Nameless People

Dan Adler

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Mar 2, 2002, 9:13:57 AM3/2/02

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I'm curious why there are people on the list that post reponses (not
just questions) all the time, yet choose to be anonymous. I could
understand if:

1. You just want to ask some questions but worry that they are too
basic so you want to hide your identity
2. You are on the witness protection plan
3. You are really Joe Pass's ghost but don't have time to convince us
of it
4. You are not really a jazz guitarist but you love to pretend to be
one
5. You are Elvis and don't want anyone to know you're really into jazz
6. You compose midi-conciertos (ok, lets skip this one)

Any other legit reasons why people choose to use randomized ids and
never sign even their first names or give a link? I picture it as a
bunch of people sitting around a circle having a discussion, where
some of the people choose to wear masks. Creepy. I think that as a
policy, I'm going to stop responding to anonymous posters.

-Dan
http://danadler.com
http://danadler.iuma.com

Greg

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Mar 2, 2002, 10:08:23 AM3/2/02

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Dan,

How do you know if they are anonymous? I mean, what's your criteria for
saying if one person is or isn't, because I agree with you on the mask and
campfire thing - it is weird. Then again, are we all (most anyways) not
anonymous to one degree or another?

Greg

Rick Ross

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Mar 2, 2002, 10:27:14 AM3/2/02

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I like #4 and would bet many here are just pentatonic pluckers aspiring to
go beyond...of course, the NG doesn't require that participants actually
play "jazz guitar", I have met many cats that know tons about jazz guitar,
more than many players, yet they themselves, don't play...anonymity is a
"safe zone" for some who "imply"
playing skills at a level above what they can actually execute..

"Dan Adler" <d...@danadler.com> wrote in message
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Dan Cooper

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Mar 2, 2002, 11:10:14 AM3/2/02

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It is like a bunch of people sitting around a circle having a discussion -
in the middle of Grand Central Station at noon. Thinking about it that way
makes me want to be anonymous too. Besides, I guess I would fall under
category 4 and you're already using my name.
Dan
BTW, I liked your web page and all the great sound clips

"Dan Adler" <d...@danadler.com> wrote in message
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duffydoherty

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Mar 2, 2002, 11:32:04 AM3/2/02

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Dan,

It's up to you to make your own decisions, however the NG will lose some of
its richness whenever you decide not to respond for these reasons. You have
a lot to contribute to all of us, whether the posting is anonymous or not.
Just a thought.

Duffy

"Dan Adler" <d...@danadler.com> wrote in message
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Pat Smith

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Mar 2, 2002, 11:53:42 AM3/2/02

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I fit in numbers 4 and 5
Regards
Anon E Mouse

Max Leggett

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Mar 2, 2002, 12:20:23 PM3/2/02

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Anonumity has always made me wonder, too. Especially the know-alls who
happily denigrate everyone from behind the safety of their monitor.
There was a sap here a couple of days ago saying that the reason
people liked Kind Of Blue was because they'd been taught to like it.
He, on the other hand, viewed it objectively. Saps R Us. The net is
basically a big vanity press where anyone can post anything without
having to back up their statements or have any kind of expertise.
Hence flames - it's easy to be brave in front of a keyboard. I also
get the imporession that losers, desperate for attention, crosspost
vapid comments to several newsgroups in order to garner the most
amount of attention. Their only goal is to see their pseudonym in
print.

>4. You are not really a jazz guitarist but you love to pretend to be
>one

That's the one. They want to pose as an expert on the arcane science
of jazz without actually every studying it.

>5. You are Elvis and don't want anyone to know you're really into jazz

Gasp! How did you find out about me????

Bob Russell

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Mar 2, 2002, 1:07:16 PM3/2/02

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in article 820e87.020302...@posting.google.com, Dan Adler at
d...@danadler.com wrote on 3/2/02 9:13 AM:

> Any other legit reasons why people choose to use randomized ids and
> never sign even their first names or give a link? I picture it as a
> bunch of people sitting around a circle having a discussion, where
> some of the people choose to wear masks. Creepy. I think that as a
> policy, I'm going to stop responding to anonymous posters.

I dunno, Dan. I think that privacy issues probably intimidate some people.
The 'Net is full of nuts, after all; I guess I can understand why a person
might be reluctant to use their real name, although most of us seem to be OK
with it.

I suppose it's also true that a person could post under a credible-sounding
psuedonym like "Bill Jones" and still be anonymous; would that make you feel
any better?

All this having been said, I must admit that I tend to give more credence to
the musical opinions of those who are willing to back their opinions up with
evidence that they can actually play; i.e., sound clips on a web page. Of
course, that could be faked too; that clip could have come from anywhere.
Unless I can go hear a person playing live somewhere, I don't truly know
whether they can play.

