Do you ever wonder?

[Magpie09]

If anyone you know IRL is one of the 2000+ people that lurk here on any one day and could recognise you from your avatar/ pictures you have posted. If someone told you they recognised you from one of the forums would it affect you in any way? (sorry didn''t know how to word this better) I guess i would be a little annoyed if someone recognised me since i consider the forums my little secret and haven''t told anyone i post here or even know of this website. Plus i sometimes vent here so it would be awkward if someone i know came upon my posts. Anyone have any stories where this actually happened to them and someone did recognise them and brought it up?

 

[Italiahaircolor]

Maybe they could...but I never say anything on here I wouldn''t want shared outside of this forum.

 

[KimberlyH]

My husband, sister, mom, and dad all know I particpate in this website. My husband knows the name of it, the rest of them just know I hang out on some diamond website. I don''t say anything here that I wouldn''t be comfortable discussing with anyone I know, so I don''t worry about being found (which wouldn''t be hard if someone took the time to look).

 

[oneandahalfrock]

I wonder sometimes if anyone would bump into that had just seen pics of me on here, but you got to remember the old rule- never post anything online you wouldn''t want EVERYONE to see.
So, I''ve never posted anything here that would put me in an odd position, and I don''t think it would bother me... might just be interesting

 

[radiantquest]

I thought I did one time. I couln''t place the name, but was pretty sure that it was a ring that I saw on here. I know what you mean though. It is kinda like a secret society. Also, that is why we use avatars and screen names. If we wanted it to be all out there our avatars would be pics of our faces and use our real names.

It would kinda be neat if we had like a code word that we could use. If you suspect a pser and say the code word they would either know you were one of them or they wouldn''t have a clue what you were talking about. That would be the end of the conversation.

It reminds me of the movie fight club. You don''t talk about ps, you never start a conversation IRL about ps, etc.

 

[vip0802]

good topic Magpie! i've always wondered how many people in my area were actually on PS myself. i catch myself looking at other people's rings and wonder if i've seen pics of them on here.

i too consider the forums my little "secret" online haven. for me, PS is a place where i can freely admire jewelry and engagement rings, and talk amongst friendly people who share my interest. i haven't told my girlfriends about it either and it's only because they're not into jewelry like i am. even if i did, i haven't posted anything they don't already know anyway. my mom knows i post on here and i wish she would join in, but she's rather computer un-savy. BF knows i post on here too, but again, he's just not into it like i am.

i could see how you'd be a little annoyed. for me, i think i'd be really excited to have finally met someone from here IRL!

 

[Lilac]

This is why I hesitated to post pictures with my face... but I decided I would just try and keep everything I say on here to things that I wouldn''t really mind other people seeing/reading anyway.

I obviously prefer if nobody knows who I am (I would rather my friends and family not know I post on here) because I feel this is "my place" to come and talk, read, post pictures, and even vent sometimes. My husband does know about this site though and I often show him my posts and the posts of others when I find them interesting or thought-provoking. I don''t mind at all that my husband knows about it, I just would rather other people in my life not know.

 

[vip0802]

Date: 7/16/2009 10:53:25 PM
Author: radiantquest
I thought I did one time. I couln't place the name, but was pretty sure that it was a ring that I saw on here. I know what you mean though. It is kinda like a secret society. Also, that is why we use avatars and screen names. If we wanted it to be all out there our avatars would be pics of our faces and use our real names.


It would kinda be neat if we had like a code word that we could use. If you suspect a pser and say the code word they would either know you were one of them or they wouldn't have a clue what you were talking about. That would be the end of the conversation.


It reminds me of the movie fight club. You don't talk about ps, you never start a conversation IRL about ps, etc.

LOL! good idea radiant! i love the Fight Club reference too.

PS really is like a secret society! one of my girlfriend's recently got married and she posted a ring pic on FB. i suddenly found myself typing in PS-language while leaving a comment, and i thought, "wait a second, she wouldn't get it. nevermind....erase....". haha!

 

[Magpie09]

Date: 7/16/2009 11:04:43 PM
Author: vip0802
good topic Magpie! i''ve always wondered how many people in my area were actually on PS myself. i catch myself looking at other people''s rings and wonder if i''ve seen pics of them on here.

i too consider the forums my little ''secret'' online haven. for me, PS is a place where i can freely admire jewelry and engagement rings, and talk amongst friendly people who share my interest. i haven''t told my girlfriends about it either and it''s only because they''re not into jewelry like i am. even if i did, i haven''t posted anything they don''t already know anyway. my mom knows i post on here and i wish she would join in, but she''s rather computer un-savy. BF knows i post on here too, but again, he''s just not into it like i am.

i could see how you''d be a little annoyed. for me, i think i''d be really excited to have finally met someone from here IRL!

Sorry if i was unclear but i meant lurkers as in those who aren''t members. Personally i would love to meet people from PS IRL. I meant if your friends just perused the website and found you out and then mentioned it to you and asked you about PS.

 

[vip0802]

Date: 7/16/2009 11:17:05 PM
Author: Magpie09

Sorry if i was unclear but i meant lurkers as in those who aren''t members. Personally i would love to meet people from PS IRL. I meant if your friends just perused the website and found you out and then mentioned it to you and asked you about PS.

whoopsies! no, you were very clear on your post. i just didn''t read it throughly...sorry Magpie!

i''m not sure if i''d be annoyed...maybe a little for the same reasons as you mentioned. although, i''d be kind of glad at the same time since they could learn more about jewelry, and then they could share in my excitement.

