TV has a show "lie to me". The premise is that every thing we say(write), words, phrases, react says something about us regardless if we want it too or not.

I've noticed that people tend to be very self privacy conscious that is fine but are incredibly less guarded about what they say about themselves (their personalities) by their answers. Sometimes it's even what they don't say that may be a key.

e.g. A recent post talked about how those asylum seekers who could pay people smugglers were less deserving that those who couldn't.

Not only is it logically dubious, given it's source, it does contain INDICATORS as to the author's real feelings.

Likewise the fractious poster who suddenly claims that others don't know them to criticise yet spends an inordinate amount of time criticising, name calling of others.

Think about this what your pseudonym says about you to others.

NB this is NOT aimed at any specific person or persons. Mine is 'examinator' (ant)
To me it is a title give to me by political activists because I crawled over council documents finding stinging flaws for the councillors.
To others it varies from the polite to insults and accusations party bias in most cases these response also say a lot about their authors

IMO we ARE what we DO and there is no hiding.

So how much do you think you know about the personalities of others (not necessarily OLOers)? How much do you think they know about You? WHY?
discuss.

Forrest proved he knew about me, those who forget what they say and do here need to read this.
Mad at taunting from a poster I put my name out there in a thread.
My post history will tell my union.
It tells my age and just about home village.
As I have said in other threads body language is much like that we display about ourself in the written word.
So not much is hidden is it examinator?
My ham radio call is not hidden, could have done it, too late and do not care ,but it pin points me.
But while I can handle unwanted contact we all must understand face book and such will hurt a great many.
note spam is asking the unwary to renew name details there, well a waste on me I never will use it.

Dear Examinator,

How much do I think you know about me?

Probably quite a lot.

We've been posters on OLO for quite some
time now and have covered many subjects
and emotive situations - dealing with
them in our own individual ways - which
would tell us quite a lot about each other.

I've always believed that language is the
keystone to culture. Without the medium
of expression (spoken or written), complex
patterns of thought, emotion, knowledge,
and belief could not be shared. When an
animal dies, everything it has learned
dies with it. But language gives us humans
a history - access to social experience and
accumulated knowledge of the people that have
gone before us.

By posting on OLO, we communicate our thoughts to
people - and as you pointed out -
these thoughts and emotions - give an insight
into who we are

You could be right Foxy.
The indig; people never had this but they stand on their colture as if it meant life or death.
So are your comments all that right.

My short answer to examinator's topical question is 'very little more than I want him to'.

Then again, I could be wrong. Perhaps he could even prove me wrong, right here on OLO, but I doubt it.

Intriguing as it might be to think we can identify things indicative as to the 'real person' behind any OLO pseudonym, what would be the point in doing so? The only thing that comes readily to mind is that such information could be seen as useful in 'playing the man, and not the ball'. In other words, in shutting down a discussion, or seeking to derail a developing line of argument, by being able to resort to the use of labels and stereotypes that can be represented as applying to a particular poster.

That being said, posters who choose to use pseudonyms would be wise to heed Belly's advice to not reveal their real identity. If posting upon any topic in which there is significant public interest, rest assured that those who demand to know your real identity want to do so in order to damage your credibility in some way outside of the discussion in which you may be involved. There is seldom any other purpose.

It is true I 'found' Belly incredibly easily, but that was with the head start of knowing his real name. A Google search and two or three phone calls achieved the objective of provoking an acquaintance to check that he had not had some misfortune that accounted for his uncharacteristic absence for a period from OLO. I learned nothing more, and sought to learn nothing more, about Belly from that contact. Yet from what he has said on OLO from time to time, if I wanted I suspect I could walk right up to his door! No holiday for Halliday, if you get my point. (Gee, reference to that old fictional detective dates me, doesn't it!)

Never has self-censorship within the mainstream media and political discourse been more evident than now. OLO breaks that 'deal'. Don't underestimate the Forum's value.

