Geocaching and Anonymity

6.7k · April 21, 2007

I am an avid forum reader, and a poster when I think I can add value or sometimes humor.

I read all of the posts to the General Topics forum, and most made to four state geocaching forums.

This forum is an important part of my geocaching community.

Despite the occasional goof there is much value to be found here.

How would this game and these forums change, however, if everyone were identifiable, their real identity known, and held responsible for their actions in the game and posts in these forums?

What value does anonymity serve?

Would we geocachers trade better, be more respectful to caches and cache owners, if we all knew who each other are?

Would the forums be quite so, ah, intense, for lack of a better word, if we were known and held accountable for our posts?

Many of us are known, certainly I am known to quite a lot of geocachers. Both within and outside of this game my real name has been pasted all over the Internet since before there was an Internet as we know it today. Many of the regular posters here are well known. I have never suffered any negative effect of being known, and haven't heard much if any problems related to having their real identity known by others.

So why should we not be known? Why not have everyone's real identity in their profile?

We all know the negative side of anonymity, the things folks will say and do when they believe themselves to be anonymous are amazing. The Internet porn business, the spam business, the creation and spread of virus and hoax would die overnight if every Internet user were identifiable.

So why not geocachers?

Would it not help all of us, give us ever so much more credibility, prove that we're willing to be held accountable for our caches and game behavior, if we were known?

I own multiple properties, and as a geocacher I approach other property owners for permission to use their properties for this game, so I see both sides of this game, and see accountability as a huge benefit. As an owner I would be much more open to approach for this sort of game if I knew that I could identify the players. I suspect that most land managers and owners would feel the same.

Can anyone make a case for anonymity that overpowers the benefit of being identifiable?

Would anyone back a proposal to Groundspeak that geocacher's real identity be added to their profile?

What have we got to hide?

7.2k · April 21, 2007

Can anyone make a case for anonymity that overpowers the benefit of being identifiable?

Would anyone back a proposal to Groundspeak that geocacher's real identity be added to their profile?

I think at least one segment of folks would quit immediately. There are ladies out there that don't put any identifying information on their profile to let others know they are female. One funny example is at one event we attended at the round-about introductions one lady gave her handle and several folks said, almost in unison, "I thought you were a guy."

Face it, guys are dogs. Some ladies don't mind the attention. Some crave it. Some, though, don't want it.

That's just one segment. I know there are others, as well. So, no, I wouldn't support forcing folks to post their real identities.

1.1k · April 21, 2007

This reminds me of the "Seinfeld" episode where Kramer decides to post photos of everyone in their apartment complex so they could all get to know each other better. If you recall, Jerry didn't go for it and was abused and chastised by the others.

8.4k · April 21, 2007

Can anyone make a case for anonymity that overpowers the benefit of being identifiable?

Would anyone back a proposal to Groundspeak that geocacher's real identity be added to their profile?

I think at least one segment of folks would quit immediately. There are ladies out there that don't put any identifying information on their profile to let others know they are female. One funny example is at one event we attended at the round-about introductions one lady gave her handle and several folks said, almost in unison, "I thought you were a guy."

Face it, guys are dogs. Some ladies don't mind the attention. Some crave it. Some, though, don't want it.

That's just one segment. I know there are others, as well. So, no, I wouldn't support forcing folks to post their real identities.

I hafta agree with CR's logic.

However, true geocaching anonymity is nearly impossible to attain. It's not hard to identify any semi-active member of the geocaching community. Everyone in my local community knows who I am and pert-near where I live. Any newcommer could identify me with very little digging. Umm, it has already been done. :rolleyes: :blink:

I know a hardcore information broker (who happens to geocache) that could get info on you that you don't even know about yourself. It's SCARY just how much is out there. :mad:

The only real feeling of geocaching anonymity exists for those that never sign a log, log a cache online, attend an event, or post in the forums, and even then there's a trace because you still have to have a member account to see cache coords.

I suppose if you only wanted to take from this game, you might operate in this fashion, but I doubt many people actually make a career of it. I mean, how many stolen McToys can one person really need? :blink:

Ummm, gas is like 3 bucks a gallon and it's cheaper to shoplift the local dollar store than to go around stealing from caches.

