how honest are you, online

[Alysheba]

I have lied once online. It's a long story, but since you asked, here it goes. A group of people who was on another forum (a horseracing fan site) decided to get together and go to Kentucky. Well, we did in 2004. It was nice but some of the people didn't quite mesh (too many chiefs and not enough indians) and I had committed to going again in 2005 with some others in the first group. I lied and said I would not be able to make it to KY with some of the ones from the original group but did. I didn't have a problem with some of the other people, but didn't want to spend an entire week with them again. Basically, I chickened out of telling them that cause I didn't want to hurt their feelings and still keep in touch with a couple. I have 3 screen names. One is the one you see above, another is a variation of Alysheba and the other is also a racehorse's name. I try to keep it simple.

[littlemissattitude]

Originally Posted by Princess Ivy

to add to that, the open university, where i'm studying, doesn't offer anthropology. I originaly wanted to study that, they advised that the way to work around it, would be to obtain a degree in sociology with modules from history and (believe it or not) ecconomics. That was before everything went to hell in a handbasket and i became more interested in specific, person psycology and modern sociology leading to those problems.

Yes, anthropology gets kicked around a lot.* At the uinversity where I did my upper division work, they didn't call it cultural anthropology.* It was Intercultural Studies, although it amounted to the same thing.* And, yes, I had to take a couple of economics classes to be an anthropologist.* But that makes sense, I suppose, since part of culture is how individuals in that culture make their living, which is all economics is when you get down to it (although it doesn't seem like it when you get in a class like I did, where all they talk about is how big corporations are run and how to play the stock market *insert cross-eyed smilie here* :smilie.

Actually, my position is that anthropology and sociology are really the same thing and that it is an artificial division into the study of first world cultures (which sociology studies) and the study of what we in the west so quaintly call "primitive" cultures as well as the cultures of antiquity (which anthropology studies).* This is not as true now as it was, say forty or fifty years ago, but the division - and the rivalry - remains.

Edited to add that what I really wanted to study was either biological/physical anthropology or archaeology. But I didn't do well enough in my anatomy and physiology courses (which were not geared to anthropology majors) to do biological anthro and my knees don't work well enough to get down and do the digging necessary to be an archaeologist. Sucks getting old.

[Percon]

I think of myself as being a generally honest person, both on and offline. I like to be honest to people and so I always try to avoid lying to cover something up since it will almost always end up worse by trying to cover up a lie rather than telling the truth.

First things first though, I don't like to give out many revealing personal details unless I've met the person I'm talking/typing to.

PERCON

Humanity's greatest threat is itself

[Foxbat]

I see myself as being fairly honest online. I believe if you lie through your teeth then, eventually, it will catch up with you. If there's something I don't want somebody to know I just don't say (it's easier than telling a lie).

On the whole, I agree with Percon and don't give out personal details (or ask them).

[Stormflame]

HHmm...delicate topic to many people who take the web as a serious lifestyle. I have a few friends who have met online, and are in relationships now. I met my wife via internet when the internet first came to be, however, we only talked on it a few times, before changing our medium to phone conversations, then, after talking on the phone for hours on end, we met a month later and the rest is history.
I was honest when I met her about everything. We had so much in common. It was like looking at myself in a mirror. Outdoors, writing, lifestyle, everything.
The two hundred mile distance between us did not last. We moved closer and began dating. It was love at first site. I will have to tell you of the meeting sometime. It was like a story right out of a romance novel at how it happened. You would love to hear it.
But, I have another friend who has a college degree, and all he pretty much does is date girls off the internet. His luck with it has not gotten him to marriage or anything, however, it has gotten him into a few serious love-interests. I have another girl-friend, of whom I know, and her man is moving across five states to be with her, because of a chance meeting on the web.
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It is easy to lie on the web. Many, many people you find on the internet are 'down', as to ascertain, depressed, low-self esteem or confidence. Not saying everyone, but, many, many are, and it is these, who normally are found to live in a little dreamworld that suits them.
It is the 'wave of the future' to date online. All of these sites like Love.com, or E-harmony.com, or many others, are stormed with millions of dating people, who date like this, and meet. It is a way to screen out people who you do NOT want to meet. The meetings are so action-packed and adventurous, that if you have never done it, then, you could in no way realize the feeling that I would be putting out to you. It is like meeting a penpal for the first-time, and you feel as though you have known this person your whole life, and your meeting, is just one of a thousand. Weird how that is....
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I joined a site back in May that was mostly a young-peoples site. Me being 31, I knew that if I did not falsify my age and certain other facts about me, that I would not be accepted on that site. It is taboo for an older 'geezer' to come on a predominately young site, and try to fit in. It just does not work. I did this, and the more people I met and pm'd with, the lies had to get bigger and bigger, before, I was like, "Man, this is not worth it!"
I learned my lesson on this. That is why Chronies drew my attention. Here is a site with many different age-groups, and they all like fantasy and sci-fi. Here I shall stay...