Forrest, again you made me laugh in your every post humor, wisdom, and mischief.
And a hidden clue, see I can not hide FG hide a thing that tells me he knows within 30 klm my hiding place.
Warning , its my cave, my place is named Belly's hideaway, my mates know if the door is shut Belly is in the cave.
Had to change the color of my home it was once blue.
But this is true, every one of us should take note, protect your self, great damage has been done to the unwary here on the web.
To me, by releasing my name I fell victim to insanity and spite, only thing is I fought back, the harm remained for years.
I want every one to know we each must not fall into the trap of letting the unknown into our life, it can hurt you it will hurt you if you act unwisely.
PS
I have 2 computers now
so may not get lost again

Forrest,

The issue isn't knowing another's address rather the personality.
personally I have absolutely no interest in stalking anyone as described on several posts the consequences of giving out that information can be dire.

I was more interested in the personality.
Some OLOers play mind games in the mistaken assumption that their weaknesses, failings, real thoughts are hidden.

My point was to point out that they're not in many way the moment we express anything it reveals something about us, whether we intend it or not.

Unlike the TV series single issues (points) are just indicators but not necessarily ipso factor. However, no matter how clever we are or aren't, over time the true us peeks through. It is an act of extreme delusion or naivety to assume otherwise.

for that reason I tend to dispense with the need for a perfect memory and be me, wart and all. Safe in the relative knowledge only but the most enthusiastic would *want* to find me, what would it gain?

I simply wondered how many other people felt that the personality egg was impermeable. Yes, another trait, Gross curiosity but then again that's not a secret either.

"for that reason I tend to dispense with the need for a perfect memory and be me, wart and all. Safe in the relative knowledge only but the most enthusiastic would *want* to find me, what would it gain?"

It's certainly ironic though, how even if we're as straight-forward and honest as we can be, half the time the response from the fictitious cyber-skeptics is that we must be full of BS. Once again just goes to show how thesedays truth truly is stranger than fiction, eh?

I agree examinator, it is possible to 'know' someone from these sort of sites.

However, while we may divulge information about our thoughts, feelings, values and dislikes, we must be careful not to divulge too much personal information that may give too many clues to our actual real address or whereabouts.

There are too many sickos and conmen in this world, and probably also on this site to allow us to give too much information on such a public site.

Belly

Ah hah, now that I know both your name and your town, you'd better make sure you keep in my good books!

No more insulting remarks about those 'out of touch, radical, silly Greens', hey?

And BTW, hopefully you know me well enough by now to know that this comment in no way poses a threat to your safety. :)

Yes I do Bronwyn, now do not tell anyone, keep it between us ok?
Without big changes next state election?
Look for a bloke under your table at the polling booth putting one hand out for a HTV.

When I read the first post I was reminded of the Carly Simon song supposedly about Warren Beatty “Your So Vain”….

But examinator’s “poster” is most likely a composite.

“So how much do you think you know about the personalities of others (not necessarily OLOers)? How much do you think they know about You? WHY?”

I don’t bother to assess, research, analyse or pretend I need to know anything about the personalities of most of the others I come into contact with, unless their personality can influence my life, simply because I have better things to do with my time.

For instance I have a high degree of interest and knowledge of my wife’s personality, because she matters. Likewise the personality of those who I call my friends matters but so to do the personality’s of those who can influence my employment and income.

I do correspond and have met some OLO posters, there are others I would sincerely like to meet and still others I would never wish to be within several kilometers of. All that says about me is I am like most other people who exercise personal choice.

Some might proclaim an insight by interpreting my log on name… but the only thing really evident from that is I have an unfettered sense of political incorrectness.

Some might like to stereotype me based on my political beliefs but when my beliefs are libertarian, it becomes far harder to define/qualify what is in essence “individuality” and all its eccentricities, versus the crushing “uniformity” of the left.

cont...

Cont…
Some might say I am arrogant, I would suggest that, whilst that might be true, I am not so arrogant as to believe I know what is right for everyone else. Hence I will always support the notion that we are all best served by making up our own choices and our own mistakes.

However, you would know me more if you knew those who inspire me, my favourite composers, painters, sculptors and writers (as well as Margaret Thatcher), for instance. Very few here have seen a picture of me or met me. One did once find out where I lived (street address) and that, because of their “personality”, was scary.

