23 Why Would Anyone Post Anonymously? Are They Weirdos Or What?
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This article is from the Internet Personals: Advice for Straights FAQ, by Dean Esmay esmay@syndicomm.com with numerous contributions by others.
23 Why Would Anyone Post Anonymously? Are They Weirdos Or What?
Some may be weirdos, but for the most part, they're just people
who'd prefer not to be publicly identified at this time. There are
several very good reasons for this:
1) You may be uncomfortable letting someone know your real e-mail
address until you know more about that person, since it may be
possible to track you down this way through Finger, Ph, or whatever.
2) Some people get e-mail addresses from work, and would rather not
have their company name affiliated publicly with their personal ad.
3) Some may just be private people who are shy or don't want their
friends to know they're using Usenet personals. (I don't think they
should be embarassed, because this is a fun and easy way to meet
people, but hey, I'm not going to pass judgement.)
Some people seem to think that using an anonymous name server means
you want to hide so you can play tricks on people. I must admit, it
does seem that a lot of the more rude or dishonest people use
anonymous e-mail addresses to hide themselves. But for the most
part, there are all kinds of very interesting and worthwhile people,
male and female, who use these services. So my advice here is that
you may want to be a tad more cautious in approaching an anonymous
person, but otherwise, I wouldn't read too much into it.
One tip though: DO NOT give your phone number or address to, or agree
to meet with, anyone who won't provide you with their own name,
address, and phone number. You may want to wait until you've
exchanged mail for a while before asking for this information, but
you're going to have to have it eventually if the relationship is to
get past the email stage. It's okay to be patient if the other person
seems shy or wary, but eventually you're going to have to have this
information. Don't involve yourself with anyone who insists on
maintaining secrecy beyond a reasonable point.
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