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Tom Gresham of Gun Talk TV & Radio wont come to OC.com

Gordie

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My wife is a public employee. It has happened that someone recognized me online and gave her grief at her job because they couldn't mess with me directly. I'm more careful now.
 

SteveInAshand

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Good Thread: Reading all your views I see both sides are legitimate in certain circumstances.

Take a gun tech forum for example I see no need to hide behind a made up handle, but out here on OC speaking about cutting edge 2A politics were one could possibly predict many scenarios of violent struggle the heart of the nation and personal conflicts with authority figures and I see the value of not using ones name or state.

Myself: I don't have a job or spouses job that's need's protection from retaliation nor any family for that matter so I am wild & free to stand up for what is right without compunction and be the armed nail that stand out amongst the other nails.

I am not worth any more alive than I am dead , being politically worthless, unaccomplished, unsubstantial & totally unknown except for some low level law enforcement war gaming data gatherer's , and a few trolling Marxists is kind of liberating.

Hell if I converted and dressed up as an orthodox Islamic radical and started proselytizing our soldiers hiding behind a PHD diploma and started spewing a line of anti American hate , why I would bet even the FBI would not even be able to keep a tight leash on me, ;)
 

PavePusher

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KBCraig wrote:
Doesn't Greshem oppose OC?
Actually, everything I've heard him say on his show supports open carry. He is somewhat pragmatic, however, and readily urges people to get their states' version of a CWP/CCW to open more avenues to them (loaded carry, loaded in-car transport, etc.), until such a time as they (the licence/permit) becomes obsolete.
 

Citizen

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Nutczak wrote:
I am a hugeproponentwith the line of thought that it is best to keep some form of anonymity when posting on a publicly viewable forum. Especially when it could be considered controversial by some.
Especially when one's name can be plugged into Google and turned up in .21 seconds.

I've talked to more than one OCer in person whose job would potentially become difficult if their name was found connected to OC.

Also, don't forget that employers are known to google job applicants, checking Facebook and so forth.

I think it best to let each decide whether he can afford to have hisnameconnected publicly to OC.
 

thx997303

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From my understanding, anybody on Active duty has difficulty being connected to anything political.

UCMJ says that you cannot make political statements as a soldier, and since the fact that I am a soldier is readily available, it could easily cause an issue were they to try and push something.

And I have seen some bull crap pushed, so I post mostly anonymously to protect my career.

Very simple, and I wouldn't call it cowardly myself.
 

Citizen

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thx997303 wrote:
From my understanding, anybody on Active duty has difficulty being connected to anything political.
I'm sorry. We have no sympathy for theconcerns ofsoldiers in the Standing Army. :):p
 

utbagpiper

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I recognize that there are two sides to this issue. But I find it interesting that so many who advocate OPENLY carrying a gun in public, then find some burning need to hide behind anonymity while discussing the topic on the internet. I mean, if this were a CONCEALED carry forumn the logic would be a bit more self-consistent to me.

My personal observations are that the more anonymous the forumns, the more likely they are to get trolls, to have discussions get personal and nasty fairly quickly, and so on.

That all said, it is not my place to try to judge--especially absent full details--whether any individual has a legitimate concern that requires anonymity or not.

But, I would urge each of us to stop each time before hitting that "send" button and ask ourselves, "Would I say this if my real name were attached to this post? Would I say it face-to-face in real life to someone?"

We often say that carrying a gun should never cause you to take risks or engage in any confrontation you would not do so were you unarmed. Indeed, I think we are generally agreed that those of us who choose to legally carry a gun need to do exactly the opposite: we need to go the extra mile to avoid and diffuse potential confrontations.

May I suggest a similar approach to those who feel a need or desire to conceal their true identity when posting on these forumns? Go the extra mile to never offer an insult or accusation or use language anonymously that you would not use were your name, picture, and home address attached to your comments.

There are legitimate reasons, well stated in this thread, for some persons to conceal their identity when posting in a publicly readable forumn. But hiding behind that anonymity to be rude, boorish, trollish, uncivil, vulgar, obscene, or just plain offensive is not a valid reason; it is cowardly.

Writing only for myself, but just to avoid any hint of hypocrisy:

Charles Hardy
Public Policy Director
GOUtah! (Gun Owners of Utah)
 

thx997303

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Charles, I really do not see many of the members here remaining anonymous in such a manner.

Surely many attend meets akin to those we hold in Utah, and you can definitely not maintain such anonymity by showing up in person and meeting others face to face.

I don't remember if I have ever met you personally, but I have no doubt that I soon will. So long as you attend the same one I do that is.

And the day my contract with the US Army ends, I will not be nearly so concerned with keeping my identity a secret.
 

utbagpiper

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thx997303 wrote:
Charles, I really do not see many of the members here remaining anonymous in such a manner.

...

And the day my contract with the US Army ends, I will not be nearly so concerned with keeping my identity a secret.
Thx,

Yes, the Utah forumn seems to be far less anonymous than many others. It is one reason I am willing to spend time there. And your situation is one where some degree of anonymity is warranted. Even if most of the regulars know who you are, you have not directly attached your name to those posts. Ditto the couple of regulars who are peace officers and have department policies with which to contend.

Please note that I wrote my post speaking of general principles as I see them, not of any specific individual.

Charles
 

Armond Reese

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I don't post as "me" simply because I find it to be tacky. The internet is a place of freedom, why be constrained to simply Joe Everyman?
 
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To be otherwise than "Joe Everyman" is to claim some elite status.

Ya ever see the nom de 'net 76Yugo or MrDishwasher or Sarah_Brady? Nope, Anony Mouse tells us what his greatest dream is when he claims Ch. Mess Specialist .45, USCG or NRA_ninja or, worst, to be a talking car.