1.4k · April 21, 2007

What I like is that you can be as anonymous or as known as you want to be and I've seen both ends of the spectrum here. I like that we can be pretty "known" (i.e. we show a good picture and description of ourselves in our forum) without revealing our actual names, addresses, etc. I think it should stay that way.

1.8k · April 21, 2007

In our world, I would be hesitant to ask the ladies to post pics or any personal information publicly. No need to make it easy on stalkers or pervs.

And then, if you are not caching in your local area, no one would know you if they met you at a cache anyway.

April 21, 2007

I've always felt that anonymity encourages bad behavior. I've seen things said on forums (both here and elsewhere) that people would never in a thousand years say to someone's face. And I've also found that people who spew the most vitriol online can be very meek indeed when one does finally meet them in person.

I'm always careful. Whatever you put out on the net is there forever, archived, available, and totally beyond your control. Sure, I'm usually identifiable, so maybe I'd be less careful if I were not... but it's still not a bad thing to think about. Do people really want others to think of them as trolls?

And the anonymity can shield more than just bad behavior. Recently a woman I know, an IT professional, had anonymous threats of the very worst kind posted to her blog, to the point where she cancelled a conference presentation out of fear. There's something seriously wrong with that...

Jeannette

April 21, 2007

I like to meat other cachers and put a face to the ID name on this site.If I had to put all the info the OP is suggesting then I would have to change my trade items from used golf balls and broken McToys

1.4k · April 21, 2007

I am pretty sure I have given up my identity to Groundspeak - they sent me a green Jeep and a Unite TB. I gave my username and mailing address to get them.

I have yet to encounter anything that would set off any red flags from my online posting/activity. I have even made a few friends. I have always tried to post civil/helpful replies so I can say that I am proud to have my posts (off topic included) being part of history. I do not have a blog/myspace or anything like so my online activity is somewhat limited to these forums.

The information that is out there is quite amazing and the extent that some folks will resort to obtain the information is just as amazing.

Talk to someone who has been a stalking victim (males included) and you will get a different story about sharing/posting information.

3.2k · April 21, 2007

Can anyone make a case for anonymity that overpowers the benefit of being identifiable?

Would anyone back a proposal to Groundspeak that geocacher's real identity be added to their profile?

I think at least one segment of folks would quit immediately. There are ladies out there that don't put any identifying information on their profile to let others know they are female. One funny example is at one event we attended at the round-about introductions one lady gave her handle and several folks said, almost in unison, "I thought you were a guy."

Face it, guys are dogs. Some ladies don't mind the attention. Some crave it. Some, though, don't want it.

That's just one segment. I know there are others, as well. So, no, I wouldn't support forcing folks to post their real identities.

I agree. I think there are valid social reasons for removing the anonymity, but there are important security reasons for keeping anonymity available as an option, and the security reasons clearly trump the social reasons.

3.9k · April 21, 2007

Can anyone make a case for anonymity that overpowers the benefit of being identifiable?

Would anyone back a proposal to Groundspeak that geocacher's real identity be added to their profile?

I think at least one segment of folks would quit immediately. There are ladies out there that don't put any identifying information on their profile to let others know they are female. One funny example is at one event we attended at the round-about introductions one lady gave her handle and several folks said, almost in unison, "I thought you were a guy."

Face it, guys are dogs. Some ladies don't mind the attention. Some crave it. Some, though, don't want it.

That's just one segment. I know there are others, as well. So, no, I wouldn't support forcing folks to post their real identities.

I agree. I think there are valid social reasons for removing the anonymity, but there are important security reasons for keeping anonymity available as an option, and the security reasons clearly trump the social reasons.

I agree with KBI that folks should have the option of disclusure or relative anoynmity (I way "relative anonymity" because once you are online more than a few times per year, there is no such thing as full or comlete anonymity, because you leave too many traces...)

