Incognito Profiles

I have noticed, that playing alot of online chess,  it seems the majority of the profiles I am seeing have no information at all, other than the country where the member is from.  I am waiting to read one that says " From Earth"... I find this curious since I have been involved with forums and large websites for decades where members  list where they are from, their age, name, etc..etc...  

Are chess players just very reclusive people that don't want anyone to know anything at all about them,  and if so, I wonder why ........??????

What's better, no info or false leads? Do you try chatting them up to get clues?

Why would I???

This isn't a social networking site, people don't even come here to chat, the majority come here to play chess.

You've been involved with forums and large websites, but... well forums are for social behavior so that doesn't count, except for trolls you'll find the players that visit the forums have profiles.  "Large websites" but what were they for?  I don't think it has anything to do with chess players, it has to do with looking in the wrong place for people whose intention is social networking and nothing else.

I read something a parent wrote about accompanying her kid to a chess tournament where the people weren't too chatty/friendly with each other between rounds... but in my opinion she had it all wrong, she was thinking of the tournament as a social gathering instead of what it was, a competition.  You don't go to a football match to observe friendship and conversations between rivals for example...

I'm wanted by my mother. She put a hit out on my butt when I was 5 for eating a whole carrot cake, still hasn't gotten me yet just a matter of time.

'And just a quick postscript: prospective employers now troll sites like facebook, twitter and their ilk to find out stuff about you that maybe you neglected to mention on your employment app. Creditors, bail bondsmen, and law enforcement do the same.'

Do folk not have to be invited before they read your content? Probably safe. I don't do any social networking site stuff either, but know enough to despise people that pretend they have 664 friends :)

I always check profile pages of other South African players, There are not that many "official" players here, maybe a few thousand, and sometimes you recognise an old OTB opponent, or someone from the league or whatever.

For me, name and location seems OK, but it has to be a personal choice.

"Official" players? You mean like there is an underground network of unreported players?

No, I mean registered with Chessa, playing tournaments, league nd such, lol

Well I guess posting that you were from New York City for instance , would make you a target for a pedophile or stalker........  LOL

and that is why I don't put anything more than I am willing to share up on profiles, my facebook page even hardly says anything about me at all. And what I have here is what I feel like sharing which is just hardly anything. I suppose you coudl incriminate me with something if you wanted

nah

haha the worst pic I have

http://www.chess.com/photos/view.html?id=337373

Step back from the screen

What we do here can be tracked on the Google. (For example these posts.) I wouldn't want someone who knows me in real life to just enter my name in the Google and be able to know what I do here without even joining the site. 

Try looking up my name in fact let me do it for you

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=Paul+McDonald

Quite literally let me google that for you

Now RedSoxpawn is a different story.

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=RedSoxpawn

Might as well not even go on the internet. If you go online there is a record of you no matter what. Best way to stay completly incognito, never go online or do any type of transaction that requires information to be stored somewhere.

I think that would probably constitute throwing the baby out with the bathwater.  Might as well not go outside either -- you might get sick, or get skin cancer.

There are reasonable precautions that can be taken.  Paul211's list is reasonable.  Sunscreen and good hygene are also advisable.

I don't give out personal information on chess.com.

Yes it is reasonable, but in order to stay incognito for sure, don't do anything that is recordable. going outside you can do, no records of it unless you decide to parade around infront of a camera, or have your house alarmed.

Well thanks Orangehonda, I love how you just sweepingly labelled me a troll (along with a lot of other forum-goers)! 

I just don't see the need of profile information. How exactly does the fact that I enjoy eating pizza aid any situation I am ever likely to encounter on this site?!