Coming out - not the gay kind...

[_The Dude]

Your in real life identity is IRLevant.

You are overthinking what it would mean to come out on the board. Your real name? What about the size of pants you wear? What about where you went to high school? What about what you eat for breakfast everyday- are you going to keep us updated? None of this matters, and neither does your real name. We already know LDSToronto and that is enough. If you want to indulge in personal sharing, start a blog.

[_sock puppet]

If I recall correctly, Shades would prefer if we all used pseudonyms rather than in real life identities.

Do you want to risk DCP ratting out your posting comments here to family that are members or Church officials in your local area? Think GoodK.

I also lost two clients last spring due to my posting here. I won't go into how they became aware of it, or how my in real life identity was detected.

Wow, that sucks. I bet I have a good guess as to who did this. If it's who I'm thinking of, the person has been involved in other rotten "attacks" on others in the online Mormon universe.

Actually it was an unregistered lurker who knew me in real life at a stage in my life that he was able to figure it was me. I gave too many details that when taken together would have made it obvious to him that sock puppet is me. He is also very LDS active in the locale, and under his church charge were two of my clients that he knew used my services. He told at least one of them that he would not use the services of someone who held the views that I do about the LDS Church. Each told me he was stopping use of my services due to my online posting re LDS Church, one even told me how he'd been informed about it. In the three months before and after these two so informed me, I only had one other client stop my services, and I doubt it had the same genesis. So I think the damage was limited to just the two. I do credit them both for letting me know the reason that they were stopping my services, and especially the one that told me who had detected me and suggested stopping my services. It would have been much easier for them to try and give me some lame excuse. But both were very blunt about it.

[_Yoda]

If I recall correctly, Shades would prefer if we all used pseudonyms rather than in real life identities.

Do you want to risk DCP ratting out your posting comments here to family that are members or Church officials in your local area? Think GoodK.

I also lost two clients last spring due to my posting here. I won't go into how they became aware of it, or how my in real life identity was detected.

That's horrible, Sock! I'm so sorry this happened to you. :-(

Scary stuff!

[_Ceeboo]

Hey LDST,

You asked for my opinion, so, here she is. :)

These internet boards can be a very dangerous and strange place. In addition to the many people on these boards that we think we know, there are many, many more who simply lurk and we surely do not know.

Given many things (Your spouse and children certainly being forever cemented as #1, #2, and #3 on the "many things" list), I would strongly advise you to remain LDST and only LDST.

Simply put, not even worth consideration in my view.


Peace,
Ceeboo

[_sock puppet]

If I recall correctly, Shades would prefer if we all used pseudonyms rather than in real life identities.

Do you want to risk DCP ratting out your posting comments here to family that are members or Church officials in your local area? Think GoodK.

I also lost two clients last spring due to my posting here. I won't go into how they became aware of it, or how my in real life identity was detected.

That's horrible, Sock! I'm so sorry this happened to you. :-(

Scary stuff!

I appreciate the sympathy, but I think we've all had in real life consequences, to one degree or another. My occupation has de-sensitized me to and prepared me to expect the unexpected, collateral damage when you least expect it. In the midst of losing those two clients, I considered stopping posting altogether. But that was out of paranoia that the client erosion would continue. It did not.

There was a time during my career when about 1 out of 10 new clients wanted to know my religious affiliation. It's a big deal in both camps where I live. I refused to tell them, explaining to each that my beliefs or not would have no impact on the services I rendered. From a client cultivation perspective, that was not a good answer. The potential client would usually reply that it mattered to them, and they would not hire a lawyer that was/was not Mormon. Fortunately, that only lasted for about 4 years. I have not been asked my religious beliefs by a potential client in more than 10 years.

[_Jersey Girl]

LDST,

I'm going to give you more of a reply than just the "No." that I posted. If our intention is to engage your ideas, your criticism, your insights, we don't need to know your name in order to do that. If our intention is to personally attack you, we don't need your name in order to do that either.

That said, when you have a moment and if you are so inclined, would you mind making a list of the top 5 posters on these boards who use their in real life identity "successfully."

Thanks!

[_LDSToronto]

LDST,

I'm going to give you more of a reply than just the "No." that I posted. If our intention is to engage your ideas, your criticism, your insights, we don't need to know your name in order to do that. If our intention is to personally attack you, we don't need your name in order to do that either.

That said, when you have a moment and if you are so inclined, would you mind making a list of the top 5 posters on these boards who use their in real life identity "successfully."

Thanks!

1. Chris Smith
2. Mike Reed
3. Kevin Graham
4. Mr. Stak - he's admitted his in real life here
5. Runtu - he's admitted his in real life here
6. MsJack


But, the overwhelming (and wise) consensus is to stay LDST.... I don't have the intestinal fortitude to endure what some of you have endured.

H.

[_why me]

You need to be careful lest some truckload of Newark, New Jersey demons arrive in Toronto with a printout of your posts clutched tightly in their hooves and decide to have you sleep with the maple leaves for some ill defined slight in one of those posts.

What is wrong with Newark? I wouldn't want to walk around too much in some neighborhoods but...it does have a community of its own.

[_why me]

LDST,

I'm going to give you more of a reply than just the "No." that I posted. If our intention is to engage your ideas, your criticism, your insights, we don't need to know your name in order to do that. If our intention is to personally attack you, we don't need your name in order to do that either.

That said, when you have a moment and if you are so inclined, would you mind making a list of the top 5 posters on these boards who use their in real life identity "successfully."

Thanks!

1. Chris Smith
2. Mike Reed
3. Kevin Graham
4. Mr. Stak - he's admitted his in real life here
5. Runtu - he's admitted his in real life here
6. MsJack


But, the overwhelming (and wise) consensus is to stay LDST.... I don't have the intestinal fortitude to endure what some of you have endured.

H.

Actually if you notice the successful names, they are generally critics of the LDS church and so, they get a free pass. However defenders of the faith who are known get hammered by the critics for who they are. I don't think that you would have much to fear by saying who you are but if you think about it, what is the point?

[_Drifting]

Actually it was an unregistered lurker who knew me in real life at a stage in my life that he was able to figure it was me. I gave too many details that when taken together would have made it obvious to him that sock puppet is me. He is also very LDS active in the locale, and under his church charge were two of my clients that he knew used my services. He told at least one of them that he would not use the services of someone who held the views that I do about the LDS Church. Each told me he was stopping use of my services due to my online posting re LDS Church, one even told me how he'd been informed about it. In the three months before and after these two so informed me, I only had one other client stop my services, and I doubt it had the same genesis. So I think the damage was limited to just the two. I do credit them both for letting me know the reason that they were stopping my services, and especially the one that told me who had detected me and suggested stopping my services. It would have been much easier for them to try and give me some lame excuse. But both were very blunt about it.

It's examples like this that highlight the Mormon Church as a manipulative insiduous cult.