Personally, I walk the middle road regarding disclosure of identity, as do many in the geo community. We use our real first names in our geo account, and many, if not most, active local cachers (that is, active cachers within about a 50 mile radius) know our real last names, our home phone number, and where we live and a good number have been visitors to our home in the wilderness in Western Maryland. And, many of the local geocachers have visited some or all of my many websites from my "real life". In fact, much to the amazement of some local cachers, who were "sure" that such behavior would lead to stalking incidents, etc., I have even posted our real home phone number and other contact information on local geo forums, never with any negative results. I wear several hats in life, and while I earn a living by working as a consulting scientist; I also have a strong interest and in presence in the spiritual realm around the world. I have a funny story in that regard: I only go to a few geo events each year, but almost invariably, several people -- all relative strangers to me until that moment -- will come up to me and introduce themselves and tell me that they have been waiting for a long time to talk to me about a non-geo matter. In each case, it turns out that the non-geo topic which they wished to discuss with me was NOT any of my scientific interests, but rather my interests and activities in the spiritual realm, which they had discovered accidentally by doing a bit of sleuthing on the web. In fact, I have, over the years, met some of the most famous cachers in the world and also some famous local cachers because of this unexpected "common ground"!

As for the potential of stalking or harassment from disclosure of my real identity in the geo world, that is a moot point, as I am already very well known in the real world, as I run a number of informational websites and e-mail list groups (some of which have thousands of members), and many dozens of thousands of persons across the world have ready access to my home phone number and home address via those venues. I also give lectures across the USA in my capacity as a consulting scientist, and that likely increases my public exposure even further. In all that time, the sole stalking-type activity which I have ever experienced was totally non-geo related, and occurrred when a very disturbed but wealthy young woman from San Diego, CA became obsessed with me (she knew me only via my websites, books, list groups and forums) and moved to the east coast and then to a string of nearby motels, wherefrom she would call me repeatedly; she also tried repeatedly to visit me, telling me and others that she "knew" that she was meant to live with me. She eventually enlisted the assistance of her wealthy mother in Miami to call make repeated and uninvited phone calls to me to plead with me to allow her daughter to move in with me. It was mildly amusing but also a bit annoying at the time, and it eventually ended in early 2004 after I took certain mild corrective actions. However, as stated above, I have never experienced any stalking or harassment activities in the geo world.

7.2k · April 21, 2007

I wonder if the reviewers who like to keep their identity secret would go along with it? I can guess the answer.

3.9k · April 21, 2007

I recently saw a poster in a forum call out a fellow cacher by name, instead of using her username, and that surprised me very much. Her real name might be well known to a lot of the other forum members, and if so I guess it wasn't that bad to use it, but since it was new to me I was surprised.

My brother and I refer to each other by our usernames online, but either one of us would be okay telling anyone our real first names if they asked. I know I wouldn't mind, and I can't imagine Vicki, I mean KBI, would either.

Other cachers have posted how important it is to them for their real names and contact information to be private, but they turn around and post it themselves on another web site. It just makes me snicker.

3.2k · April 21, 2007

I know I wouldn't mind, and I can't imagine Vicki, I mean KBI, would either.

Doeth thith mean I don't haf to hide my thilly lithp any more in future pothts?

11.3k · April 21, 2007

Yeah . . . I would prefer it if people in the Forums would only refer to me by my username . . .

I like posting "incognito."

April 21, 2007

I am an avid forum reader, and a poster when I think I can add value or sometimes humor.

I read all of the posts to the General Topics forum, and most made to four state geocaching forums.

This forum is an important part of my geocaching community.

Despite the occasional goof there is much value to be found here.

How would this game and these forums change, however, if everyone were identifiable, their real identity known, and held responsible for their actions in the game and posts in these forums?

What value does anonymity serve?

Would we geocachers trade better, be more respectful to caches and cache owners, if we all knew who each other are?

Would the forums be quite so, ah, intense, for lack of a better word, if we were known and held accountable for our posts?

Many of us are known, certainly I am known to quite a lot of geocachers. Both within and outside of this game my real name has been pasted all over the Internet since before there was an Internet as we know it today. Many of the regular posters here are well known. I have never suffered any negative effect of being known, and haven't heard much if any problems related to having their real identity known by others.

