Thanks for the info!

Well, you made that warning a lot easier than I had been going about it. Thank you! I am positive we have KT members who, to this point, don't realize that some of us are seeing their real names.

Thank you for the info! That is exactly why when I register for anything “social” I use Lukki as my first name and Irish as my last. The sites really don’t put our privacy first the way we do.

Where it says "profile Information" and asks for my name, that is blank. Is that what you mean?

Thanks for the info.

Marylmi, your user name is the same as your GW name. It probably copies your user name as your GW name if you leave it blank.

Moonie, that's why I posted. I wondered if where you were seeing real names was in the address bar or if somehow Houzz was posting the name in the address bar. In one of your discussions, I looked at one of the persons who commented and she has her real name in the address bar.

I don't know if this only pertains to those who may have had a GW and a Houzz account and things went screwy when we merged.

I don't believe it has anything to do with respecting privacy or not. Any user has the option to choose what name to use - sites use the names as entered in different ways.

This is like anything else - users have the option to use approaches that protect their privacy. Or not. It's a choice. My real name isn't Elmer Fudd and neither my real name nor my normally used email address (with my name) appear anywhere on the internet where the general public has access. As far as I'm concerned, that's foolproof.

I posted so those who may be unaware of this can check their profile address bars to make sure the user name isn't a name they would not want publicized. You can't choose the option if you don't realize there's an option to choose.

When there's a format change, it's always a good idea to review your profile and selections. I know some people think they have messaging enabled and they don't.

Just checked the address bar in my profile and looks like I am ok! Thanks!

Nothing on the net is...foolproof..we all have an IP address.

moonie, to help older and/or less confident users, isn't it enough to suggest they not use their actual names and also to use a second, throw away email address to ensure adequate security? Those who previously used their real names should change to different usernames and identities at any time. It's never too late.

"Nothing on the net is...foolproof..we all have an IP address."

So what? Does that provide access to an identity? I don't think so.

To my knowledge, receiving sites have visibility to a user's IP address (a series of numbers). The IP address does indicate the originating ISP from the master internet directory but little else. The identity of the user of a given IP address would require information held only by the ISP, that's a different company altogether.

Scaremongering doesn't help anyone to understand or gain confidence.

Elmer, yes, i suppose it is enough to suggest they not use their real names, which is the point of this post. I dont think anyone is "scaremongering". Quite the opposite!

I clearly stated where your real name *might* be displayed and that we should all check our profiles. You are just confusing the issue, Elmer. Aren't there other threads that need your attention?

moonie, the scaremongering comment wasn't directed at you, it was concerning the non sequitur comment I quoted.

"I clearly stated where your real name *might* be displayed and that we should all check our profiles. You are just confusing the issue, Elmer. Aren't there other threads that need your attention?"

No, not so long as you keep perpetrating the scare that one's real name may displayed. My comments discuss the simple fix too. There's no "real name" to see if done right.

Using a pseudonym on the internet is not a new idea, it's been the best approach for decades. Everyone should do that as a matter of practice on every site possible and the problem goes away.

I hope everyone who reads this checks their profile so the "problem" goes away.

I always leave the profile blank......there's no rule you have to fill out those profile requests.

Will check it out, thanks!

Mine is fine.

Annztoo, even if you left your profile blank, a name has to go in the address bar.

For some of us who were also Houzz members before the merge and who registered there with our real names, that appears as the user name in Houzz's address bar. It may not pertain to anyone who was only a GW member. But I've seen several members who were GWers first whose real name appears on their address bar on their profile.

I had been a member of GW for over 15 yrs when the merge happened, and I had only a username(no real name) for that site. Since I wasn't a member on Houzz when the merge happened I had to change my name slightly and chose my current Username. Annztoo is always in the address bar.

I can't remember ever using my real name on GW but I'll keep a lookout just in case Houzz finds it somewhere!

Just looked at my title and I'm sure I didn't write "Your real name may be in visible....".