading. I know that I followed the forums for at least a couple of months before I joined, and I'm not a particularly active member. There's at least one forum elsewhere that I read regularly and have never joined.
I've also seen a real life example of enough information being drawn from the public internet to identify an individual who might be a good mark for a foreign intelligence service. So I am fairly wary of what and how much information I give out. Having said that, I can usually be identified by people who already know me, although I like to think that anyone who doesn't, couldn't identify me.