So why should we not be known? Why not have everyone's real identity in their profile?

We all know the negative side of anonymity, the things folks will say and do when they believe themselves to be anonymous are amazing. The Internet porn business, the spam business, the creation and spread of virus and hoax would die overnight if every Internet user were identifiable.

So why not geocachers?

Would it not help all of us, give us ever so much more credibility, prove that we're willing to be held accountable for our caches and game behavior, if we were known?

I own multiple properties, and as a geocacher I approach other property owners for permission to use their properties for this game, so I see both sides of this game, and see accountability as a huge benefit. As an owner I would be much more open to approach for this sort of game if I knew that I could identify the players. I suspect that most land managers and owners would feel the same.

Can anyone make a case for anonymity that overpowers the benefit of being identifiable?

Would anyone back a proposal to Groundspeak that geocacher's real identity be added to their profile?

What have we got to hide?

I don't think less intense forums or perhaps more even trading would be good enough reasons to remove the anonymity. I think that's what local forums and events are for. Everyone in my local group knows who I am. That's good enough for me.

I just don't see any big positives coming from your proposal, but I do see a few negatives. (security from weirdos)

2.1k · April 21, 2007

The big problem with any kind of 'forced disclosure' of identity, is it would be next to impossible to enforce.

Sure, I pay for my premium membership with my credit card, but how many non-premium members are out there? How would Groundspeak verify who *they* were? I for one would be pretty turned off if I had to provide identification to the site just for signing up..

As far as my own identity, I've given it out so many times, in so many contexts, that there is really no point in hiding it. (in fact my 'location' under my avatar in the Calgary forums is the lat/lons of my balcony, correct to ~30cm)

Dale

April 21, 2007

I know I wouldn't mind, and I can't imagine Vicki, I mean KBI, would either.

Doeth thith mean I don't haf to hide my thilly lithp any more in future pothts?

whoa I thought KBI was a man

April 21, 2007

I think its a good idea to post all about yourself on the net!

Why don't all who read this, send me the following:

*correct name and address

*place of employment

*hours worked and times leaving for work and times getting home

*number of entrances to your home

*number and kinds of guns kept in your house and locations

*any other valuables (antiques, jewelry, etc.) that you would like to share

I promise to use the information that you send in a professional manner and not divulge any of

said information to my cell mates.....I mean.......fellow business partners!

Thank you!!!

Chuck

3.9k · April 21, 2007

I recently saw a poster in a forum call out a fellow cacher by name, instead of using her username, and that surprised me very much. Her real name might be well known to a lot of the other forum members, and if so I guess it wasn't that bad to use it, but since it was new to me I was surprised.

My brother and I refer to each other by our usernames online, but either one of us would be okay telling anyone our real first names if they asked. I know I wouldn't mind, and I can't imagine Vicki, I mean KBI, would either.

Other cachers have posted how important it is to them for their real names and contact information to be private, but they turn around and post it themselves on another web site. It just makes me snicker.

Much in the same vein, some local cachers, when they are joking with me, occasionally address me by my full name (i.e., first and last name) on some of the local geo forums -- that does not bother me a bit!

3.9k · April 21, 2007

I think its a good idea to post all about yourself on the net!

Why don't all who read this, send me the following:

*correct name and address

*place of employment

*hours worked and times leaving for work and times getting home

*number of entrances to your home

*number and kinds of guns kept in your house and locations

*any other valuables (antiques, jewelry, etc.) that you would like to share

I promise to use the information that you send in a professional manner and not divulge any of

said information to my cell mates.....I mean.......fellow business partners!

Thank you!!!

Chuck

Requested information has been sent by PM, including waypont coordinates to our front doorstep, accurate within two feet.

1.1k · April 21, 2007

Some people have a greater need for anonimity than others for many reas0ons, some already stated.

I've posted my real identity in these Forums several times but I bet I could count the number of posters who remember it on one hand. The Alabama Rambler is probably one of those, but really unless the mind has a good reason to remember someones name it will usually be forgotten in a few minutes. It's still there for a determined searcher, true, but it would be easier to just ask again. I've always maintained though that you ca,t make an anonymouse stand on an issue, if you truely stand behind what you say you must do so using your real identity.

