Seriously thoughtful Why do people hide their location?

[Fbone]

At times it is helpful to know where members live when answering questions or offering advice. Or even to better understand their viewpoints. Some comments appear strange or off-color without allowing cultural differences.

Why not list your location? Is it for safety and/or security? General apathy? None-of-your-business sentiment? Fear?

I don't believe anyone expects precise GPS coordinates. However, is revealing your country of residence too much to ask?

And this also applies to the moderators.

[lene1949]

I agree...

[LCF]

For a lot of people the internet is a place where nobody knows you and you just don't give additional information away.
Another reason might be anonymity from people you know. If you always use a certain nick name and you are from a certain location it becomes easier to be spotted by friends/people from other forums. Some people try to avoid that.

Why I have no country - because I'm too lazy to go and change it...

[desertblues]

Originally Posted by Fbone

At times it is helpful to know where members live when answering questions or offering advice. Or even to better understand their viewpoints. Some comments appear strange or off-color without allowing cultural differences.

Why not list your location? Is it for safety and/or security? General apathy? None-of-your-business sentiment? Fear?

I don't believe anyone expects precise GPS coordinates. However, is revealing your country of residence too much to ask?

And this also applies to the moderators.

Good question.
Well, now you mention it...............what about your location? I would like to know what ' NJ' means. Where are you from, which country is that? I think the United States, but I honestly (cross my heart and all that) don't know.

I live in Nijmegen, the Netherlands.

Having said that: I consider the ' location' as a question about my existence, metaphorically speaking that is.
I'm travelling and don't know where I end up. I am always slightly surprised at my role in life: a human being, a wife, a mother, a nurse, a scientist, collector of rare prints and books and sometimes a fool.
So you see: how can I not say ' travelling' ?

[neilmarr]

The specific problem at MobileRead, unlike at many other forums, is that without some kind of geographical pointer, it's sometimes difficult to offer advice because it can so often be dependent on location. Advice to a new member in, say, the US will be different from that to the user of a similar device or store in Europe or Down Under. I wouldn't expect a street address or even a town or region, but folks can maintain anonymity if they feel the need for it and still tell us which country they're in. Neil

[nohmi2]

Originally Posted by neilmarr

The specific problem at MobileRead, unlike at many other forums, is that without some kind of geographical pointer, it's sometimes difficult to offer advice because it can so often be dependent on location. Advice to a new member in, say, the US will be different from that to the user of a similar device or store in Europe or Down Under. I wouldn't expect a street address or even a town or region, but folks can maintain anonymity if they feel the need for it and still tell us which country they're in. Neil

I wish that I could have put it as succinctly as you have.

I agree. Unless you on one of the 'Ten Most Wanted' list, give us an inkling of where you are.

Cheers.

[desertblues]

Originally Posted by neilmarr

The specific problem at MobileRead, unlike at many other forums, is that without some kind of geographical pointer, it's sometimes difficult to offer advice because it can so often be dependent on location. Advice to a new member in, say, the US will be different from that to the user of a similar device or store in Europe or Down Under. I wouldn't expect a street address or even a town or region, but folks can maintain anonymity if they feel the need for it and still tell us which country they're in. Neil

I agree for a part with you, Neil.
When one visits this location, the Lounge; it is not always to ask advice about a specific problem about ereading and such.
If I want to know something about my ereader; I'll go the specific forum for that.
So if the Lounge is not an exact physical location, I feel that my location might also not be an exact physical location.

[Javed]

Originally Posted by desertblues

So if the Lounge is not an exact physical location, I feel that my location might also not be an exact physical location.

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by neilmarr

I wouldn't expect a street address or even a town or region,

Bah, I give my village (or hamlet would be probably more correct) name, because I've met people from the nearby village didn't even know it (and it's the neighbouring village at that...)


And desertblues, do you know our neighbours? They are from Nijmegen as well

(you wouldn't believe the how much I've been asked that when I lived in the US...)

[desertblues]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

Bah, I give my village (or hamlet would be probably more correct) name, because I've met people from the nearby village didn't even know it (and it's the neighbouring village at that...)


And desertblues, do you know our neighbours? They are from Nijmegen as well

(you wouldn't believe the how much I've been asked that when I lived in the US...)

Sweetpea, of course I know your neighbours. Only 160.000 people living in Nijmegen!

[kindlekitten]

Originally Posted by desertblues

Good question.
Well, now you mention it...............what about your location? I would like to know what ' NJ' means. Where are you from, which country is that? I think the United States, but I honestly (cross my heart and all that) don't know.

I live in Nijmegen, the Netherlands.

Having said that: I consider the ' location' as a question about my existence, metaphorically speaking that is.
I'm travelling and don't know where I end up. I am always slightly surprised at my role in life: a human being, a wife, a mother, a nurse, a scientist, collector of rare prints and books and sometimes a fool.
So you see: how can I not say ' travelling' ?

in this case I believe it is New Jersey in the US

I too agree (this is not directed at you desert blues), that a location would be very helpful. there actually have been an instance or three where not knowing altered responses and raise blood pressure a point or two

[desertblues]

Originally Posted by kindlekitten

in this case I believe it is New Jersey in the US

I too agree (this is not directed at you desert blues), that a location would be very helpful. there actually have been an instance or three where not knowing altered responses and raise blood pressure a point or two

Thanks for explaining the NJ. Yes I can see that the bloodpressure might rise on the internetforum, once in a while..........mustn't have that.

It always intrigues me when people aks me to fill in things like ' location' ; I start to philosophize a bit and then come up, perhaps to my own surprise, with a statement as in my first post about it.

[beachwanderer]

I have to say that I would really dislike it if the forumsoftware (the admin(s) that is) would oblige me to give any information about me. I choose to disclose what I disclose and I'm aware of the circumstances and possible consequences.

The amount of info needed to identifiy any person varies and, in conjunction with info given in postings, a single date in the personal details may suffice. So if one chooses not to say anything up front that's ok with me.

On the subject of help and cross-cultural missunderstandings:

To put it a bit complicated:

Why are you willing to shoulder the burden of precaution against saying anything that may be missunderstood by another who doesn't lets you take those precautions?

If the person in question chooses not to disclose anything, then he or she (and there the guessing already starts ) must be prepared to be seen from the recipients point of view alone.

And, if questions arise ... well, we are here to talk / write and solve things .

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by desertblues

Sweetpea, of course I know your neighbours. Only 160.000 people living in Nijmegen!

But wouldn't it be a coincidence if you happened to know a family that had just moved (ok, 1 year ago? or was it 2?) to where I live?

[desertblues]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

But wouldn't it be a coincidence if you happened to know a family that had just moved (ok, 1 year ago? or was it 2?) to where I live?

Who is it, who is it...................I might just know them.

ooooooooooooooo