Why do members not give their location?

reply to post by elocin


You brought up a good point and yet another issue I have....I don't want people I know recognizing me on here. This is my private little hobby that frankly, I would stammer and be embarrassed about if some circles found out. "Uh, yes, I visit a conspiracy website that is overrun with angry adolescents, (and sometimes angry adults too), but I enjoy the rare post that piques my interest." Some things I just don't want to feel like I have to explain....like how I take a crap...who cares? It's my personal time, and I rather enjoy it, as ugly as it may be sometimes! If "they" know, then "they" would know whether I wanted them to or not. It's everyone else that I care about that may not understand.

Wow some really great and random replies here - a lot of reasons I was not expecting. I remember the shock the first time I looked up my IP address - nothing is hidden except our under garmets and even the TSA figured out a way to get by that.

You don't have to tell me where you live but if you find me flirting with you please let me know your sex

Originally posted by Gseven
reply to post by Advantage

 

Ditto! I've been given briefs and lists of sites that are forbidden, and also a very blunt layout of consequences if I do. I enjoy an income as well. Personally, I'm either smack in the middle on most issues, or slightly to the right, which is usually pro-military. I'm sure I'm on a list somewhere, but I doubt I'm much of a threat....they're probably laughing at all my comments over coffee in some building down the road, I'm sure!

Of course youre on a list.. havent you heard? Napolatano believes that there is some national security threat concerning vets and youre on a list.. SHe said returning combat vets, then just ex military in general.. who knows. We all on lists.. somewhere we're interesting to someone. IMO I dont really care anymore. Its all BS anyway.

www.americandigest.org...

IMO In the end, everyone has their own reasons for listing their locations or not.. its up to what the person feels comfortable with. Withg out of control nonsense like that DHS report.. I figure some have real reason to be concerned. If truth be told, there are a LOT of well informed freedom minded folks inthe military and DoD than line toters. Thats probably whats freaking them out and prompting these weird lists and demands of where cant go and can when using govt computers. COnsidering also that your anonymity on the net is about as assured as using a kids barbie walkie talkie.. I guess we cant snicker too much about those who wish to retain some feeling of safety or anonymity. Even if its a false security.

reply to post by crazydaisy


By the way, love your cat. Mine likes to lay right next to my mouse pad, causing quite a few spelling errors. Nice post, cheers!

reply to post by Doyle

The less information you give online the harder it is for someone to find you. Government officials can eventually find anyone if they want, it's the quiet guy next door, crazy axe killer type that you should be worried about!

Yes, tell me about it.

Nothing like finding out that the guy a couple doors down the street, you know the guy you jump started the car for? Well a couple weeks after I moved he was brought up on charges as a serial killer!

reply to post by Freedom ERP


I have a hard time deciphering "Location: Inner Earth, Cubist Island of Moo, 3rd Defender Knight of the Whatever...." I know that I don't grasp younger generations communications, but what is wrong with "Location: Nevada"?

At first I was pretty close lipped about my location, then I started narrowing it down bit by bit as it came up in the threads.

Any one who has read some of my posts might have figured it out, but I hardly think many people have an interest in what I have to say as I'm fairly new to being active although I've lurked the site for years.

If you look at one of my newest threads, you will see I'm not far outside Philly.

(Eagles fan too, so get out all the angry Philly fan comments now please)

The reason I am not posting my location is multifaceted.

I was a federal employee for a while (nothing special, just a low level drone job) & have considered returning to federal work so I don't want to jeopardize that. I am also involved in several medical non-profits that I need to stay unbiased & non-partisan for so this gives me an outlet for expressing my opinions separate from them.

This year looks like I will be even more involved in the non-profits, I am digging in deeper with my political leanings & an aspiring musician I am a friend of may be about to break it big so I really need to keep my alter ego in the background.

I am an occasional poster in the geology forums so I have narrowed it down to the Pacific NW of the USA but that is as far as I feel comfortable with for now. I have been on the internet since the days of 300 bps modems so I am not naive to the fact that if they really wanted to find me they could.

Quiet Right (I will say gender is female but that's all)

I've often been frustrated by the same thing. People posting location-specific comments wherein it would be nice to know what continent they're even on.
Thus the thread I have linked in my signature line......however, I ran into the same problem as Ms. Crazy Daisy has brought up, therefore my thread (which I personally thought was a super-fan-tab idea.......basically a reference thread if you wanted to know who was who &/or where) fizzled out faster than it got started.

I always get a kick out of the posters from the UK posting about outlawing guns in the US.(we can look up you post on other subjects and many times you have posted where you ARE from)

Or the anti israelis that never post there country(what is it Iran or are you palestinians)

I my view anyone that takes a negative view on a subject like a country or laws of another country and bashes them without giving there location by country as just a troll looking to get a rise out of others at least and a government agent of a foreign government at the worst.

Originally posted by 1SawSomeThings
reply to post by crazydaisy

 

People who can't even post their nation, are lame. Mine is TEXAS.

