expatmaggie is leaving because of Google.

I was thinking about changing my name, but don't know if it's necessary. Maybe I'm just being a bit lazy....I don't know how to go about it. soop, what did you do?

I have just Googled jack and there are millions of us so I think my identity is safe.

But this is a global site and I think we all have to be a bit careful about how much information we reveal to each other (and the world). This is a shame, because sometimes I feel like sharing a really serious problem but don't do so because this is a public forum.

So I stick to trivia!

I tried Twitter once and my photograph is there. I have two followers. I also tried Facebook and found that really scary because my daughter had posted all sorts of pics that I would prefer to stick in an album and hide away. And as for LinkedIn (I think that's what it's called) I don't fancy this at all. My name appears but everything's out of date and my so-called contacts are not necessarily people I want or need to know, thank you very much.

Just googled my name. The first result is me on GN, but the following entries show I have a varied life! I live in Calgary, play poker, run a lesbian dating site and look great in a bikini as a model (I wish!)
I shall not be changing my name, as I never reveal anything that shouldn't be made public.

Come on now, ladies! Whatever you change it to it will come up on Google eventually. If we all change our usernames at the drop of a hat, GN will become a nightmare! And then we'll have to post saying that so and so is now such and such, and that will be on Google!

I have just googled me and come up with someone with the same name about 30 years younger, a dancer from America. Also someone to do with dogs not me dont have one.

nag is right if they are going to find you they will

Also, try Googling your username and Gransnet - all the threads you've ever posted on will come up! . Maybe granbunny could find her missing posts that way?

No point in changing your identity - asAnagram and Glass say - everything is open to public view anyway and you will be found come hell or high water. I googled Greenmoss and the first name I saw after hers was mine! Changing names will only confuse the issue and you will be found eventually....The only way to stay private is to not join things like GN and how boring would that be>

Wow just done it nag

Have just re-googled myself (jack + gransnet) and all recent postings seem to come up in no particular order.

We are not mistresses of the universe after all and there is no hiding place.

Frightening, isn't it? But what the heck!

The only issue would be if you posted something private and personal, involving other family members. That could be a problem.

GNHQ do you have any comments to make about GNetters concerns??

It's quite amusing to see who else around the world has opted for the same 'username' as you
I don't think finding yourself on Google should be an issue most of the time, unless it makes you instantly identifiable to people you would rather not be identifiable to!
If that is the case, you can methodically go through all Google references to you, trace them back to their source, and remove yourself from that source. It won't always disappear instantly, but at very least will slip further and further down the pages in searches until it is as good as gone.
Sometimes it proves impossible to delete an entry (I had problems with LinkedIn at one time) but you can edit entries to make them useless. For instance, location as "Everywhere and Nowhere" or occupation as "A bit of this and a bit of that" It works!

Not going to bother,then!

In a quandry.

anagram, i've googled. apparently i'm a poker player from the u s. no. so i think my true identity is safe. then, i googled five other board names (from other boards, relax!) and didn't find me, either.

the missing posts aren't mine, by the way. i'd have to google somone else to find them...

If you have a very unusual name, then it is much more of a problem. It seems my name is unique worldwide - and I am very aware that it is paramount to be very careful with the Internet. I was seriously bullied by a Moderator on the first Forum I ever joined - and he pursued me right back to where we used to live, just using my first name and my profession. Horrible- as it affected y children and OH.

I've just googled and there's nothing. There are just too many who are doing fantastic things like being designers and artists and it comes up in the baby names as well because its popular. If you google GN then it will all come of course. All the same my gut feeling that I'd better not put up a profile was right for me I think.

It depends how much you value your privacy, I suppose. Open forums are accessible to everyone (but not our profiles, I don't think).

(There are no missing posts, granbunny, as I have said.)

ok, anagram, direct me to the troll-song, as i'd love to see it again

Well I've googled myself and apparently I have a very famous granddaughter called Lady!!

There's no need for this panic, our user names aren't our real names anyway so what difference does it make? As someone suggested - try putting in your real name and you'll be surprised how easy you are to find. At least GN offers a reasonable annomity

BTW gamma and glass - we had dumplings tonight with our lamb casserole, they were very tasty! Do we really need to keep both plain flour AND self raising flour in our cupboards? Can we just use plain with baking powder when required. America & Canada seem to do without self raising and just have "all purpose flour"
Sorry to go off at a tangent but this has been on my mind for a while

Well yoga & glamma plain flour is the way to go, the dumplings were light fluffy and delicious, I am converted

What's the proportion of baking powder to plain flour glass?

yoga

125g/4½oz plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
60g/2½oz suet