Some might know my date of birth others my country of origin or travels but that does not tell you what I have done when I travelled, who I am, what professional accreditations I hold or what chair I occupy.

Only one person knows me and I know only one person, my wife and that is because we are mirrors of one another but even then there are aspect of each other we still have to discover.

I could not pick any of you from even a small group, not from your posture or level of personal aesthetic (although I do have a stereotypical image of many of you in my mind), until you opened your mouth, then I would know most of you within about 3 minutes.

I do not conform with the stereotype of my profession and lets face it, most of us only amateur personality sleuths and what you ‘see’ of me here is what I choose to disclose, neither the whole of who I am nor necessarily the essence of who I might be (the public versus private me).

Therefore I would challenge anyone here, to point me out in a group based only on what you know of me from my posts here.

'NB this is NOT aimed at any specific person or persons.'

Oh pontificator, a thread in honour of me! Such a wonderful tribute.

Forest said it best, 'very little more than I want him to'.

What would be the purpose of 'knowing' a poster. I can only assume your idea of 'knowing' someone is about as shallow as reading rantings that may or may not be true from anonymous posters on a public graffiti board. Maybe that reveals the 'depth' of you real life relationships. I bet you think the 'ladies' you chat to excitedly on the internet late at night are not balding obese middle aged men in their wife's underwear too.

I will say right now I know nothing about anyone on OLO. I'm just not interested. Words on a page, and an outlet for me to be amused and play games. So sue me. That you take it all so seriously is no more valid or worthy than my legitimate use of OLO. I am interested in getting reactions from people to ease my boredom at work (Or am I, I've been known to lie. I could be doing a thesis, or I could just be insane).

I bet you don't even know my favourite colour, and that I love romantic walks on the beach. I know you are searching for more, but if our relationship was an onion with many layers pontificator, I think you've reached the dust on the top layer.

Your whole argument falls down on the prerequisite of truth and proof. And if you want to prove otherwise, prove what facts you 'know' about me.

BTW: Why do I not 'understand' you're not really a pompous self aggrandising twit, obsessed that people know you didn't name yourself 'examinator', and constantly coming up with faux humility just after one of your boasting posts? I choose to believe otherwise, and because your responses to my claims entertain me.

Col,

'(although I do have a stereotypical image of many of you in my mind)'
Oh I know. Hey you ruined mine by sending me that picture when I already had you as Maurice Minnifield from Northern Exposure. Before that you were the actor Rip Torn.

Foxy, I have you as an old lady sitting by her window in the morning sipping on her tea after reading Gardening Australia.

Sorry pontificator,

you're not interesting enough to warrant an avitar in my mind. Oh, though a sudden image of Hyacinth Bucket comes to mind.
In fact, I think I need a new nemesis. I'm sorry I think it's time to break up with you. It's not you, it's me.

I think actors are a good analogy for OLO. Though I'm sure pontificator thinks he really 'knows' Tom Cruise.

When I was young, I always thought "Judge not, Lest ye yourself be Judged" was a threat; God will judge you.
That case a few years back of the Magistrate in South Aus. was quite illuminating. Remember the "rougher than usual handling in a marital situation" line?
That week, every reader in the world thought they had a pretty good idea about the Magistrate, even if they knew nothing about the person being judged.
I think we long term posters know as much as we need to know about each other. We have a pretty good idea who we can count on as 'allies' and who will always be protagonists; who we can safely disagree with, without the issue dropping to a slanging match, who we can learn from, and who will provide a great example of what not to do...
and...hoos posts...lol... ar not werth...lol... reeding....or trying to translate into common english.

Howler - do you mean you're not really Babarra Sexington, recovering drug addict and stripper?

I'm shattered :(

Grim

<< I think we long term posters know as much as we need to know about each other. We have a pretty good idea who we can count on as 'allies' and who will always be protagonists; who we can safely disagree with, without the issue dropping to a slanging match, who we can learn from ... >>

Well put. I agree.

