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douglas.denny@btopenworld.com wrote:
>
> When I am talking to someone I only consider it common courtesy to
> give them my name so they can refer to me by my name. I consider it
> natural and normal that they should give me their name too so I might
> call them by their name. This is called conversation.
> ------------
>
> I agree with George.
> Why the obsessive secrecy amounting to near paranoia with what is
> after all just a talking shop of like-minded people?
> If people don't want to give their name for whatever reason; simple: -
> don't post. Don't get involved.
> There should be no need for secrecy in such a basic communications
> exchange of interested chums talking together about a subject they enjoy.
>
> Douglas Denny.
> Chichester. England.
>
This is my first reaction BUT yesterday I had an experience that was
somewhat disconcerting.  A very casual acquaintance sent my wife an
invite to join facebook.  Now my wife has not joined facebook or any
other social site,  She does do some online shopping and travel
purchases and maintains email contacts with friends and acquaintances.
Anyway, the scary part was that the invitation came with a list of
people she knew (and had corresponded with NOT using facebook) who had
facebook accounts.  Now the question is, how did facebook link my wife's
email to these people?   My wife's first reaction was that facebook had
some how looked through her address book but I suspect there is a great
deal of sharing of information between these social sites, yahoo,
google, etc. and that facebook had used information from a multitude of
sources to make the link up.

Now, you can argue that no harm was done but this experience illustrates
that the extent that these people will go to pry into our lives and
undermines any trust we might have in them.

IMHO, this is not a black and white question.  It depends on the
context. For example, I've read this list for some years and that
experience gives me some confidence that my email address will not be
abused and that I will be afforded a modicum of courtesy.  But if I
visit some other list or site that I know nothing about, I'm apt to
supply a trash email I use for that purpose. Later as I gain more
confidence, I might divulge more information about myself.

If some site wants your email or identity or information about you, make
sure you know what they will do it with it b4 you hand it over.

It might also be that you folks in Europe enjoy more legal protection
against sharing of information; don't assume that applies when you visit
sites around the world.

Mike Dorl

   

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