I've wondered the same thing...When I had posted about my issue with the neighbor and dog sitting it did cross my mind that she or maybe someone she knew could have seen my thread...and told her about it.

Not to my knowledge, and I'm a fairly open book - but there are certain things that I will never talk about in a public forum, just in case. I'm of the opinion that one should always err on the side of caution wherever the possibility of being "discovered" exists. It may not be a probability, but possibility is reason enough to be discreet.

Well, create an alternate screen name with a different email address and post your tree pics and anything else that would i.d. you. If you simply change your screen name, it will change all your posts to that name, so accomplishes nothing as far as anonymity. Then keep using your original screen name for your usual postings here. You would have to sign in and out between switches. Now we just have to figure out how to cross reference so we know it's you. Maybe you could post something like "check out (new screen name)'s tree!" And we'll know that's you. Then I'll edit this post and take out the suggested "fix" and no one will be the wiser.

Lisa I wonder if you could send the post you just wrote to Houzz and ask them to delete select postings of yours. I'm sure they will at least consider your request.

Unfortunately, I'm using my real first name which is uncommon. If I changed my username, there would still be threads where people replied and used my name in their posts. Therefore, I don't post anything that would be embarrassing or unfortunate if found in a search (not that people are searching for me). I did once post a photo of a friend's weird cabinet knob placement, but I'm fairly confident she will never ever find her way to GW. It has prevented me from posting about certain things.

It is likely that if someone wanted to, they could find you here very, very easily. Always err on the side of caution. And NEVER assume you have anonymity with any Internet based correspondences. Just ask Hillary Clinton's aides . . . I always assume that anyone could find me here but probably doesn't care to. I have even tried to get some of my IRL friends to participate, and they are mostly just not into it. I have made some real friend here, but so far haven't brought any of my real friends into this virtual world. At least not yet.

It is very easy to decipher someone's true identity on this site. Even if a person tries to be anonymous, this site provides a surprising amount of clues. Info in posts, Google image search, user name, houzz account, IP address, etc. It is less likely that someone you know will randomly see your tree, identify you and search your other posts. But, it is possible. Olychick's idea is a good one.

Yes, I have been "found" :-) Not from this forum but via GardenWeb in general. Maybe even more so with the gardening forums but topics and discussions are extremely searchable online for many years (if not forever) and if the looker is persistent, it is surprising - at least to me - how much personal information they can deduce. Not that it was especially a bad thing - this individual just wanted to hire my services and tracked me down from GW postings over the years (and though a professional, I do not have a "pro"designation on Houzz/GW so no direct access there).

And I have folks contact me at work with printouts of various GW plant-related discussions I have participated in although they had no idea it was me that wrote them :-)

It is important to remember that anything you write or contribute to an online forum may be available forever to anyone who wants to read it so perhaps best to keep all personal discussions to a minimum. This is one of the reasons I also avoid social media - don't need the world knowing my personal business. Too bad more of the younger generation don't realize this (and the fact that prospective employers, among others, DO check these venues) - they may not be so free or careless with the stuff they post.

Many years ago I had a man "find" me from a site I had visited/posted. He found my name and my work email address. He said he worked with the police and was just doing it to "show" me how easy someone could track me. I do not use my real name and have an email address for my "web" identity. I agree, you cannot be too careful.

I'm not worried about anyone finding me online. My real name is pretty search-able because of my profession and I regularly vet that carefully. I'm on some social media, but judiciously and fully understand all that that entails. I actively search my real name and know how to proactively have it removed from searches when needed. It doesn't always "stick" but it does help.

I'm worried that someone will find me here as LisaD, by accident, if they come across a personal photo that I post as LisaD. I'll need to weigh whether it's worth creating a whole new account just to share the odd decor photo from my home.

Lucille, I would ask Houzz to remove my threads about marriage, but to be honest, I thought long and hard about posting them in the first place. I initiated them, and the generous group here responded with some of the most thoughtful, supportive and much-needed advice that I could have had. I knew what I was getting into and don't feel it's fair to remove all the posts that others shared in response to my plea for help. But perhaps I'll think more about this option, too.

Thanks, everyone.

There is a member who once explained just how easy it was to actually find a person's true identity. There is one poster who I know lives near me because of what she has shared through out the years. I have not approached her because I want to leave thing anonymous.

I had my first name and initial for most of my membership here, but realized that i was also known at work that way because there are two of us with the same first name. So, when GW changed over, I changed my screen name.

In your case Lisa, just by the nature of the r personal info you shared , I would not post photos where someone could put two and two together.

If they have they haven't told me. I'm a bit more careful about what I post since GW became part of Houzz since lots of people I know frequent Houzz and I never heard anyone mention GW.