[Princess Ivy]

the internet society has been compared so often to the wild west of old, so this is obviously a bastion of men in white hats :biggrin:

[Stalker]

Mostly honest, 2 IDs in the Internet except my professional one. Mainly, straightforward like a tank when share my opinion. Guess, I am tolerant enough to others' opinions but sometimes like the very process if arguing. :wink:
As I am telling truth, nuthing but truth, I, nothetheless, not always tell ALL truth - something I may reserve to myself when it deems necessary and pertains to some personal issues. :smilie: :wink:
Friends - I consider you all my friends after all and think it's the street with two-ways traffic. Or am I too enthusiastic about that, colleagues?
Enemies? I doubt that! I avoid moderating duites and am not nosy about other people's affairs.
My kindest regards to all of you, friends!

[Princess Ivy]

thank you babe.

[dwndrgn]

1. I try to be as honest as possible. If I feel that I can't, I keep my mouth shut - IRL and online. Sometimes I may change my mind and/or forget I've already said something, but that is basically just human error, not dishonesty. I don't have time for liars IRL so I definitely wouldn't want to deal with them online.
2. I have several identities, but they are all me if you get my meaning. Sometimes my preferred username can't be used for whatever reason and sometimes they require numbers or whathaveyou and for various reasons (none having to do with dishonesty) I've got many little me's around this huge internet. I don't create a new identity so that I can be someone else and pretend or lie or whatever. Usually it is just because I'm forced to like LittleMiss was.
3. I've not had occasion to actually rely upon someone I've met online other than for trading books and whatnot so I really don't have any trust issues. I figure everyone is who or what they say they are unless I find out otherwise.
4. I'd like to think I've made friends online (what are you people anyway :biggrin:?) but I haven't yet met anyone in the flesh that I first met online.
5. Can't imagine having made any enemies online. If so, they are entitled to their opinion, however wrong it may be :wink:
6. I'm quite often too shy for my own good, online and IRL. Admittedly, it is easier online to do or say things that might make you uncomfortable if you are face to face with someone, but I've so far had no need to go out of my way and do crazy things. I'm just plain boring and dull and wouldn't know how to be risque or daring if I was given the manual
7. I'm not paranoid. I figure everyone is who or what they say they are until proven otherwise. But like I said above, I don't really rely upon any of my online 'friends' for anything other that good conversations so there isn't any risk involved.
8. I hate IM. It is just too annoying to me, it is like trying to have a time delayed phone conversation. Very annoying. I'd rather post or send an email and just go do something else until I get a reply instead of watching the screen for an immediate reply that might not come for a while. Webcam? Me? I had to drag up the courage to post a photo of me on Chronicles even though the photo (one taken for work) was already posted online at their website. Again, too shy for it.
9. Never fallen for an online friend. Never wanted to. Still don't. Even if I weren't already happily (mostly :biggrin married, I'd still be way too leery of a real relationship online.
10. I love my 'online life'. I don't consider it my real life, or even a substitute for one, but it provides many outlets for me that aren't available to me IRL. For example, my hobby of entering sweepstakes is much more difficult and expensive if all you use are mail in entries. Online, I enter over 100 different ones each day - with no cost but my time. Also, IRL, I have few friends who read, much less read in the same genres I do, therefore, Chronicles provides a wonderful outlet for discussiong movies, books and tv in my fave genres. I mentioned in an earlier post that I use reward programs to fund my wants (like books from ebay or amazon or whatever), I wouldn't be able to do that at all if it weren't for the internet. So, it isn't a substitute but it sure make my life more fun and enjoyable.

[Rosemary]

Well apart from the exagerations that are to be found in the Tea Room, I have been honest. Occassionally there will be a question or something similar, where I might omit telling all of the truth but that is usually because it is of a too personal nature.

Yes I am different when I am online! In my real life, I am extremely shy, suffer from panic attacks and also have Bi Polar. So for me The Chronicles is an outlet, where I can stand there waving my sword or flying a plane!! It helps me to relax and to enjoy life a little more. How I wish I could be like the Sword Maiden!! Feisty, cheerful - infact everything I am not! Do you wonder why I regard The Chronicles as 'my happy family'? I cannot wait to get online.

Yes, I hope I have made some friends there, it is nice to be able to PM or email and learn about the different countries that they live in.

I do get paranoid sometimes, especially when the 'threads'all seem to end with one of my 'posts'. I also felt paranoid the other day when all of a sudden ALL of my PM's stopped arriving. I thought I might have done something wrong but it turned out that they had all been busy.

I do try not to upset anyone, and quite often delete posts before I even send them, or quickly edit just in case I have said something wrong.

Yes, I must admit I seem to have a rather wicked sense of humour online - I do try to curb it as much as possible, in fact I think I shall have to try harder.

So, if I have upset anyone, it was unintentional I assure you! I get very upset and emotional if I feel that i have upset anyone!