<< ... and who will provide a great example of what not to do...

Again agreed, and as exempified perfectly in the four posts preceding your own.

<< and...hoos posts...lol... ar not werth...lol... reeding....or trying to translate into common english. >>

LOL. And again agreed. :)

Your brevity and humour, along with CJ's, is a welcome relief after the ordeal of wading through the sheer arrogance and naked hatred fairly jumping off the screen in the aforementioned posts.

I have no visual picture in my mind of either writer, the workings of their minds are so awful, that they inspire no imagining on my part whatever.

Houlle “Oh I know. Hey you ruined mine by sending me that picture when I already had you as Maurice Minnifield from Northern Exposure. Before that you were the actor Rip Torn.”
HA HA
I googled Maurice Minnifield and will admit I was more like Rip Torn, in past years more than recent.

You are one of the few on OLO who would be able to pick me out in a line-up (although I thought you would not notice me (alongside Bling, Bling Barbie Doll).

I have no image of yourself in mind…but that is like many folk who think for themselves.. their images are as varied as their delightful eccentricities, although if you love “romantic walks on the beach” I bet you likewise enjoy “ glasses of red wine infront an open fire”

I imagine Foxy as trim and tidy, fractelle as thin to the point of emaciation and Bronwyn like some Wagnerian soloist wearing a helmet with horns and metal breast guards.

“Sorry pontificator,
you're not interesting enough to warrant an avitar in my mind. Oh, though a sudden image of Hyacinth Bucket comes to mind.”

Love it

The pontificator, I image as a dusky skinned weasel, standing in a fair ground, dispensing the intellectual equivalent of fairy floss (you know something which looks a lot but is just saccharin sweet and completely devoid of substance), to the gullible and feeble minded.

CJ Moron I always image as an red setter… a lumbering beast known for its stupidity and habitually licking itself.

I have a general uniform image of leftie males … under fed, wearing grey, drab Mao uniforms and several days chin hair (you know that unkempt, neglected and impotent look) the sort of non-entity LS Lowry (a pleasant but not one of my favourite painters) painted into his Manchurian streetscapes.

But I will admit, I like your style and attitude, which I find similar to mine. I am sure your life experience will ultimately convert you to the libertarian perspective, you are already on that path,

it is called the acquisition of wisdom

although if you love “romantic walks on the beach” I bet you likewise enjoy “ glasses of red wine infront an open fire”

Ah so funny, you certainly are on my wave length. Pity that old school mistress Bronwyn cant ever manage a smile at the harmless hijinks, but rather sees 'naked hatred'. I'd wager a lot more 'hatred' is directed at myself and the good Sir Rouge than can ever be honestly interpreted as 'jumping' from us by the likes of Mistress Bronwyn.

I suppose as Col says, daring not to fall into line with the conventional leftist intelligentsia, and daring to have fun and not treat life, and oneself, so seriously probably makes a lot of people jealous.

Well seeing as we're sharing our "imaginings"
of people's physical appearances, here's mine:

1) Examinator - I imagine to look like
Mr Darcy from "Pride and Prejudice."
Like, the actor Colin Firth . (sigh).

2) CJ - I imagine to look like
David Niven - humorist, actor, and
gentleman extraordinary. Charm, wit,
and daredevilry!

3) Col Rouge - I imagine looking similar
to Malcolm Turnbull.
Coffee, Chocolate, Men...
Some things are better rich!

4) Houellie - I imagine looking similar
to Warick Capper - game for anything!
long in the leg,
but short in the ...

5) Bronwyn - is definitely Cameron Diaz's
twin! Full of fun!

6) Belly's - Hugh Jackman - no doubt about
that! An honest down to earth guy - totally
loveable!

7) Fractelle - Cate Blanchet - a mysterious enigma.
Beautiful, sexy, mysterious!
Multi-layered.

That will do for now...