1.1k · April 21, 2007

I think its a good idea to post all about yourself on the net!

Why don't all who read this, send me the following:

*correct name and address Yes my name and address are correct.

*place of employment Yes

*hours worked and times leaving for work and times getting home To unpredictable to say

*number of entrances to your home Do windows count?

*number and kinds of guns kept in your house and locations Come in and I'll show you.

*any other valuables (antiques, jewelry, etc.) that you would like to share ME? I'm poorer than Cybrets church mouse.

I promise to use the information that you send in a professional manner and not divulge any of

said information to my cell mates.....I mean.......fellow business partners!

Thank you!!!

Chuck

14.3k · April 21, 2007

Can anyone make a case for anonymity that overpowers the benefit of being identifiable?

Would anyone back a proposal to Groundspeak that geocacher's real identity be added to their profile?

I think at least one segment of folks would quit immediately. There are ladies out there that don't put any identifying information on their profile to let others know they are female. One funny example is at one event we attended at the round-about introductions one lady gave her handle and several folks said, almost in unison, "I thought you were a guy."

Face it, guys are dogs. Some ladies don't mind the attention. Some crave it. Some, though, don't want it.

That's just one segment. I know there are others, as well. So, no, I wouldn't support forcing folks to post their real identities.

I agree. I think there are valid social reasons for removing the anonymity, but there are important security reasons for keeping anonymity available as an option, and the security reasons clearly trump the social reasons.

I agree plus you'll end up making friends who you'll share that info with and greet on a first name basis.

3.9k · April 21, 2007

Some people have a greater need for anonimity than others for many reas0ons, some already stated.

I've posted my real identity in these Forums several times but I bet I could count the number of posters who remember it on one hand. The Alabama Rambler is probably one of those, but really unless the mind has a good reason to remember someones name it will usually be forgotten in a few minutes. It's still there for a determined searcher, true, but it would be easier to just ask again. I've always maintained though that you ca,t make an anonymouse stand on an issue, if you truely stand behind what you say you must do so using your real identity.

Yep, i agree. I run a number of email list groups, some of them devoted to controversial topics which tend to draw fanatics and/or fundamentalists of all persuasions. When someone starts posting controversial or emotion-laden posts on those list groups anonymously, or while using a "handle", I confront them and demand that they identify themselves fully (including verification) or their posting privileges will be immediately removed. This technique works quite well...

April 21, 2007

I have been very active on forums and chat rooms since 1994, and one thing has never changed. There will always be people who feel they can say anything they want online, things that they never would get away with in person. I have been amazed at the foulness and disgusting comments I have seen people make over the years. And having met some of them in person, I know for a fact they are full of it.. it is their online Persona, which is the complete opposite in real life.

I think a lot of people make themselves to be "Bigger and Badder" than their true selves to try and pump up fragile egos. And I wish it were just limited to just kids who did this, but all to often it is adults as well.

Whenever I would call someone out on it, point out that they would NEVER treat another human being like this in public, they usually start blowing even more smoke. "This IS how I act in real Life!" Bull... You would have been incarcerated or dead if you did.

Why can't people just act as if they WERE standing right in front of each other? That is how I have always behaved online, and I am generally (Not always, but generally) a well liked person.

I would not want to support "Forced Identity" on anyone for the reasons others have already mentioned... But I wish everyone would start acting like you were face to face... The online world would be a lot more civil.

Sincerely,

Brindle AKA Lykos AKA cfauld AKA Chuck

;-P

3.7k · April 21, 2007

Can anyone make a case for anonymity that overpowers the benefit of being identifiable?

Would anyone back a proposal to Groundspeak that geocacher's real identity be added to their profile?

I think at least one segment of folks would quit immediately. There are ladies out there that don't put any identifying information on their profile to let others know they are female.

That's just one segment. I know there are others, as well. So, no, I wouldn't support forcing folks to post their real identities.

