How many forum members do you know by real name?

[o_e_l_e_o]

I voted "0" because even though I am familiar with some members' real names, either because they made it public or used it in their nick, I cannot verify the truth of their claims, thus I believe my vote was correct. Perhaps a more accurate question should be: "How many forum members do you know in real life?".

Yeah, this. I also get called Leo by people who know me on the forum, but no one can confirm whether or not that is a pseudonym too. Even if you have a name in your username, I can't say if that's real. Is jackg called Jack? Is DaveF called Dave? I have no idea, and I also have no desire to invade their privacy and find out.

I sometimes wish I could meet people or order items, but I like my privacy too much for that. The annoying thing with privacy is you can't get it back once it's gone.

Also this. There are more than a few people on here I would love to grab a drink with, but unfortunately that will never happen for privacy reasons.

[Lucius]

Given that bitcointalk is a specific forum where many users value their privacy, it is quite logical to me that very few members have met in real life, but on the other hand, those who trade in physical things know each other's real names. I can't say the exact number of people whose real name I know, because over the years in communication with some members they wrote me their real name, but let's say the number is between 5-10.

[Coyster]

Well IIRC, when i initially joined the forum my local community wasn't really a large one, thus, back then i didn't really know any forum users personally, even though then i could identify some users as my countrymen; but after a few years and with how large my local community is in this day, the number of forum members i know and communicate with on and off the forum is around 3-5 (no more than that). But the funny part of it all is that i don't know their real names, they don't know mine; we all never bothered to ask, we just got along using our forum pseudonyms, thus completely respecting the others' privacy.

Having said that, i consider them Bitcoin friends, and would love to share a glass of wine with them, but i'm afraid i have never met any of them in person due to privacy reasons.

[NeuroticFish]

Over 10 is really a very low number 😉

I would not be so sure about that


I wanted to write: one = myself  , but then I've seen there's already a debate about 0, so 0 it is.

Who you know by name on the internet, in a privacy focused forum?
Well, this is a simple question and the normal answer for many is expected to be 0, or at least very low.
Of course, in some few cases people got in here (or were invited in here by) family, co-workers/class mates or real life friends, but I expect there aren't so many such cases.

There are also few cases people from this forum have met IRL, sent collectibles to each other (although even postal address/name is not necessarily reliable) or have me at conventions/meetings.
But they're too few imho.
So, again, 10 is not too small number for such a barrier. It's okay... At least I'd be overly surprised if I'd see many responses in that "over 10" range.

[Smartprofit]

No, among the users of the Bitcointalk forum, I have not met anyone in real life. 

I do not know the real names of other members of the forum and where they live.  The most I know about other forum members is what countries they live in.  I consider this state of affairs normal and justified. 

The anonymity and privacy of the participants is the cornerstone of the forum, which was founded by Satoshi Nakamoto himself. 

All active Bitcoin users are progressive people with whom it is interesting to communicate and whose opinion I listen to.  For me it's enough.

[Mpamaegbu]

I voted over 10 and it's surprising I'm still the only one. I guess people that know people don't want to participate in the survey.

I guess members are still skeptical voting. I voted over 6 but when I did I was the only one who picked that option. Now, I see two more people have joined me. Perhaps, more people will join you later too. Frankly, I don't see how voting one's option defiles the supposed hold on anyone's privacy provided no one is asking anyone for names.

[Erumo]

I think we all can hit "1-2" in this voting, as everything is familiar with Vitalik Buterin. We all know that thin looking guy.

[LoyceV]

I personally know 4 of them in real life that have account here (just to note that I knew all those people long before I ever heard about bitcointalk).

I don't share my Bitcointalk username with people I know in real life. So if anyone tells you he's "LoyceV", he's lying!

I also get called Leo by people who know me on the forum, but no one can confirm whether or not that is a pseudonym too.

I just read Olé  Olé  Olé and can't get that football tune out of head.

I think we all can hit "1-2" in this voting, as everything is familiar with Vitalik Buterin. We all know that thin looking guy.

I don't care about shitcoiners who only use Bitcointalk to promote their own shitcoin, and then leave when they've hyped it enough to get rich from their premine.

[PawGo]

I also get called Leo by people who know me on the forum, but no one can confirm whether or not that is a pseudonym too.

I just read Olé  Olé  Olé and can't get that football tune out of head.

You have ruined my day, I completely forgot that tune, that's worst than "...Baby One More Time". Please, next time give a sign of warn!

[lovesmayfamilis]

Having stumbled upon this forum quite by accident in the days when my main forum was not available, but I had the desire to learn more about this forum, I am glad that I did not register with the nickname by which I was known on the Internet. For some reason, I had a feeling that this is where anonymity would be welcome, and I see that I was not mistaken in this, giving full rights to the nickname generator to choose a name for me.
But yes, on the same social networks, I recognized several people here, both their real names and the names of their relatives. People who came here trusted their main Twitter account and Facebook data to bounty companies, and therefore, it was easy to find out what kind of person was behind the account (I'm not talking about fake data, but only real ones). But time teaches people, and of course, they deleted all data about themselves, which I think is absolutely correct. Be that as it may, our trust lists assume some kind of opinion about people we do not know, but we infer something about them from their behavior, whether we believe them or not.

[skarais]

I voted over 10 and it's surprising I'm still the only one. I guess people that know people don't want to participate in the survey.

I know a lot of forum members in real life so I know their real names. There are people who I met here (both local and global) and there are a lot of people I personally invited here. Also there are people who I never meet but I know their real names. Although many of these users have stopped posting, some are still here.