Just by way of appreciation of Seano's post of Sunday, 8 November 2009 at 9:54:34 AM, and to ensure he is at no disadvantage with respect to OLO users of longer standing, here are some of the things examinator, or anyone else reading and paying attention, could know about a number of other regular OLO posters.

examinator's first post on OLO was on 11/06/2008 at 12:10:48 AM. He was among the early posters to Ludwig's topic 'Why did you choose your pseudonym', opened on Sunday, 10 August 2008 at 9:24:04 AM:

http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=2044&page=0

Bronwyn,

Re your post of Sunday, 8 November 2009 at 11:37:15 PM. People who live in, or even anywhere remotely near, glass houses shouldn't throw stones. You have committed some absolute shockers of identity confidentiality security breaches here on OLO, believe me. Do the initials ......? Nah, forget it, it would be too easy.

cont'd ...

1) Forrest Gumpp - I see as a very elegant,
sophisticated - George Clooney type.

2) RObert - I see as the dark and mysterious type -
the Antonio Banderas of OLO.
Silent waters run deep.

3) Antiseptic - I see as the Russell Crowe type, -
very masculine, and a great father.

4) Shadow Minister - I see as a Peter Costello
type - a quiet achiever.

5) Runner - I see as a John Cleese type.
Underneath all that seriousness - is a guy
with a sense of humour.

6) Arjay - I see as a Mike Moore type.
A crusader with -
strong opinions about politics and
how things should be run.

7) Hasbeen - I see as a politician - possibly
a Joe Hockey type - a decent, down to earth bloke.

8) The Missus - I see as an earthy Dawn French type -
with a sense of humour. And an opinion about
everything.

9) Cornflower - I see as an Emma Thompson type -
intelligent, with very strong opinions.

10) Pelican - I see as a bit of a dark horse -
A beauty with brains - a Catherine Zeta-Jones type.
Totally luverly!

11) Suze - I see as a Goldie Hawn type - bright,
beautiful, and very dedicated in everything
she does.

12) David F. - I see as a wise sage - who can
perform magic. He's the perfect candidate to be
the Headmaster at Hogwarts - in the Harry Potter
series.

13) Steven L. Meyer - I see as Peter Pan - a mischief
maker - a Robin Williams type - very talented - who will
never grow old.

That's all for now...

Forrest

<< You have committed some absolute shockers of identity confidentiality security breaches here on OLO, believe me. Do the initials ......? Nah, forget it, it would be too easy. >>

I presume you mean I've breached my own security. I hope you're not suggesting I've breached someone else's!

I don't get too hung up on hiding my identity, but I doubt I've revealed it just the same. But with a master sleuth like yourself around, who would know. I probably have. :)

Bronwyn's little out-of-klaas remark had not gone un-noticed:

"Pretty heavy stuff really.
She could be wondering
what the hell I'm on about."

Bronwyn could relax. The 'absolute shockers of identity confidentiality security breaches here on OLO' were all as to the security of her own anonymity, not with respect to revealing the true identity of others. Except Belly. But then, again, she wasn't really to blame for blowing Belly's cover: he had done that himself, long ago. All Bronwyn had done was to seemingly see some locational identifier in one of Forrest's throw away lines in his previous post of, what was it, three days ago?, and then draw attention to that.



A bit like 'The Loaded Dog'.



Now Bronwyn was trying to blame Forrest for the throw-away line that she had read something into! It had hardly been a claim to master sleuthery, just a revelation that Forrest had once heard an old radio serial featuring a fictional detective. It didn't mean he was one.

Forrest could, of course, if asked explain 'en claire' the absurdly simple steps he could take that would probably reveal Bronwyn's true identity, working from clues she had dropped in her posting history. Forrest thought it safest, however, if she got herself a userID on the Ubuntu Forums, and in a one way PM exchange she could listen while Forrest talked and showed how easily she could be identified from her own mouthings.



Forrest even thought he might have a picture of Bronwyn, but not a mental one like one of Foxy's.



Bronwyn could stay relaxed, Forrest quickly afterthought, it is a perfectly respectable picture, if indeed it is of her. The real Bronwyn, that is, because the subject of the picture is definitely a Bronwyn from points north of Brisvegas.