Basically, it all comes down to how much you're willing to trust people and
what you're willing to trust them for/with. For me, this NG is a pleasant
diversion. It's a lot of fun to hang out here and talk guitar with all these
people. But I try not to get too emotionally or intellectually invested in
the goings-on here. When you get right down to it, we're all "wearing masks"
here. Each of us gets to choose what others see (or don't see) of ourselves.
That's an operating condition of Usenet, and I always respond with that in
mind.

What amuses me is that, presented with the opportunity to create a public
persona, quite a few people still choose to present themselves as jerks. I
guess it's a form of honesty! ;)

-- Bob Russell
http://www.uncwil.edu/people/russellr

Dick Onstenk

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Mar 2, 2002, 1:07:34 PM3/2/02

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Hi Dan,

I'm totally with you on this one. I have often wondered what people
using fake ids have to hide or why they are scared to reveal their
identities. Also, I consider it completely unfair to others (not to
mention yellow) to vent ideas anonymously. Everybody can have a big
mouth behind a mask.

I feel quite a bit like you to. The imagery of having a discussion
with a nameless dude wearing a mask is creepy but nonetheless very
real.

It's like some of us are willing to expose themselves more than
others.

Thanks for bringing this up. It had been a long irritation of mine,
even on this list where most guys are ok anyway so why that pintless
mask?

Down the masks now!

Dick

d...@danadler.com (Dan Adler) wrote in message news:<820e87.020302...@posting.google.com>...

Joe Finn

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Mar 2, 2002, 1:21:43 PM3/2/02

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I don't get the anonymity thing. I should say I do "get it" in a way but
it's not for me.

If people want to remain anonymous though I don't mind. I suppose they have
their reasons.

I put up a website (using my real name 8-) to promote my musical
activities and to tell people who I am and what I do. I was participating in
usenet long before that and always using my own name.

This really has nothing to do with music that I can think of. Once in a
while I may post to a non music group and I always use my name openly.
....joe
--
Visit me on the web. www.JoeFinn.net

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Lothar of the Hill People

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Mar 2, 2002, 2:04:40 PM3/2/02

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Here you go Dan:

Scott Turner,
Ottawa, Canada

Not a good jazz guitarist, just lurking mostly, trying to learn a few
things. Feel less creeped-out now?

Mike Verdonk

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Mar 2, 2002, 3:15:02 PM3/2/02

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on 2 Mar 2002 06:13:57 -0800, Dan Adler <d...@danadler.com> posted in this
group,

> Any other legit reasons why people choose to use randomized ids and
> never sign even their first names or give a link? I picture it as a
> bunch of people sitting around a circle having a discussion, where
> some of the people choose to wear masks.

I doubt wether it will make a difference when I use my fullname since the
few people who read this ng and know 'smooth' will also family name.
Besides people are calling me smooth since ages .
I also doubt wether it will be a difference to you guys to call me smooth
or Mike Verdonk.

The thing is that if someone will run a search on the usenet on someones
name it's easy to read every post one does.
I choose to use only half my name because of this privacy reason.
If regulars of this ng like to know my fullname is Mike Verdonk.
My friends call me smooth though.

regards,
--
Mike (like Lothar of The Hill also mostly a lurker)
http://muziek.clubs.nl/jazzgitaar
_________________________________________
'It's not that life is short, it's that you're dead so long'
-mail- smo...@jazz.nl

smooth

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Mar 2, 2002, 3:16:35 PM3/2/02

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on 2 Mar 2002 06:13:57 -0800, Dan Adler <d...@danadler.com> posted in this
group,

> Any other legit reasons why people choose to use randomized ids and
> never sign even their first names or give a link? I picture it as a
> bunch of people sitting around a circle having a discussion, where
> some of the people choose to wear masks.

I doubt wether it will make a difference when I use my fullname since the

smooth

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Mar 2, 2002, 3:19:46 PM3/2/02

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on 2 Mar 2002 06:13:57 -0800, Dan Adler <d...@danadler.com> posted in this
group,

> Any other legit reasons why people choose to use randomized ids and
> never sign even their first names or give a link? I picture it as a
> bunch of people sitting around a circle having a discussion, where
> some of the people choose to wear masks.

I doubt wether it will make a difference to everyone in cyberspace when I

use my fullname since the few people who read this ng and know 'smooth'

will also know my family name. Besides people are calling me smooth since
ages. Further I doubt wether it will be a difference to you guys to call

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Mar 2, 2002, 8:28:17 PM3/2/02

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For myself, it has nothing to do with this or any other particular
newsgroup. Sometime when you have a weekend with nothing to do, try
some searches on "internet privacy." Everything you do online, which
becomes a bigger and bigger part of our lives, is archived for at least
the rest of your life, and available to anyone....or any corporation, or
government agency, anywhere....forever. Soon you will not be able to
bank, pay taxes, buy an airline ticket, or do research without doing it
online. And everything you do online now can be linked with everything
you do online later. Not can be, will be.