Joe Everyman or his cousin Joe Shit, the ragpicker, is the elite individual registered voter that has, in effect, sworn his life, his fortune and his sacred honor to his cause.
 

bohdi

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This is going to tie into the "wacko" (http://opencarry.mywowbb.com/forum65/34046.html) thread on this forum.

I once posted my entire contact information on this forum after a certain event due to some bad reporting by the press and to counter any claims people were touting as the truth. I was contacted by another member of the board that this may not be the wisest of decisions. After putting aside my pig headed pride what the other member said made sense, and I edited my post removing my personal contact information. It has to do more with risk mitigation than anything else. I stand by what I say, type, and I will admit/acknowledge when I am wrong.

I couldn't live with myself if my releasing my personal information to people I didn't know led to the harm of my family. I don't have the luxury of being around 100% of the time, and I am not foolish enough to think for a NY second that 100% of the time I am cognizent 100% ofmy surroundings. It is impossible to be so. There are "extremists" of a different sortalong withcriminals who might want to risk coming after you and your guns - even if you are home. I concede it's a small risk, but it is a real risk.

Onecould argueI do enough advertising simply by walking around armed and with the stickers/emblems my vehicles. I don't know that any OC'er has been purposely targeted for their weapons, and I don't know that it's been done via the web - yet. I think this is where the arguement of OCer's looking/asking for trouble comes from to some degree.

I think we'd all be foolish though to think it couldn't or never would happen, and that's why I am a fan of being slightly anonymous. I see no reason to make it any easier than I may already have for anyone to find me that I don't know, or more to the point, don't care to know. I can see a point in time for me when I will be less inhibited about this point of view in the future, but not right now.
 

KBCraig

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SteveInAshand wrote:
longwatch wrote:
Well the whole title of this thread is wrong Tom Gresham has an account and has posted on OCDO. I do agree with his premise more gun owners need to come out of the closet.

http://opencarry.mywowbb.com/users/4311.html
INTERESTING, thanks, I see his profile , but what about his posts ?
Just click the "posts" button in his profile.
 

okboomer

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Master Doug Huffman wrote:
Really? My ISP's nearly 500,000 customers share less than a thousand IPs (prolly about 600). The DAMA queuing latency suggests that most may be simultaneously on-line at prime time. RBLs are a pain indicating that individual users aren't traced or logged.

okboomer wrote:
Packet information will lead them back to the originating unit without your actual name

there has to be a specific packet identifier to sort your incoming/outgoing. At least that was what I was taught when I got my Bachelor in Computer Science.

Trojans and cookies are tracking devices

I am not trying to insinuate that this site would ever do something like that, but I do *know of* people who have used these in less than legal manners. When was the last time you visited a .gov site? Do you trust Obama and/or Holder to not put tracking cookies on your system?
 

okboomer

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Scenario:
Member using his real name posts in a discussion that he is "going to kill anyone that threatens his family, no matter what."

Six months later, he has to shoot and kills a burgler who turns out to be a 16 year old neighbor boy at 4AM.

DA declines to file charges.

Parents file a wrongful death suit after googling member's name and finding the post.

Judge and jury find in favor of the parents, award 5 million.

DA files charges. Uses post to convictonpremeditated murder.

I had a civil case where the attorney tried to use information posted about me that I was able to prove was false/incorrect.

You better believe that all attorney's use google, facebook, twitter, whatever nowadays.

Google yourself and see what pops up. Women have to be even more careful to prevent attracting a stalker.

There also is a difference between OC and someone having access to your home address or other personal information, like where you work, what your phone number is, who your children are, where they go to school.

And also, consider the archive sites where just about anything and everything can be found, even if the original site is down.
 

PointofView

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SteveInAshand wrote:
Tom Gresham (( who I really admire )) says and I kind of agree says that any gun type forum were the posters / participants wont use their real name is a waist of time.

((( notice I said I "Kind of" agree, I'm here after all , lol ))))


Tom says he always uses his real name and will only go to a very select few forums and post or read posts, and also says there is no good reason to hide behind a fake name or kooky ID.

Fear of Anti's, Islamic terrorists , stalker's, the boss, the wife, the FBI etc.... he say's is an excuse to "hide" behind a computer and post half truth, hyperbole and total arm chair warrior B.S.


What say You (( Me >> No Fear >> my ID is my name & town were I live ))

I do not use my real name due to my military service. I choose to not walk the line of political activism while subject to the UCMJ. I would gladly meet individuals in person but I avoid the possible abstract matter in which my statements could be construed to be on the brink of violation. I suppose as a paid mouth on the radio, those of us who have suspended certain rights in service of our country are not considered. I would not doubt that certain conversations coming from LEO's or others in which retribution by co-workers could be a reality. In this day and age opinions that are not popular with perhaps your management could be held against you and not found as discrimination. Free speech can have a cost to those of us who do not get paid as a talking mouth on the air waves. Not that we are hiding, but sometimes the cost or annoyance makes anomonitity a better option.

What a clownshoe.
 

Nutczak

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I do not know why I didn't think of this earlier, maybe because it is just too easy?

Does Tom Gresham have his home telephone number and address "Unpublished, or Unlisted" in phone books and 411 information??

If you are going to use your legal name, you will most likely be forced to have your personal contact information hidden from people that may want to contact you to tell you that they disagree, or worse yet some whackjob that feel he was slighted by you and wants revenge.

So I just nip it in the bud, keep a form of anonymity where a would-be whackjob that disagrees with me doesn't get a chance to stalk me.
 
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