Nom de blog
Note sure why, but quite a few folks picked up on that post. Aunt B., Jed, ColtCCO, and Les.
Someone showing up at your door for crap you said on the internet is frightening.
Say Les: If you assume most people won’t know who you are you’re more likely to blog about topics you wouldn’t otherwise, to reveal details you shouldn’t, or to behave in a manner or tone that you wouldn’t if your words were attached to your name for all the world to see.
Could be. If I blogged freely under my name, I’d probably make fewer dick jokes. But otherwise, not much would change.
And funny story about ColtCCO. Years back, I knew him and he knew me. Only, he knew me as 1) a customer at his gun shop and 2) his girlfriend’s boss. And Tam kinda knew me then too. But neither of them knew me as SayUncle. Anyway, Les organized some blogger shoot at Coal Creek Armory and I went. I was hanging out, staring in the counter and in walked Les. I said Hey, Les. And ColtCCO said You know Les? I explained that I did. Then I told him I’d let him in on a secret. And told him my nom de blog. And I think his jaw hit the ground. Now that was funny.
May 5th, 2008 at 10:32 am
Blog anonymity is protection against the stupid and lazy. Someone determined enough could find who I really am. I just don’t want Google hits on my name.
May 5th, 2008 at 11:20 am
now, was I there then?? Cause when I first met Les and you at Coal Creek, you told me to refer to you by your name and not Says Uncle cause folks didn’t know who you were . . . . . though Tam knew me as Countertop from The High Road (and my blog) and I assumed knew Les too.
But, I seem to recall that he knew who you were by the time we left . . . perhaps? Or did I misinterpret something? I’ve just always kept my mouth shut (and feel free to delete this comment if I stated something I shouldn’t have)
May 5th, 2008 at 11:22 am
Hmm, not quite sure on the timing of that one. Could have been.
May 5th, 2008 at 12:10 pm
I remember that day – Good times. I recall my mental reaction being “Mind status- blown, paradigm status – shifted!” which does equate to a dropped jaw and a “hunh?” noise.
It hadn’t bothered me until you mentioned it, but I’m quite certain that anyone showing up on my front doorstep without warning to talk about what I said on the internet, would cause me to take the idea of keeping at least a non-instantly-findable callsign a tiny bit more seriously. I started out there, and I agree that low profile don’t hurt no one, you don’t have to be a ninja to keep from being hassled. I still don’t go out of my way to post my name all over my blog in every post though if you Google me, it’ll get you there.
ColtCCO
May 5th, 2008 at 2:13 pm
top, I think I was the one who said not to refer to Uncle as Uncle, cause Trevor didn’t know. Minutes later, Uncle told him.
May 6th, 2008 at 2:44 pm
This question makes me wonder about the ages of the gunbloggers. I get the impression that a lot of gun bloggers are under 40 and don’t have the experience of seeing what the Clinton admin tried to do against people who went against them.
For instance Clinton’s had a SEC of HUD a woman that sued and tried to throw in jail a few homeowners that posted posters in their front yard. This happened in CA and though the homeowners eventually won, this was very chilling experience on 1st amendment an expensive to boot.
That was the time that gun restrictions were becoming the mantra of many and Columbine happened and we all saw the increasing police state actions at schools. Zero tolerance and all that. Now kids have been expelled, tasered at 6 years of age for the offense of pointing a hand in gun shoot position.
ATF cracked down on FFL holders and the numbers reduced. Gun manufactures were being legislated out of business. It already was going on with cigarettes. Smith and Wesson buckled under the Clinton pressure.
Stories in the press about old men being raided for the collections that were called an armory and the extensive ammo he had. These people were ordinary citizens made out to be massive gangsters and had their collections taken and had to sell their homes just to defend themselves.
The Asian student at VT that had photos of his long arms posted got raided and his computer and guns taken. That was just last year.
Students that have been expelled from schools for having pictures of their guns and them on myspace.
Do you really trust an Obama or Clinton not to eventually do what Britain, Australia, and Canada have done which is a registry and then confiscation? CCW permits are a perfect registration system. I live near DC and Maryland Governor would love to get rid of gun owners. The only things that stop them are the rural Democrats legislators. As more liberals live in Baltimore City, Baltimore County, PG County, Howard and Montgomery County and they all hate guns and want to ban them. We live still on the razor edge.
Even getting notice of antigun bills are hard to get in time.
Employers are definitely scared of gun owners especially if they lay employers off, they are scared of a rampaging angry ex worker shooting them up.
Throughout a lifetime of employment you may have many employers. It is not a good idea for them to know about your gun collection and feelings. It has been suggested in PC that progun folks are instable and insane just because they like guns. The change in attitude has been since 2000 when the pro gun vote made them heard. NRA is now promoting gun rights but in the late 1970 and 1980 they were agreeing with most “reasonable “ legislation.
What is written on the Internet exists forever. Prudence is probably wise.