Thanks to CR and other who pointed out that most of us 'ladies' are leery of providing too much info in our profiles, for obvious reasons. Sure, a determined stalker could locate us with some digging, but why ask for trouble.

The other segment I haven't seen mentioned are geocaching families. If I had a child, there's no way I'd want our identities posted here for internet pedophiles to find. When I was webmaster for a sports club website, I had to delete some names from group photos of an event at the request of a concerned parent (and that was only their first names).

April 21, 2007

I, for one, am against "forced disclosure". For those who are determined to be online bullies, and circumvent the system various other ways, it just provides them one more avenue in their live on which to be dishonest. I agree with cfauld's sentiment...why cant' you just BEHAVE as if you were face to face. Granted, this would not stop some people from being so abrasive, but it might make a dent int he situation...

I tend to think that local forums seem a little more civil, as people realize that if they haven't met you yet, they are likely to in the near future. It just seems that way to me. I am sure there are plenty examples where this is not the case, but in my general experience, it has been.

I have little anonymity in caching. Everyone in my local area knows my name, many refer to me by it in cache logs and in forums. I have also met a great number of people from around the country, through caching. Trust is a huge issue.

Just as an aside, I have had this discussion (of sorts) with my youngest daughter, who would prefer to sign cache logs with her full (real) name AND telephone number. um...no. Little goober.

9.3k · April 21, 2007

I think there are valid social reasons for removing the anonymity, but there are important security reasons for keeping anonymity available as an option, and the security reasons clearly trump the social reasons.

Agreed, whole heartedly.

Ed, I would support a suggestion that additional fields be added to each player's profile, so if they wanted to reveal personal data, they could. I would oppose any mandated directive to do so.

-Sean-

3k · April 22, 2007

I wouldn't mind giving up my anonymity, but I don't think my sockpuppet would go along with it.

edit: Dang it! I meant to post this under my other account!

Edited April 22, 2007 by cache_test_dummies

April 22, 2007

I have to agree with the general trend of answers so far.

As far as rudeness goes, I know plenty of people by their real names and faces who are jerks. The anonymity might allow them to exaggerate their behavior, but it doesn't determine or change their character.

7.2k · April 22, 2007

What's weird is your profile requires you give a first and last name, yet it is not displayed. I wonder how many "Joe Blows" there are. How about "Nunya Biznus?"

22k · April 22, 2007

The system and the trend looks for user names. It’s fun to have a persona e.g. rambler, team, blue, etc. Just a little tweat to our normal everyday humdrum personalities

If you want to know who I am just ask. If I wanted to be anonymous, easy to fake.

38.2k · April 22, 2007

I have to agree with the general trend of answers so far.

As far as rudeness goes, I know plenty of people by their real names and faces who are jerks. The anonymity might allow them to exaggerate their behavior, but it doesn't determine or change their character.

I agree. I'm rude, pompous and sometimes downright nasty and I go by my real name (well sort of, Snat is the first half of my last name).

3.2k · April 22, 2007

Guess I'm not very concerned about it.

6.7k · April 22, 2007

I think there are valid social reasons for removing the anonymity, but there are important security reasons for keeping anonymity available as an option, and the security reasons clearly trump the social reasons.

Agreed, whole heartedly.

Ed, I would support a suggestion that additional fields be added to each player's profile, so if they wanted to reveal personal data, they could. I would oppose any mandated directive to do so.

-Sean-

I totally agree with never forcing the public revelation of identity, and did not suggest it.

I do support some sort of required private ability to identify all users... but then I support a national ID card for all citizens and foreign-national visitors too!

My suggestion was that we add the capability for cachers to self-identify. Or just choose to do it.

I see tremendous gains in credibility both with each other and land managers by being willing to be accountable for our own behavior.

This all came to mind from a conversation with the Chief of a small local police department, who, when talking about caches in his town asked "How do we know who these people are?".

He was not impressed with my answer of "You don't! No one does... But cachers are good people!"

My 28 years in IT was as a user of the Internet and World Wide Web, not a developer or even involved party; still, I have proposed identification of users since day one as a way to avoid the mess we have now.