But the real wake-up will come when your identity gets abused. That
happened to me, and my whole perception of internet privacy hasn't been
the same since.

Really, would you feel differently towards this poster if you knew my
full name? My hair color? Weight? Or on the other hand, if you found out
I was using completely fake identification?

I used to rail against people who didn't use their real identities. No
longer. Next time somebody says to you "if you aren't doing anything
wrong, why are you afraid of being exposed?" ask them if you can come
and go freely in their home any time.

Jim

In article <820e87.020302...@posting.google.com>,
d...@danadler.com (Dan Adler) wrote:

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Bob Agnew

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Mar 2, 2002, 4:41:42 PM3/2/02

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Well, I'm guilty of 4 but I post under my real name anyway.

"Dan Adler" <d...@danadler.com> wrote in message
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Rick Ross

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Mar 2, 2002, 10:04:52 PM3/2/02

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didn't say they were bad:)

"Thom j." <thom_...@yahoo.com> wrote in message

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Thom j.

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Mar 2, 2002, 10:45:33 PM3/2/02

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just cruious.. :)

"Rick Ross" <rick...@adelphi.net> wrote in message

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Noone in particular

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Mar 3, 2002, 3:56:33 AM3/3/02

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Heck, I'm just anon because:
1. I hate spam. I'll do everything in my power to keep my email out of
the hands of unwanted solicitors. It just drives me nuts that I get 80+
(no exageration) crap messages a day!
2. I don't sign my name cause I never developed the habit in grade-
school. Huh? oh, the paper with no name? must be mine again..
Seriously, I'm just used to the sig file doing it for me with my mailer
and forget that I have my newsreader set up differently.

Jeremy <look! a name!>

James Kidwell

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Mar 3, 2002, 10:03:50 AM3/3/02

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I've been thinking about getting a hip name.
What do you think of "Pickasso" JK

Doc

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Mar 3, 2002, 11:24:15 AM3/3/02

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My students named me Doctor Guitar years ago I'm almost 60. Now it's just
Doc. I don't like using my name on the internet-to many wirdos
Larry Maxwell
Killingworth CT
Songwriter/Composer/Teacher/Jazz Player/X-R&R Player/Elvis

--
Doc
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"Dan Adler" <d...@danadler.com> wrote in message
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Willie K.Yee, M.D.

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Mar 3, 2002, 11:30:55 AM3/3/02

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On Sun, 03 Mar 2002 10:03:50 -0500, James Kidwell
<Jame...@bellsouth.net> wrote:

>I've been thinking about getting a hip name.
>What do you think of "Pickasso" JK

Uh . . . could easily be corrupted to Pick-asshole.

Be careful.
--
Willie K. Yee, M.D. http://www.bestweb.net/~wkyee
Developer of Problem Knowledge Couplers for Psychiatry http://www.pkc.com
Webmaster and Guitarist for the Big Blue Big Band http://www.bigbluebigband.org

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Mar 3, 2002, 3:28:13 PM3/3/02

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I just received an e-mail the other day with someone bitching me out for
spamming porn.....I figured I had been used, cuz if I was in the porn
industry I probably would be making more money than I am now.

As for the identity, I could call myself Kyla Peterson and most would not
know the difference. It's just a name I threw together as I was writing
this. But all the sudden I'm a girl. A hot girl. Who likes jazz guitar.

Ethan
(really just a teenage boy that likes jazz)

"Max" <spams...@else.com> wrote in message
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Ethan Young

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Mar 3, 2002, 3:34:03 PM3/3/02

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"Max Leggett" <NOSPAM...@sprint.ca> wrote in message
news:3c810815....@news.sprint.ca...
>. Saps R Us. The net is
> basically a big vanity press where anyone can post anything without
> having to back up their statements or have any kind of expertise.
> Hence flames - it's easy to be brave in front of a keyboard. I also
> get the imporession that losers, desperate for attention, crosspost
> vapid comments to several newsgroups in order to garner the most
> amount of attention. Their only goal is to see their pseudonym in
> print.

I hate that...it's one of those things that really shows humankind's
immaturity on a societal and personal level. When people are hiding behind
the internet, a screen, and their all-powerful keyboard (also perhaps a
thousand miles away) using a mask of anonymity to hide their cowardly selves
further while they do immature things with mankind's latest and greatest
'toy,' I get pissed. If someone is acting like a mature human should but
still using anonymity, I don't care.

Ethan