IMO They want to attack without saying where they're from.

edit on 16-1-2011 by 1SawSomeThings because: grammar & spelling please

edit on 16-1-2011 by 1SawSomeThings because: (no reason given)

For all we know you could very well be from Alaska.

Personally, I've often wondered how many times I've engaged or read the posts of someone famous....someone who is normally in the public eye, but comes to forums to be "regular". Of course, I don't expect anyone will answer that with a big fat "me!", but still, it's likely that it does happen on a regular basis.

Mine has been listed for nealy 4 years.
but you have to want to look it up.
Or not.
KFFO





Yes, I took those photos from over the base. Yes, I took off from the big runway

reply to post by crazydaisy


In terms of my own level of transparancy, you will see that although I provide no exacting information as to my location, one can infer from my name, and from the things I say that I am a proud British citizen. Also, one can infer from the words of others the rough location which a person comes from, and a measure of thier history from the tone and the content of thier words. Certain attitudes, positions, and levels of insight on certain matters can suggest, although not confirm, a persons heritage and political leaning which can go some way toward making clear a persons location.
In the cases particularly relating to UFO sightings , it is not unheard of for a member to sight something from thier house, and to provide accurate descriptions of local topography, landmarks and so on as markers by which they may better examine the course and speed of an object, or provide such detail so that learned persons may work these things out for them. Usualy speaking, this would mean a persons location would be easy to discern.
As a rule however, a persons location is only relavent in the loosest terms, when involved in a debate. This is because when debating a point, or putting forward an idea or political position, it is important to do away with such petty things as nationality and prejudice, and concentrate on the issues at hand. It is all to easy for instance, to assume that a persons political attitude may be aligned to thier nationality in some way. However assumption and generalisation are unhelpful to unfettered debate on a point, and serves only to cloud futher the already murky depths of the subjects we oft discuss here on ATS.
Let us assume for instance that I am involved in a conversation on the subject of the Deep Water Horizon outrage. I as a British poster, and others forgetting that BP are an international company with only the loosest alliegance with Britain as a nation, will take abuse or see the name of my very nation, dragged through the toxic filth, which takes away from the sound argument (one which I support) that BP and all thier partners in that litany of failiure, ought to be strung up by the ankles and quatered for thier negligence. The reason the mudflinging associated with my nationality takes away from the point made, is that it evidences predjudice, which in turn is evidence of ignorance, and points made from a position of ignorance loose weight and gravitas like a knife victim loosing blood from a severed artery in the neck.
Futher reasons to keep a persons location secret, may be down to the fact that people have been fired from thier jobs , just for being members here. Its happened before, and will likely happen again. Members of course must feel free to comment on this forum without the fear of being made redundant over it. Fear of loosing ones livelihood ought not feature in simple debate, and the examination of the many mysteries and oddities we discuss here. Although the securtity and anonymity provided by ATS is by no means proof against identification by determined parties or individuals, it is I feel , important that members are the ones to choose thier level of identifiability, as far as the workings of the site allow. Indeed, that is a feature you will find on many social networks and discussion forums. The user dictates thier level of visibility in all but a few online circumstances , purely as a matter of good security in general, and I see no issue on that score with this site in particular.
One last point. There are the rare few who will tell you that they wish to have as little online presence as possible to prevent the powers that be having easy access to their whereabouts. This is bunkum and twaddle of course, since anyone sufficiently powerful to have a hand in the affairs of private citizens, almost undoubtedly has the reach to aquire a location on virtualy anyone hooked up to a net capable device, and unless complicated proxies are involved, and a maze concocted to confuse the hunters , then all thier supposed worry about thier location comes to nought and thier doors shall be smashed asunder by the stormtroopers they fear ,despite the scanty protection offered by thier anonymous status.
In short, the reasons for the lack of information provided by a poster as to thier location are a matter for the individual themselves, and really are not the business of anyone to complain about. We are only given the same options as members of other online communities, and therefore I cannot see a reason to question the lack of information here , more than you would on any other site .

reply to post by crazydaisy


I have mine listed as 'Squidbilly Territory', I did that wondering if anyone would recognize or know what I am talking about. Not a single person has ever mentioned or asked where squidbilly territory is.

It is a riddle. Just for fun.

Does anyone know where the squidbillies live?

i have no issue giving my location

great london, uk

I put mine, and Americans didn't notice - kept asking me about things specific to USAsians - then one guy said defensively "sorry I assumed you're American, well everyone here is, aren't they?" which IMO says it all, so now I emphasise my location...
No they are not my troops, I am not committing treason if I criticise them! and no, I have never watched Fox News, voted for Bush, Obama or Clinton and wow I can spell!
Vicky

i only list my location in the individual posts where its relevant - otherwise you dont need to know - KISS

reply to post by space cadet


Squidbilly territory - well my guess has to be Florida. Most likely way off.

Location posted?