Maybe internet users shouldn't publish their real identity, and divulging it publicly should certainly never be forced, but someone should know it and be able to moderate their behavior much the same way our moderators keep these forums under control.

No, I am not in favor of unbridled Internet Police! I just believe that folks (I, at least) wouldn't trade a broken MatchBox car for a Raine geocoin if everyone knew that TheAlabamaRambler was Ed Manley from Irondale Alabama! For whatever misguided reasons I want folks to think highly of me, so if my actions can be traced back to me they will be on a higher plane than they might be if I were anonymous.

I know that sounds pretty 1984, Big Brother Is Watching, but we've all seen what happens when no one is watching!

Edited April 22, 2007 by TheAlabamaRambler

10.2k · April 22, 2007

Can anyone make a case for anonymity that overpowers the benefit of being identifiable?

Would anyone back a proposal to Groundspeak that geocacher's real identity be added to their profile?

I think at least one segment of folks would quit immediately. There are ladies out there that don't put any identifying information on their profile to let others know they are female.

That's just one segment. I know there are others, as well. So, no, I wouldn't support forcing folks to post their real identities.

Thanks to CR and other who pointed out that most of us 'ladies' are leery of providing too much info in our profiles, for obvious reasons. Sure, a determined stalker could locate us with some digging, but why ask for trouble.

The other segment I haven't seen mentioned are geocaching families. If I had a child, there's no way I'd want our identities posted here for internet pedophiles to find. When I was webmaster for a sports club website, I had to delete some names from group photos of an event at the request of a concerned parent (and that was only their first names).

I'm always comparing the geocaching.com forums to "what else is out there on the internet". As a matter of fact, I just did it in my last post 3 minutes ago. The internet is anonymous. Fact of life. (sort of, if wacked-out freaks want to find you, they will ). As far as the post I'm quoting, I ran a little league football/cheerleading organization website for a couple of years. No way in heck I'd ever put names on those team pictures. Or even give names in the game summaries. Just the scores. No input from any parents, It was just common sense to me.

Edited April 22, 2007 by TheWhiteUrkel

6.7k · April 22, 2007

... No way in heck I'd ever put names on those team pictures. Or even give names in the game summaries. Just the scores. No input from any parents, It was just common sense to me.

I agree, I wouldn't either; but I would allow them to do it if they so chose.

Would you insist those same kids be anonymous in their school newspaper or high-school yearbook?

Edited April 22, 2007 by TheAlabamaRambler

3.9k · April 22, 2007

I have to agree with the general trend of answers so far.

As far as rudeness goes, I know plenty of people by their real names and faces who are jerks. The anonymity might allow them to exaggerate their behavior, but it doesn't determine or change their character.

I agree. I'm rude, pompous and sometimes downright nasty and I go by my real name (well sort of, Snat is the first half of my last name).

As someone that has spent considerable amount of time conversing with you, I know better.

Back on topic. As far as anoymity is concerned, I have no problem with people knowing who I am. Most people here know what my real name is. In case you don't, it's Jerry Carter. I believe there are good reasons for people to be anonymous, and I belive the have the right to remain so.

El Diablo

5.8k · April 22, 2007

Three of my most recent finds have shown evidence of being found by someone with a GPS that never logged in the book, or online, and has taken TBs, Coins, or otherwise plundered or disturbed the Cache(one was left out in the open right next to the trail 120 feet away)

I am starting to wonder if we need to consider keeping the coordinates hidden from everyone unless there's a record of who is looking at them, similar to when they changed it to be only visible to logged in users, but more extreme I geuss. Probably not a workable solution.

April 22, 2007

I recently wondered about the anonymity issue myself when I had a run in with a local geocacher.

I accidently moved his travelbug to another cache, and didn't realize I had to record the dog tag number. Well, I sent him an immediate e-mail through the website, and he returned my e-mail anonymously through the website as well. That's fine. I don't have a problem with him wanting to stay anonymous, except he became irate with me about loosing his travelbug. I reminded him that I didn't lose it, I just needed the dog tag number to post the move. but when all was said and done, he asked me to tell my wife hi, and called her by name. I did not talk about my family in any of my e-mails to him.