In my case, I know more than 10 users (with their real name) using this forum since 2017 until now, but I have never insisted on knowing their username here. Some people might think it's private, so that's fine with me, and I won't tell them my username either. Some of them have stopped using the forum because in the past the bounties no longer profitable and the merit system was introduced, but some are still using it today.

Most of them are local users, including friends who usually learn about trading, investing, and forums.

[aoluain]

Given that bitcointalk is a specific forum where many users value their privacy, it is quite logical to me that very few members have met in real life, but on the other hand, those who trade in physical things know each other's real names. I can't say the exact number of people whose real name I know, because over the years in communication with some members they wrote me their real name, but let's say the number is between 5-10.

That's the thing, anyone active on the Collectibles board will be on "first name terms" with
other collectors.

I know over 10 first names
I chat regularly with 3
and chat weekly with 1

and not specifically about Bitcoin!

But I haven't met face to face with anyone or know what they look like.

[DaveF]

AH, but do you really know?
I have met about 6 people from the forum and probably spoken to another 6.
I know what they tell me their name is, but I didn't search for them and make sure Brian is really Brian. Or is Brian his middle name and he still wanted some anonymity.

Makes you think.

Nothing nefarious, just a bit of healthy paranoia.

-Dave

[LoyceV]

I also get called Leo by people who know me on the forum, but no one can confirm whether or not that is a pseudonym too.

I just read Olé  Olé  Olé and can't get that football tune out of head.

You have ruined my day, I completely forgot that tune, that's worst than "...Baby One More Time". Please, next time give a sign of warn!

Okay, here's a warning: From now on, every time you see o_e_l_e_o's post, you'll hear Olé  Olé  Olé in your head. Just like me

[o_e_l_e_o]

Okay, here's a warning: From now on, every time you see o_e_l_e_o's post, you'll hear Olé  Olé  Olé in your head. Just like me

I am not OK with this.

[Sandra_hakeem]

I'd say..., I don't really know anyone in person, maybe apart from dudes like Jay? Or Malek? ... I said MAYBE, 🤔 what were y'all thinking? ..and I guess someone like CHYMIST should be worth craving for (jokes yunno)
The pseudonymity is important as a matter of fact -- especially when some would never get beyond 'em doubts about what gender an OP is -- so anyone could barely pull a stunt with another person's photographs, I:e if the rules of pseudonymity were not requisite. With that fact, anyone would wanna gain some material stuffs/ trust/fame.... whatsoever , with some fake identifications.
Edit: since it's a poll for voting, no options shoulda been omitted.

Sandra 🧑‍🦰

[Pmalek]

Perhaps a more accurate question should be: "How many forum members do you know in real life?".

It comes down to the same thing kind of. Assuming, of course they told you their real name. If you traded fiat for crypto with someone, that's one way to know it. If you shipped goods or received a package from a forum member privately, that's another one.

Also, any discussions about revealing personal information should be kept personal. I may or may not know any users by their real names and it would never be known if I do.

I am not expecting nor would I ask that anyone connect real names to the usernames of members here. It's just a casual discussion to see how many of our fellow Bitcointalkers we know or don't know.

(I've found another two since - at least).

When you say you found them, I hope you mean in your memory. You shouldn't be remembering real names you saw leaked on the forum or connected to some other services by forum members. My goal was to see how many people you personally know because you had dealings with them or learned their names in other personal encounters.

The voting percentage of 'zero' doesn't surprise me, but so far one member voted on over 10.

I guess that those involved in escrows (with fiat) and users who sell and ship goods to others know quite a few. Maybe a person like that voted for over 10.

[Smartvirus]

I have at some point thought of a thread like this and having to see it now, just fills in for me and releases me of having to come up with some writing piece.

I am not expecting nor would I ask that anyone connect real names to the usernames of members here. It's just a casual discussion to see how many of our fellow Bitcointalkers we know or don't know.

I see that too for how casual it would be and I also like to assume that, we've got a lot of familiars here too, especially in the various local boards but, its something we can't just disclose.
Some have been known to be introduced to the forum by friends and they as well got other friends to the forum and I like to beleive we've got even some family relations here too.
If I a to take a vote on my part, I'll go with 3-5 lol... could be far less as well.

It comes down to the same thing kind of. Assuming, of course they told you their real name. If you traded fiat for crypto with someone, that's one way to know it. If you shipped goods or received a package from a forum member privately, that's another one.

Lol... that's definitely some ways to nail it but, its something that rarely happens due to the concerns these trades can raise on the forum and the real issue of privacy off forum for users that understands and values there privacy.

[Die_empty]

I have two persons that encouraged me to come to forum and learn about bitcoin but I have only met one of them. He was the one that practically guided me on the rules and other necessary things I need to learn about the forum. My local community once had a get together and I really wanted to attend. Sadly, I missed the occasion because of some circumstances beyond.my control.

I have chatted with  few members and I must confess that I liked some of them but it seems most of them value thier privacy and I respect that. Summarily, I would say I have had contact with like 2-5 members  but I know the real  name just 3 and I have seen only one member. I think I am comfortable with that because familiarity can also have its own disadvantages.

[Zanab247]

I voted for 0, the people I met in this forum told me that their real name and location doesn't not matter to me, that what matter is the impact they are going to impact to me in this forum. And truly, I have learnt so many things from them that made me to promise myself to remain loyal and fair to every members in this Bitcointalk forum.