How Anonymous is Really Anonymous on DL?

No HR department would ask for anyone's Facebook password tin hat OP.

He found out who I was. And then he...he...HE RAPED ME!!

I was able to figure out the ethnicity of a troll, which country he's from and state he lives in.

R1 clearly doesn't know what he's talking about.

R3 i´m able t see you want start a race discussion here

Unless you post under your real name on DL , I don't think you have anything to worry about.

No wonky English troll. I don't.

Young people are creating Facebook accounts with assumed names as a false flag. I understand FB has a controversial policy requiring real names only, and has been pressing the point with drag queens. Meanwhile my family members who are young use fake names so that they can't be easily traced by HR, by stalkers, and by God only knows who else.

I am Marie of Romania.

R8 = won 3 Grammys

Even Facebook doesn't know for certain where I am. My FB ads are usually in Italian.

R8, you can make a fake Facebook profile in 10 seconds...

Well, I use the generic "you" here.

They have free Wi-Fi at the home, I see. Is that common?

It's a good thing this website is still compatible with Internet Explorer 6.

I got Mark Zuckerberg to make me a special fb page that allows me to see anything I want on other people's pages. After we had raunchy sex it's the least he could do.

I don't think I'd ever give a potential employer any of my passwords. But - I do know that desperate times are the time to take advantage of people.

Who is crazy enough to go on Facebook?

I saw what you did.

And I know who you are...

Paranoia strikes deep ...

into your heart it will creep

It starts when you're always afraid--

step out of line-- The Man comes to take you away!

Facebook has a market cap of $228 billion. Our world slipped into the Twilight Zone and no one even noticed.

First, just be aware of how troll-dar works and don't post personal things.

An employer can't demand DL turn over anything because a judge would have to have a cause to issue that subpoena, and he or she would not do that for an employer. Those subpoenas are used for criminal investigations and other kinds of discovery in civil litigation.

If someone is harassed on here to the point that a judge finds it to be criminal (which has to meet a certain standard, depending on the state and the judge), then they can get your IP and your name from your ISP...but it would be difficult to do because nobody has usernames here. Harassment usually requires the SAME person doing something to you over & over - but once you clear your cookies, you're a different person as far as it appears on DL.

And make your fb account private.

If you're a paid member here, you're not anonymous at all. The webmaster knows exactly who you are.

There really is no anonymity. If they wanted, the government agencies could trace you in a flash.

not if you use a vpn

Interesting responses so far, thank you,

Jesus christ, OP seems like some paranoid chicken little.

Yes, darling, they are all tracking your DL posts and coming for you!

No, it isn't paranoia. It's privacy enforcement. You definitely need to use a vpn and possibly a non-invasive web browser.

I've posted some pretty silly things on here. But never with the assumption that anyone's truly anonymous.

You'd probably think I was immature and had a few obsessions if you put all my posts together. But no crazier than the average DL loon.

[quote]If you're a paid member here, you're not anonymous at all. The webmaster knows exactly who you are.

Not true. Are you posting from 2001?

You can buy a $20 VISA card at any big box store to use for payment here.

Call me paranoid but when I used to pay to come on here, I always got the impression because of posts directed at me that they (the webmaster) was keeping tabs on me. Especially as some of my ideas where a tad bit controversial. Now, since I don't pay a penny no one seems to know who I am anymore or they don't care.

Yes, R27. I'm sure all of the paid members here went to that length.

R27, are you posting from 2009?

You can purchase prepaid cards online, not just big box stores.

then use the prepaid cards to pay for a foreign vpn for all web activity (about fifteen dollars a month). Then you're good

What are you doing on the internet that's so secretive that you'd be willing to pay $180/year to hide it, R31?

opposing totalitarian regimes, R32

This is why I stay the hell away from facebook and twitter.

The very first thing everyone in my department at work does before we interview someone is google stalk them.

I'm with you R33

Somebody put a whole new version of Google Chrome on my computer last Monday and it has been acting weird ever since. I didn't ask for an upgrade and they didn't tell me they were giving me one.

I'd love to be asked for my Facebook password because I'd get to say: I'm not on Facebook, it's for fools.

Which might tell them something every bit as much as trawling through a Facebook page.

The board logs your IP so the DL knows who you are.

They simply have to go to the ISP issuing the IP and find out who was using that number at the time. ISPs keep records.

Most VPNs keep records too. Canadian VPNs are required to keep logs.

how anon are dick pics?

When I got my Dept, of Defense Secret Clearance, they asked about drug use. I believe that the point of the question is to determine if you are so indiscreet that you would foolishly answer the question directly and honestly - that's just a joke I used to tell my peers in the secret clearance club.

Likewise, if someone asked for my Facebook password, I'd tell them that company policy strictly prohibits the sharing of passwords (every company pays lip service to this prohibition.) Then when pressed, I'd give them access to a dummy Facebook account.

what!

