My Take On Anonimity.

by Englishman 35 Replies latest jw friends

  • unclebruce
    unclebruce

    mmm Richard Murray .. I thought it mighta been .. noticed it while getting my hairs cut at the internet barber.

    unc, happily out of the hall of mirrors.

  • Thirdson
    Thirdson

    This is my opinion. I don't normally post with my real name. I started with Thirdson on the old H20 back in January 2000 but prior to that I had posted on other boards with my first name. (I post on Beliefnet as Thirdson as well. On these public boards I use a handle. Casual visitors aren't going to be able to put a real person to my handle. I don't wish my parents to know how involved I am with critical discussion of the Watchtower Society. BTW I can also be found on the exJW listing via Randy Watters board...my sister-in-law spotted me there.

    However, long time visitors, or those who have read my bio would easily be able to link me to the real person assuming they knew me prior. I post a real picture and enough fairly unique facts to tie Thirdson to a former elder in the English Midlands from a large family who relocated to the USA in 1995. If JWs who knew me are visiting here then they are having doubts and are welcome to e-mail me. For those who do e-mail me I usually reply via my main e-mail account with the request not add it to mail lists or share it with other people.

    Not so anonymous and I don't really care.

    Thirdson

    'To avoid criticism, say nothing, do nothing, be nothing'

  • rhett
    rhett

    My real identity....
    Rhett Bourland
    3022 N. Fulton Ave.
    Evansville, IN 47710
    812-402-1733
    [email protected]
    www.asteroidmodels.com
    www.asteroidmodels.com/personal
    No, you don't get my social security number.....

    Never was baptised even though I was born and raised in it and my entire family are still JW's. Drifted away but wasn't happy with that so I emailed an elder in Evansville's NW congregation and told him how full of crap I thought all of it is knowing he would pass it around to everyone else.
    Personally, I sincerly hope that ALL of my postings do get back to all of the JW's I used to know.

    I don't need to fight
    To prove I'm right
    I don't need to be forgiven.

  • outnfree
    outnfree

    and here all along I thought it was Murray Richard!

    I think Eman has a point that one is liberated psychologically in a special way when one no longer cares if anyone left inside the WT walls knows one's identity.

    But what does this mean?

    I am semi-"out" in my area. After all, I've been driving around with a van fitted out like a billboard, and personally been seen posting flyers around the District Convention area twice this year already. So those who saw me, and who are "in" with the local gossip-mongers, along with my congregation elders, know who it is that keeps distributing elder letters and silentlambs flyers to their doorsteps. I am not fearful of those who know me personally.

    Nonetheless, I do worry for my safety and the safety of my family. There are lots of nuts out there... some even among Jehovah's happy people!!! Why enlarge the number of irate loyalists who do NOT know me personally and who may possibly make trouble for me? So, to these, I do not publicly broadcast my name and exact location.

    Also, my husband, who was never a JW and opposed my being one, would not take kindly to prank calls or petty vandalism now that I am supposed to be DONE with the Witnesses.

    I am not so worried that I will desist in my educational campaigns, however. I just try to use caution about when/where/with whom I do my apostasizing....

    In fact, I'm chomping at the bit to do letters to the editor and contact the press, but I have to remain circumspect for now.

    Nonetheless, I foresee a day when I will be willing to go public locally, but still cannot see why it would be valuable to go public on this or any other international discussion board.

    I would hope I'm not seen as hiding behind my anonymity so that I can viciously attack, berate, mock, etc. fellow posters. I have my bad moods and my petty posts from time to time. But I don't think using "outnfree" rather than my real name has stunted my psychological separation from the Borg at all. I feel I'm making progress week by week, sometimes day by day. (Hey! I've only been out since March!!!)

    outnfree

    Par dessus toutes choses, soyez bons. La bonte est ce qui ressemble le plus a Dieu et ce qui desarme le plus les hommes -- Lacordaire

  • Englishman
    Englishman

    I was surprised to discover that there is a certain strength to be found in being an out and out Outie.

    Plus, being such a bad boy can be a bit of a babe-magnet for naive young sisters!

    I wasn't always as squeaky clean as I am now!

    Englishman.

    Nostalgia isn't what it used to be....

  • Abaddon
    Abaddon

    I think the balance here is;

    1/ Some people want to be anonymous, and would want to be anonymous on www.origami.com, just as they are privater. Fine.

    2/ Some people, because of justifiable fears about personal data being used to commit fraud of perpetrate hoaxs, choose to remain anonymous.

    3/ Some people are afraid not being anonymous will cause problems with regard to the Borg or family still in the Borg.

    4/ Some people are quite happy having their real ID known, to one extent or the other.

    The fact is, there is no right or wrong. All those are right decisions for the person that makes them. I think Eman was basically encouraging us to examine why we still choose to be anonymous. He, and others, came up with 'habit', which is not a good reason as those above. That is no demerit to those that still choose to be anonymous.

    Mindchild, I did exactly the same thing as you, although not in detail, and it may not have been the real Fred Hall (whatever that means) but one of the other Trolls that pissed in the water at Tishie's; Tracert and email searches gave me two correlations, but I left it there, despite a enjoyable amount of research into cracking as was.

    And Eman, it seem we have a similar fantasy of corrupting innocent little pioneer sisters, bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha!

    All the best

    Gyles

    Keep on rocking in the free world...

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