Gee, eld, now you have me looking over my shoulder!

It's not difficult to find further details about posters here--a bit of sleuthing can yield a whole lotta results. That's not my concern. But rather if anyone from my "real life" world would happen upon this forum and see a pic or other identifying information about me that would send them into a further search of my posts here.

I think what you could do is change your name of your current account. And then for the most part that new Alias would stick with your old posts although probably a few people use your username in those posts. It would be easy to check because you can easily change your Alias now, so you could try changing it and then Google your current username. This carries through to the oldest Posts in gardenweb which I know because I tried to find some old kitchen threads I've made under my old pseudonym and couldn't find them at all. Then you could start a new account with your current alias.

No one has found me on here but for the most part I wouldn't mind if they did. But I've never had a creepy stalker; I'm sure if I did I would change my mind very quickly.

I have met another poster here...she recognized my house from pics I posted when she drove by, but I didn't know her until then.

Bpathome, people do keep track here and especially on the Hot Topic Forum for various reasons. some innocent, some maybe a bit odd.

I was surprised when I posted over in Kitchens a few years back offering advise and someone wrote, "Aren't you the one with the Dura Supreme kitchen?" And, it was mentioned maybe once in a thread.

I posted a few pictures early on of the outside of our new house

Several people emailed me from the pictures, then I noticed several people down by our mailbox taking pictures of the house. That was it...

My email connected to this site was part of my name so I decided to change it.

My niece found me via a post on the Garden side of Gardenweb. She saw a post on the composting forum that was similar to a comment I had made about composting IRL.

This is actually a math problem. First is the probability of someone you know coming here randomly and recognizing your home photo. The next is the probability that they would care enough and have the skills to seek out your other posts. The next is the probability that they would be interested enough to wade through all of them to find out bits of dirt on you. The next is the probability that there would be anything nefarious that they would do with that information. All of those events would have to come together, (which has its own probability) and without some motivating factor, I don't see it as being very likely. Most of us don't have some weird stalker in our lives with the interest, time and skills to do all that. But if you even slightly suspect that you have someone like that in your life, I would err on the side of caution, because once someone does have an interest and intent, then it is dead easy to find just about anyone if they have a presence on the Internet. For example, google your screen name and see what turns up . . .

I find this to be odd. When I clicked on "Your Houzz" at the top of the page, it showed I follow 7 people. But they're all facebook friends. If I follow someone, it's on Pinterest, and maybe a handful on FB. So why did they show up on my Houzz page? I unfollowed them.

I had something extremely major happen in my life last year, and you don't know how bad I want to discuss it here. It's a topic I wouldn't discuss with anyone unless we are close. So only two people have heard me out, but they've never been in my situation so they can't offer advice, only sympathy. This is something that I desperately need advice on, as far as feelings go.

No divorce for me or anything. :)

There is another Houzz account I can use, which I created in the beginning, for fear of losing Oakley. But I used my middle name and some people know it. Idiot. lol.

Can I create a new account with this same I.P.?

I'm a pretty good internet sleuth, a combination of tech know-how and idle curiosity. I've never stumbled upon anyone I know IRL here on GW, although a week or so ago I recognized a third party designer someone posted as a link. I've actually been inside her house.

Many of the people I know can barely figure out their email. Me: "Did you get the email I sent our group yesterday?" Friend: "No." Me: "Hmmm, everyone else received it." Friend: "Well, I have 500 emails I need to read." Clearly I need to find another way to communicate with her.

I only reveal about myself what I'm prepared for strangers to know. You've seen my kitchen, bathroom, the front of my house, and my cats. You've seen my hair and me in a foreign land.

I'm not particularly worried about a stalker. I'm rather uninteresting and not worth the time/effort. But I do take care not to discuss my close friends and family in any way that might embarrass or upset them. Or talk about the horrendous décor in someone's house if there was any chance they would see it and know I was talking about them. I would never want to hurt their feelings.

Back when we were building our house, I asked a few questions on the building forum. I also expressed some frustration with our architect. He later confronted me with the posts and feigned shock that I was in any way displeased with him or his work. I say "feigned" because my displeasure with elements of his work and conduct had spawned several meetings and a significant paper trail.

I felt a little bit stalked. I had not revealed his name or posted his designs, so I'm not sure how he came across my comments.

Oakley, you can change the name that appears here by editing your profile.

Yes, Oakley, just change the name (the profile info which is what we see, not the user info) on your secondary acct (the one with your middle name) to something more anonymous and use that for something personal you want to post.