Get this...the fake name that I picked out in 2001 exclusively for posting as an authenticated user on Datalounge is now the name that I am most commonly known by. Only my family and friend that I've had for years know my real name. And seeing how things turned here in the future I'm glad that google has no idea who I really am...at least in the sense that if you type my legal name into google nothing, and I mean NOTHING, comes up.

Why would you use a Canadian vpn? Go Swiss at least

I suspect DL defines "anonymous" the same way ObamaCare defines "confidential".

Furthermore, it's a given the NSA knows who you are and what you write/think.

My roommate/lover in college changed his name after the murder trial.

My friend at work changed his name coincident with his coming out/psychotic break.

Both would be harder to do today, with Social Security tracking your job history. Amazon knows what you want before you even do. Comcast knows what You watch for entertainment. Even my car is spying on me. Why would anyone care about me!?

Simple answer is - NO, even for those who work for DL can not figure it out, since you sign on under your profile, but if you decide, the message is sent off, without any IP traction - anonymous. It is the whole point of DL, they describe it in their service agreement.

People are doxxed here. Someone doxxed that guy "Pierre" and found out he died during the pandemic. There was some other person that died as well that people knew the identity of.

I’ve tried several times to get prospective employers to take my DL username and password so they can see how interesting I am. I have not been successful so far.

I've been posting here for more than 20 years and during that time, I've id'd two or three real-life friends based on anecdotes they related about their lives. Not sure whether I'd say "wow, that figure is really low" (probably not, given that I doubt I know all that many people who post here) or "how bizarre that I've identified anyone" (especially since I did not know these people were DLers until I encountered them here). Either way, no harm done, and if you really want to be sure no one can ID/doxx you, just don't post personal stories and information or make sure to change some important details.

Hahaha, r48.

[quote]I've been posting here for more than 20 years and during that time, I've id'd two or three real-life friends based on anecdotes they related about their lives. Not sure whether I'd say "wow, that figure is really low" (probably not, given that I doubt I know all that many people who post here) or "how bizarre that I've identified anyone" (especially since I did not know these people were DLers until I encountered them here).

One for me. It made it easier because the person is authenticated.

I know what you did last summer...autumn, winter, and spring!

[quote] I got Mark Zuckerberg to make me a special fb page that allows me to see anything I want on other people's pages. After we had raunchy sex it's the least he could do.

You are one snoopy bitch, Priscilla.

[quote]People are doxxed here. Someone doxxed that guy "Pierre" and found out he died during the pandemic. There was some other person that died as well that people knew the identity of.

Could you link that thread, please?

yes, that other person had cancer and passed away, he told us who he was when he was sick.

This is the thread.

Some of you old queens that keep cutting and pasting entire copyright protected artciles on DL might one day find out how "anonymous" postings are.

My only possible concern on DL would be trolldar. Sometimes there is some seemingly innocuous thread with an innocuous reply that triggers some trolldar-happy poster who carries a grudge, and who evidently makes trolldar a regular habit, switching it on to detect patterns of wickedness, then off to follow the posts of their nemeses. Stalkers looking to call out racists, or fake "concern" posts meant to sow doubt and hide a contrary agenda. But I don't have anything to hide, so it's not a worry. I simply avoid being overly specific about personal identifying information.

I have a Facebook account, now winnowed down to following information sources: museums, charitable groups, some consumer products, neighborhood info, concerts and events, etc. It's a better way for me to follow some things than to be on a dreaded email list. I use my name which is not a rare one, but with some modifications to make it a unique FB name. I post nothing. No hometown, no place of residence, no selfie, no employer and work history, and even the accounts I follow are so far flung geographically that the ads I get are from.all over the place. Again, there's nothing shady I'm hiding, I just don't want employers (current or prospective) or insurers or those couple stalker-ish guys I fucked a few times to find me too very easily. I'm okay on missing out on the girl I don't remember from school going through an ancient class list and making friend requests.

I actually unsubscribed from DL because I feel extremely uncomfortable about the admins' possible mishandling of my information. Some threads I was quoted in were being used against me in various topics I wrote, things I wrote that are long past what the ignored feature shows. Management needs to be professional and reassure that our information is safe, and that we are even anonymous to Muriel.

There's no such thing as trolldar. I don't know what's going on with all these people who say they use trolldar or they ignore threads, neither has been available for years.

r59 there is no expiration on the ignore feature. This is an old thread from 2015 and I have someone who posted back in 2015 on ignore, and I can see their comments in the ignored list, even though the comments must be 6 years old.

There's a version of Trolldar available R60. Block user > view Ignored list > view all of blocked user's posts. It's doesn't work very well but at least it's something.

I really miss Trolldar.

R60 it works for me but I think it's because I'm a registered user (subscription). I just logged out to test it and it wasn't available then.

[Quote] Some threads I was quoted in were being used against me in various topics I wrote

That's creepy.