 

[LtlFirecracker]

Someone would have to read my posts very closely to figure out who I am, but it could be done. I often put pics up of loose stones in my aviator because they are harder to recognize.

I don''t think it would bother me too much if they confronted me about it. My BF knows about PS, but doesn''t care, and he posts on several internet fourms regarding his hobbies, so he really can''t say too much. In fact, he was the one who encouraged me to come out of lurkdom.

 

[HollyS]

Quite a few of us live fairly close to each other in Texas, though many of us haven''t met in person. I think I''d recognize a few, if I saw them out and about.

I''m not sharing deeply personal stuff here, like names, dates, locations, or dark secrets. I don''t believe I have a thing to be embarrassed about.

So, no. It wouldn''t bug me to be recognized. It would be kind of fun, actually.

 

[Linda W]

No, I don''t think anyone would. Dancing Fire, lives one hour away from me. I doubt I would ever run into him though. ha ha ha ha. I admit, I would love to meet him though. I bet he is quiet in person.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Date: 7/17/2009 12:40:53 AM
Author: HollyS
Quite a few of us live fairly close to each other in Texas, though many of us haven''t met in person. I think I''d recognize a few, if I saw them out and about.

I''m not sharing deeply personal stuff here, like names, dates, locations, or dark secrets. I don''t believe I have a thing to be embarrassed about.

So, no. It wouldn''t bug me to be recognized. It would be kind of fun, actually.

i can recognize a conservative Texan everywhere i go.

 

[Indylady]

I don''t think it would bug me too much, but I might feel a teensy bit awkward depending on what comment/where/etc.

 

[jstarfireb]

Not really...I act pretty much the same IRL as I do on these forums, except I don''t actually say things like LOL.

I know at least one person here IRL anyway.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Date: 7/17/2009 1:13:42 AM
Author: szh07
I don''t think it would bug me too much, but I might feel a teensy bit awkward depending on what comment/where/etc.

things would be awkward for me mostly because I see PS as an excapse from RL.

Once i wore my diamonds on the web pendant in Barnes and Noble and a woman recognized it. She didn''t say anything, but her lingering look pretty much summed up that she was aware of the meaning and where it came from. since I didnt know her, it wasn''t any big deal and I grabbed my children and walked out of there. . .

If a friend of mine found this board and read all my posts, I would be sad mostly because nearly half of what I post is just silly chit-chat and not a true repesenation of my character. . .I wouldn''t want a friend to think that possibly they had interpreted me wrong.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Here we go. . .the pin that caught another woman's attention!

I was given years back while I was still going by the screen name "MichelleCarmen," now "MC."

I'm not sure how many others received the pin, or moreover, how many recognize it!. . ..

 

[LilyKat]

It would make me uncomfortable, definitely. I don''t share things that are incredibly personal, but they''re still things I would probably not mention to a complete stranger (ie a lurker).

 

[Sabine]

I think it''d be great to run into someone I recognize from ps!

I only worried once...I posted something pretty personal about a friend who got engaged, and I really had doubts and wanted advice as to whether I should voice them. Then a new poster started posting with a screenname VERY similar to this girls AIM screenname, and I worried that it was her. It wasn''t, but I learned my lesson not to post something I wouldn''t want any of my "real life" people to read.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

ALL THE TIME!! I take public transportation to work and I used to work in a very high-end area of Boston and everytime I see/saw someone with great jewelry I always thought to myself...hrmmm....I wonder if they''re on PS...I think I''d be psyched if someone from PS recognized me IRL and said hello.

 

[somethingshiny]

I never wonder. If people IRL liked diamonds, I wouldn''t spend so much time here!!

 

[MonkeyPie]

Date: 7/17/2009 10:50:41 AM
Author: somethingshiny
I never wonder. If people IRL liked diamonds, I wouldn''t spend so much time here!!

BIG DITTO!

No one I know irl (except for Freke, and I met her here!) is as into gemstones and diamonds as I am, so no one I know would ever end up here.

 

[that_someone_special]

I call this "well in my diamond forum.." and only FI knows the name. I just don''t want to share some of the things I talk about with people outside of pricescope- mainly because no one else really cares about diamonds. They would be bored.

I really hope that no one I know finds this site... well unless they care about diamonds .... but if it''s to spy on me..

I sound paranoid!

 

[NewEnglandLady]

I think it''s very possible. I''m a member of a Newfoundland forum and there are far fewer members on that forum. Just last night a woman pulled over her van while I was walking my dogs and said "You''re on (name of forum), aren''t you?? I recognize your dogs!!" I thought it was fantastic--now I know another newfie owner in my neighborhood! I know of people who''ve gone to this site--just last month a coworker told me he used PS when getting his gf''s ring (he did great) and I had no idea--he had no idea I was a member, either.

 

[Black Jade]

I wouldn''t like that.
I''m not ashamed of anything I posted but I have to say, the thought (and I HAVE thought about it) that anybody could recognize me from on here makes me very nervous. a lot of expensive stuff is posted on here and I fear thieves.

We were burglarized a few times growing up and once my granny (then near 90 nights) was tied up all night by thieves who demanded to know where her jewelry was--fortunately she was not hurt (but was completely terrorized). People can be very avaricious, greedy and cruel.

 

[Black Jade]

I mean, she was ninety years old, not ninety nights.

 

[zoebartlett]

I''d love it if someone from PS recognized me and came up to say hi.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

I''d recognize you...but you moved...

 

[zoebartlett]

Date: 7/17/2009 3:52:24 PM
Author: Hudson_Hawk
I''d recognize you...but you moved...

I''m sure I''ll be home over the holidays if you want to do a GTG with the others in the Boston crew.