As others have said, many people here-- probably me included-- have given out enough information that someone who really cared could find us. I generally bank on people not really caring, but of course we have no way of knowing who cares and who doesn't. Though I prefer to remain anonymous, I really don't care all that much if I am "found" because I don't say anything private on a forum. In some forums, I actually use my real name, but don't here because I have posted pictures of my house, etc.

I was discovered once on another forum. I only use my initials on Yelp, and once I wrote a scathing review of a car service that our company uses. The owner of this service figured out who I was and called me at work and screamed at me and demanded that I change my review. That was a bit surprising, to say the least.

I have been "found" twice. One was a neighbor who is really into interior design and lurks. She told me she saw pics of my house on the Building forum. And the other was funny...dd had a new friend over for the first time, and she said, "we know your house, and love your house!" They had googled "painted brick houses" found ours which was posted here, and there you go! Apparently they used our exterior as inspiration for their new build, but had no idea it was in the same area. I wasn't bothered at all, I found it flattering and such a coincidence. It was fun seeing their house. It has a similar facade, but of course it is very different bc both were custom deigned homes. And the mom is super sweet!

I sure wish there was a message board where I could be truly anonymous for my dilemma. If anyone knows of a board, would you message me? It's not health related. I would like a board where the posters are around my age, older, that way no young'uns can jump in with opposing and rude opinions. lol

True confession time- a while ago I wanted to get more ideas decorating wise (this was still the old days - pre houzz) and was feeling self conscious about how much decor advise I was needing- so I created a different user name with a different email. Lol I don't know if I remember the passwords anymore but in any case, you can for sure make a new account. You can post the picture of your tree for example and be very selective about anything else you post with that user name. No one would know it's YOU, There are plenty of very infrequent posters here.......just sayin'

Yes, on GW!!! It was a long time ago and I had posted pictures of my living room asking for decorating advice. A poster asked if I lived in a very specific place and said she thinks she's even been in my house! That was very possible given the circumstances at the time, although we are the first/only occupants of our home. I was so creeped out that I stopped posting for a long time and changed my screen name a couple of times. GW was a much smaller community back then and I think this gal was probably just being friendly but it was unsettling. While I don't think my friends IRL are here I don't post anything that I wouldn't say anywhere else.

I have been on GW for fifteen years. Back in the day, the That Home Site search function was terrible. I wanted to see if a poster had posted more pictures of her home so I used google. She had a very unique username and one of the sites that popped up was a swinger's site with pictures. Yikes.

Hmmm I blew my own cover. I sent a link to my kitchen reveal thread to a couple friends and family members because they'd expressed interest. Maybe not too smart, but I'm mostly a lurker and if I ever wanted to share highly personal information I'd set up a new user with a different email.

Sheila, I think that no matter what name, if someone recognizes your home or Christmas tree, then they can put two and two together.

But, it is both photos and information that people share that can create the "paper" trail to one's identity.

I agree with Fouramblues, in Lisa's case, if she did create a new profile and discussed her personal situation asking for advise, most likely with just an issue presented, I don't think that would be enough to identify someone here on GW.

No, most people I know use Facebook only so internet forums like these don't really get any use. OTOH, I don't use Facebook.

My family, and some friends, know I post on GW, so I don't post anything I wouldn't want them to read. I've recommended it to several for gardening/computer/home improvement advice.

I posted pics of my painted play room floor, and my brother's step daughter was excited to recognize the pics when she was searching for painted floors (she wasn't searching GW specifically).

There was a similar thread in the KT recently. I typed in a few key bits of info I've shared on GW and realized how easy I am to find, even though I've never shared my exact location. A GW'er from Ohio once asked if I lived in the same town as she. I do not, but I remembered the post later when she posted a picture of her home, with the street sign visible and legible. I emailed her and suggested she delete the pic, since the two pieces of info put together could lead someone to her door.

Years ago, before I knew about all of Google maps features, someone with whom I'd exchanged flower seeds and bulbs mentioned in her thank you email that my place was in a nice location. She had typed my address into the search field and looked at the aerial view. I was surprised, but since then I've realized that we no longer have an expectation of privacy.

Strangely houzz emailed me the other day to ask if I knew a person with a certain user name, because they thought I might want to follow them. And yes, I do know this person irl, and I know I do because they're using their full name as their user name. But how does houzz know this? I really need to check the privacy settings.

Years ago I joined a forum of just a few people based on a common interest. I don't know if that is something you can still do or not. But....one member kept posting about how her son and his wife lived in her basement and she could hear him beating her and big fights etc. She didn't want to get him in trouble so she wouldn't call the police or interfere in any way. Some forum members put enough info together to call the police in her town. Boy, was she PO'd. The forum pretty much fell apart after that. She could have been lying about the whole thing, but it was just too awful to ignore. I've never seen anything on public forums that made me want to get involved at all.