Location Information

[Stick895]

Short question: why do so many people not give valid location information in their profile? These fall into 3 categories: 1) no information at all; 2) bogus/unclear location like South of the UP, somewhere, USA, planet Earth, etc. ad infinitum and: 3) state only. I am a native of VA and there is vast difference between the regions and cities of this state in terms of geography, economy, etc. I am just mystified by this. Do they think they're hiding?

 

[kennyd]

Do they think they're hiding?

Probably...

 

[dave1949]

It is hard to give advice to folks who ask questions that are location dependent when there is no, or sketchy info provided. Building projects, wood lots, gardening, etc. are examples of those.

People do seem to want some anonymity on the 'net. I don't why that is, and it's surely different than getting to know someone in person.

While we are at it, there have been several threads lately where people ask for help with a tractor problem, get advice, including good ideas , but never let people know if the problem got fixed or not. I think that's a violation of some unwritten DIY code of honor. :laughing: When that loop never gets closed, people can't learn as much from each other.

 

[HillStreet]

Definitely not hiding but I do live in a small town. In some conversations the names of dealers or repair shops come up and I will only comment in a favorable manner. Nonetheless I would not want to offend anyone by an omission or mistatement. I really do like this site and have gained much more than I can contribute, as my experience is limited with tractors.

I do however use my name and location when I write to newspaper comments, and even write to the White House now and then. Mr. ***** and I don't get along.

 

[Looking4new]

Definitely not hiding but I do live in a small town. In some conversations the names of dealers or repair shops come up and I will only comment in a favorable manner. Nonetheless I would not want to offend anyone by an omission or mistatement. I really do like this site and have gained much more than I can contribute, as my experience is limited with tractors.
I do however use my name and location when I write to newspaper comments.

I too live near a small town. The town has a population of 600, the township I live in has a population of 800. I think I have posted on here my town in the past, but it will never be under my nick.

 

[aczlan]

It is hard to give advice to folks who ask questions that are location dependent when there is no, or sketchy info provided. Building projects, wood lots, gardening, etc. are examples of those.
People do seem to want some anonymity on the 'net. I don't why that is, and it's surely different than getting to know someone in person.

IMO, its smart to not give out your exact location online. Make someone who wants to stop by and steal your tractor while you are on vacation (that you mentioned on a public forum) have to at least work a little to get your address...
Do you generally wear a badge while in public listing your name and the town you live in?

While we are at it, there have been several threads lately where people ask for help with a tractor problem, get advice, including good ideas , but never let people know if the problem got fixed or not. I think that's a violation of some unwritten DIY code of honor. :laughing: When that loop never gets closed, people can't learn as much from each other.

This XKCD comic comes to mind:

Source: https://xkcd.com/979/

Aaron Z

 

[JD 4520]

Short question: why do so many people not give valid location information in their profile? These fall into 3 categories: 1) no information at all; 2) bogus/unclear location like South of the UP, somewhere, USA, planet Earth, etc. ad infinitum and: 3) state only. I am a native of VA and there is vast difference between the regions and cities of this state in terms of geography, economy, etc. I am just mystified by this. Do they think they're hiding?

You didn't give your name or details...why not?

 

[MossRoad]

Short question: why do so many people not give valid location information in their profile? These fall into 3 categories: 1) no information at all; 2) bogus/unclear location like South of the UP, somewhere, USA, planet Earth, etc. ad infinitum and: 3) state only. I am a native of VA and there is vast difference between the regions and cities of this state in terms of geography, economy, etc. I am just mystified by this. Do they think they're hiding?

Personally, I think whatever someone is comfortable posting about themselves is just fine. A small state doesn't need much specifics, while something like Texas is broken into regions, but specific towns doesn't really matter that much in the big picture. For example, take you: just what kind of project information do you need in Arlington, VA that is so location specific VS, say, the metro DC area? How specific do you want folks to get? For instance, if I put my exact town location that would do little to help with projects at my remote tree farm, just 9 miles away. The soil types there are completely different. There's a micro-climate at my home that makes it less windy and I get less precipitation here, too. It just doesn't matter that much. What you should be concerned about when you ask for advice is that you do a better job of explaining the situation to begin with. Rather than saying "Need help with a barn", how about "Need help with a barn foundation crumbling" and in your post put the specifics of where you're at, what the barn foundation is made of, how old it is, why you think its foundation is crumbling, etc.... give a good story to begin with and it won't make people wonder about what you're asking.

 

[2LaneCruzer]

Short question: why do so many people not give valid location information in their profile? These fall into 3 categories: 1) no information at all; 2) bogus/unclear location like South of the UP, somewhere, USA, planet Earth, etc. ad infinitum and: 3) state only. I am a native of VA and there is vast difference between the regions and cities of this state in terms of geography, economy, etc. I am just mystified by this. Do they think they're hiding?

I simply do not want my full name, address, date of birth, profession, email address. etc. available to everyone on the internet. I'm sure that a very clever criminal bent on identity theft could probably find out enough information on the internet if they tried, but I don't want to make it easy for them. Besides, if a thief knows that I own a particular item, I don't want him to know where I live. Example if you are on a firearms forum, and make a post telling how many and what kind of guns you have, do you want folks to be able to look at your profile and see where you live?

Try Googling your handle, Stick895 and see what comes up. It might surprise you.

 

[The Fred]

I blame Edward Snowden and plead the fifth.

Fred might not be my real name.