I'm also a subscribed user so perhaps that's why it works for me too R63. Like I said - it's better than nothing.

That's not trolldar though r62, trolldar was a specific tool we were given and it was taken away years ago. Someone said people are "switching on trolldar to detect patterns" but there is nothing to switch on and there is no trolldar. Being a paid member doesn't give you trolldar.

The thing that's called "ignore-dar" or "the ignore trick" isn't the same. It's comparable but it's not trolldar, and it's exceptionally difficult to stalk someone with it despite these elaborate claims to the contrary.

[quote]The thing that's called "ignore-dar" or "the ignore trick" isn't the same. It's comparable but it's not trolldar, and it's exceptionally difficult to stalk someone with it despite these elaborate claims to the contrary.

You seem particularly obsessed with and well-informed about the difficulties of stalking your fellow Dataloungers r66.

[quote]Someone doxxed that guy "Pierre" and found out he died during the pandemic. There was some other person that died as well that people knew the identity of.

The other person told us who he was and linked to his websites. I think Pierre did as well but I only glanced at the threads about him so I may be wrong about that.

I specifically said [bold]VERSION[/bold] of Trolldar R66. Then I said I missed Trolldar. And yes it is unofficially called Ignoredar.

You seem like quite a pedantic cunt R66.

R69 = R62

I only use Facebook to report faulty products and crappy setvices these days.

On DL, if you are not red-crossed trolls, why should you care, OP?

r62 the guy who specifically said people "switch on trolldar" has a lengthy and elaborate story on people getting unfairly stalked on here, but it's impossible to do it in the way he described. That's what I objected to. I'm sorry you took what I said personally and you can call me a pedantic cunt all you want, but I'm right. Ignore can get you some information that trolldar used to provide, but it's not trolldar.

There are people on here who sow paranoia and suspicion on those of us who know a little bit about how the site works. I point out that we don't have trolldar anymore and look at how many of you got legitimately mad about it.

Last time I applied for a job, they required my Facebook and Instagram passwords, did a full body cavity search, a DNA ethnicity test and they put some kind of burning drops in my eyes to prove they're naturally blue. I got to the next round of interviews, which involved electroshock, but I didn't get the job so it was back to the drawing board!

I have a long list of Ignoredar-ed posters. Rarely I'll use it if someone has a post so repugnant that I'm happy not to cross paths with them again, mostly though it's a way to thin out the feed of uninteresting topics by posters whose interests I can project will unlikely ever have any points of intersection with my own.

The 6,965th Janet Jackson thread, TikTok threads, race-baiting threads, teen hearthrob threads about people who will be forgotten before I learn their names, Victorian gossip about Mitzi Gaynor or some other ancient, too breathless fine points about some 1980s sitcom of a plucy single mom and her sassy sidekick...

[quote] The 6,965th Janet Jackson thread, TikTok threads, race-baiting threads, teen hearthrob threads about people who will be forgotten before I learn their names, Victorian gossip about Mitzi Gaynor or some other ancient, too breathless fine points about some 1980s sitcom of a plucy single mom and her sassy sidekick...

You ignore 90% of Datalounge then.

[quote] Some of you old queens that keep cutting and pasting entire copyright protected artciles on DL might one day find out how "anonymous" postings are.

Copying and pasting articles is not violating copyright. The poster isn't claiming the article as his own nor profiting from it.

[quote] I ignore...The 6,965th Janet Jackson thread, TikTok threads, race-baiting threads, teen hearthrob threads about people who will be forgotten before I learn their names

Same, but also mainly Nazi racists, hateful antitrans and political propagandists.

I don't understand the obsessions that bring people here to spew annoying hateful shit endlessly, or annoying TikTok videos and posts about Shawn Mendes (or whomever the ' twink of the week' celeb from teen magazines is).

Years ago, I thought this site was obscure and not worth the time of publicists to come here and learn how to post to promote things, but there's zero doubt now that paid trolls took over this site with pro-Trump political propaganda during the 2016 and 2020 elections and I can only assume the waves of "LOOK AT THIS INFLUENCER ON INSTAGRAM!" and "LOOK AT THIS AMAZING 13-SECOND TIKTOK VIDEO!!!" posts are being done by some kind of paid publicity people, as well. I don't get it. How influential is DL to attract this?

I also wonder how influential Datalounge can really be, there was a guy posting to his own Twitter for a while and when you went to his tweets sometimes there wasn't a single like or retweet. Posting here didn't do anything for him as far as I can tell. Not sure what anyone gains from posting here.

[quote] I point out that we don't have trolldar anymore and look at how many of you got legitimately mad about it.

No one was “legitimately mad.” Some people were annoyed because everyone knows that when somebody says “trolldar” these days, it means ignoredar and yes, we know it doesn’t work the same way the real trolldar did. No big deal and indeed no reason to be a pedantic cunt.

Oh, we know who you are, OP.

Scat Troll.