Granted, I have not chosen a user name that is very concealing, but it shows he had to do a little research on me, and he was making a direct statement to me by using my wifes name in his e-mail. It was rather disheartening. All his communication to me was through anonymous e-mails using the geocache.com e-mail system, so I no nothing about who he is except his username, and actually I really don't care. It's just sad someone would take a wonderful experience as geocaching is and turn it into a negative experience like that.

Anyway, a little off topic, but not too much. I just felt like I had to vent a little.

gcawthor

6.5k · April 22, 2007

I think anonymity allows people to choose at which level they would like to interface with the gc.com fora and/or whole website community. Some people don't care who knows about them, they'll tell anyone that their name is ____, they live at ____, they work at ____, their favorite color is ____, etc. At the opposite end there are lurkers that never post / put anything online, and many many stepped levels of people in between.

It seems to me that most geocachers fall in the middle somewhere in which what they tell 'anyone on the internet', is pretty limited, but the more you get to know them (events, group caching, trading emails) the more they will tell you. If you really want to know about someone, the first step is asking.

6.7k · April 22, 2007

... he asked me to tell my wife hi, and called her by name. I did not talk about my family in any of my e-mails to him.

Serious bummer.

For a stranger to write "Say hello to Suzie", proving that he had researched you and your family, could be interpreted as at least passive/aggressive if not a direct though veiled threat.

Report all such abuses of the Groundspeak Private Messaging System to Groundspeak.

The thing is, he found you even though you don't post your identity online, so the issue here is a freak acting out, not anonymity, as, obviously, you aren't!

So, if we are not truly anonymous, and the freaks can find us anyway, why not come out and post who we are?

6.7k · April 22, 2007

Server brain-fart, deleted double post.

Edited April 22, 2007 by TheAlabamaRambler

April 22, 2007

For whatever misguided reasons I want folks to think highly of me...

This says it all for me...sadly, you are probably in a minority.

The issue is personal integrity and common decency. Unfortunately, there are plenty of people who don't care what others think about them, or worse, go out of their way to have others think poorly of them.

Your point about having objective accountability for our actions is well taken. I just think geocaching is too light and casual to withstand the sort of scrutiny that would be required to enforce legitimate credentials. A system that is burdensome to everyone, and easily defeated is worse than outright anonymity.

7.2k · April 22, 2007

For a stranger to write "Say hello to Suzie", proving that he had researched you and your family, could be interpreted as at least passive/aggressive if not a direct though veiled threat.

Report all such abuses of the Groundspeak Private Messaging System to Groundspeak.

I agree completely. Such activity should not go unchallenged.

3.9k · April 22, 2007

My brother and I refer to each other by our usernames online, but either one of us would be okay telling anyone our real first names if they asked. I know I wouldn't mind, and I can't imagine Vicki, I mean KBI, would either.

You have a brother (KBI) named Vicki?

El Diablo

18.9k · April 22, 2007

I think it would take all of about 5 minutes to figure out my real name and location. Mopar tried once a few years back and was wrong but came close.

I try to behave online and am not embarassed about my opinions. But some level of anonimity does alllow for some speculation.

I don't hide behind my online persona, I am him (except when it is my wife posting......)

1.1k · April 22, 2007

I think it would take all of about 5 minutes to figure out my real name and location. Mopar tried once a few years back and was wrong but came close.

I try to behave online and am not embarassed about my opinions. But some level of anonimity does alllow for some speculation.

I don't hide behind my online persona, I am him (except when it is my wife posting......)

It's tough to be truly anonymous online if someone is skilled and determined enough to find you

I was chatting on mIRC with a guy in Canada once, I gave him one small piece of information, I forget just what, but in less than a minute he came back with my phone number, whuch is truly impressive since my phone is not listed in my name.

6.7k · April 22, 2007

I don't hide behind my online persona, I am him (except when it is my wife posting......)

Dang! See? All this time for some reason I thought StarBrand was a she! ooops!

Geocaching and Anonymity

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