Enough of all these platitudes, thought Forrest, stake and hammer in one hand, crucifix in the other. These Bronwyns were distracting him from the task at hand, the staking-out of that great vampire of the democratic process, Aec the Undead.

Forrest

<< Now Bronwyn was trying to blame Forrest for the throw-away line she'd read something into! It had hardly been a claim to master sleuthery, just a revelation that Forrest had once heard an old radio serial featuring a fictional detective. >>

It must be pointed out that Forrest is barking up the wrong tree here. The throwaway line Bronwyn referred to related to breaching identity security, not to detectives.

<< Forrest thought it safest, however, if she got herself a userID on the Ubuntu Forums ... >>

Forrest of course was forgetting that Bronwyn was technologically challenged and sure to fail in attempting any such feat. :)

<< ... and in a one-way PM exchange she could listen while Forrest talked and showed how easily she could be identified from her own mouthings. >>

No, with Ubuntu beyond her, Forrest decided he'd have to resort to talking in riddles on OLO. That'd be okay, he'd had plenty of practice at that. Though he'd have to make sure he didn't reveal as much to others, as an earlier reference had to her. :)

<< ... the subject of the picture is definitely a Bronwyn from points north of Brisvegas. >>

Forrest seems not to know the extent of the population of the area he's referring to and of the number of Bronwyn's likely to reside therein. Bit like a needle in a haystack really. Besides, this particular Bronwyn is photo shy and doubts very much there's any captioned photos of her in any public space for even the most diligent of sleuths to access.

Forrest just shook his head in despair, "How could she be so reckless with her identity."

He didn't understand she was secure in the knowledge that no-one apart from him would be the least bit interested. And that for her, Forrest knowing, was no big deal. She knew the workings of his mind well enough, not to mention how long he'd lived on the planet, to know instinctively that she could trust him. :)

Again, Forrest shook his head, "That girl will never learn."

Bronwyn,

I trust this is the thread to which you referred when you recently intruded upon my seeming soliloquoy on the 'Klaas Woldring' thread?

"Is this an air-drawn ballot that I see? To vote, or have somebody else vote for me, that is the question! Whether to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous electoral fortune, or, risking all, to lift the veil upon the vile undead while light still shines, and, staking through its heart with hammer driv'n, remove its thrall o'er all our lives and times. Out, out damned spot, lest with informality my vote's defiled, and all that rot" - Guillaume Chacqestaque 1215 - .

My apologies for not replying, but I thought you had just about covered everything in your previous post. Not in the least offended, but just felt if I was to respond further, stuff, speculations, would be up there for the world to see. Not that I feel any need to track anyone down, no matter how easy that might be, but whatever is posted is there for the (wing?)nutters to see, and I can't answer for them as to what they might do with that.

As an observer, if I really wanted to sort out who was who of the undoubtedly multiple Bronwyns of your part of the world, I'd just study the movements of the local yellow-tailed black cockatoo mob, and its sub-mobs. You know, watch where they water in the evenings, and all that stuff. Throw in an odd question or two in the locality, and before you know it, byngo! Bronwyn's your auntie!

Australia is a very small place, and people are easy to find if one but asks the right questions.

Now, what was it you wanted to talk about? It must be hard getting bashed about in the rough chop of the Torrid Strait, pulling boat-scuttling asylum seekers out of the opinion-infested hot water, what with the tide running so strongly against the wind.

Of course, you could read yourself into the 'Klaas Woldring thread.

Food for thought?

Forrest

Thanks for the post and sorry for hassling you over it, but I was worried I'd offended you.

Black cockatoos notwithstanding, I feel fairly secure I'm still just one in a haystack of Bronwyn's. You did have me thinking there for a moment though.

<< It must be hard getting bashed about in the rough chop of the Torrid Strait, pulling boat-scuttling asylum seekers out of the opinion-infested hot water, what with the tide running so strongly against the wind. >>

LOL. Yes, that's how it is a bit.

I still think I'm better off swimming against the tide there though, than trying to wade through your electoral thread, worthy though I'm sure it is. I'll give it another look though.