How important is the anonymity for you when opening up (on here)?

[noname223]

For me it is really important. If I had a 100% guarantee that I would stay anonymous I would talk about more shit. I censor me on some topics. I just try to compare me with the time in clinics or in a my self-help group.

I am really hesisitant to talk fully openly in these groups about suicide. I am very sensitive and vulnerable on that topic. I have already received some really hurtful comments. But most often on other internet pages. Some people are so cruel to suicidal people.

In my self-help I stopped to open up fully. One guy really once made a dumb comment on suicidality. He acted like people who ctb are weak and I had the feeling he felt superior to them. I despise those comments.

In clincs I was very open also in group therapy concerning my suffering and situation in general. But I was not fully explicit on suicidality. It was absurd. The professionals told me I would feel too good for a clinic stay. And in group therapy everyone was shocked in what a painful mental state I was. Some speople said you resemble me during my darkest hours. And I was in this state for like 2,5 years. At the beginning the pain was even more extreme.

I don't regret to open up in these groups. When someone made a comment which was not empathetic I tried to cope with it. Some people are just assholes and I cannot change them. Maybe they were in pain themselves etc.

 

[NobodyKnowsMe]

Th anonymity is crucial to me saying anything about myself, my situation, and my feelings. I don't do any individual or group therapy stuff anymore because I cannot be real - cannot even mention suicide without someone wanting to lock me away. However, even here, I have to get comfortable before sharing too much - and I'm not sure if I'd ever trust anyone online enough to give them any identity info.

 

[Quiet Desperation]

Not to scare you, but if we were truly anonymous I'd have more to say. We are a lot less anonymous than most people seem to believe. I think in many cases that can be more dangerous than not being anonymous at all because people can be lulled into a false sense of security, doubly so because posters here are often vulnerable and desperate to connect with others who understand.

I make it a point to report posts that expose personally identifiable information because doing so helps to protect people. Think I'm nuts? Just a few examples:

1) The NYT folks were able to tie quite a number of goodbye posts here to real people and track the outcomes, as well as identifying the founders despite extreme precautions.

2) Despite warnings from the site admins there were, last I checked, still pictures on the forum containing EXIF GPS data, which if you know what you're doing is trivial to translate into an eerily precise street address. A year or two ago I went through the exercise myself using an image I found posted here just to see how easy it was. It took me about 10 minutes, including figuring everything out, and produced an exact street address halfway around the world. Repeating it with a different photo would take seconds. Last I checked, EXIF is enabled by default on many (most?) phones.

3) There is a threat from law enforcement, which in the relevant jurisdiction has the legal right to subpoena IP addresses which will identify you. I have no knowledge of how SS handles such requests, but have no expectations otherwise personally. If your posts don't break the law you probably have nothing to worry about.

4) If you have direct contact with members outside of the site, you assume additional risks. In my own conversations with people here, info has been disclosed to me that personally identified them down to an address. I gave them this same lecture I'm giving you, and for the same reasons.

For the best shot at staying anonymous here, or anywhere else on the Internet you need to carefully review the section in the rules about privacy, which was written by one of the original admins and is very well thought out. Stay safe.

 

[depressedmaniac]

Heard all the asshole comments towards suicidal people too often so i'm not too concerned about them. I avoid therapists 100 percent. Find them useless to me so no sense in talking to them.

 

[dreadlion]

I am new here to SS. I have struggled with suicidal ideation since I was 12. Whatever it is that has kept me going has stopped. I am ready to be free from this world and am hoping to engage in further discussions. I currently have S N on hand as well as propanalol and hydroxazine. I have researched and read countless hours worth of material and I could go very soon. I'm reaching out here for like minded people to discuss this with.
Thank you
-B

 

[OctoberDusk]

I don't feel it's anonymous enough for me to be comfortable discussing some things I thought I might upon first finding it. Still, I've never spoken about suicidal ideation with anyone in real life, nor told anyone how close I've come at times. I've at least indicated that in my short time here. Yet there's a lot I hold back, both from anonymity concerns and being unsure how some things might be received/interpreted.

 

[Dr Iron Arc]

I'd say only as important as I need it to be in order to prevent anyone from actually stopping me.

 

[NSA]

I'd be an open book if i could. I've already been more emotionally honest on here than I've ever been in therapy, because I'm actually free to do so.

Therapy: I can talk about anything but suicide, or I'll get locked up.
Here: I can talk about suicide but have to be super vague about everything else or the anti-choicers might doxx me and then lock me up. Why can't we have nice things, dammit?

 

[whatevs]

I don't give a fuck about it. If I want to die I will die, and if someone wants to read what I write in the forum and tie it to my real life identity be my guest.

Of course that the people that I see on a daily basis knew that I am this desperate and pathetic would be embarrassing, but that kind of anonymity is guaranteed.

 

[onlyanimalsaregood]

I think that if it weren't for anonymity, to whatever degree, people wouldn't be so open and honest with each other.

 

[Graham]

Not to scare you, but if we were truly anonymous I'd have more to say. We are a lot less anonymous than most people seem to believe. I think in many cases that can be more dangerous than not being anonymous at all because people can be lulled into a false sense of security, doubly so because posters here are often vulnerable and desperate to connect with others who understand.

I make it a point to report posts that expose personally identifiable information because doing so helps to protect people. Think I'm nuts? Just a few examples:

1) The NYT folks were able to tie quite a number of goodbye posts here to real people and track the outcomes, as well as identifying the founders despite extreme precautions.

2) Despite warnings from the site admins there were, last I checked, still pictures on the forum containing EXIF GPS data, which if you know what you're doing is trivial to translate into an eerily precise street address. A year or two ago I went through the exercise myself using an image I found posted here just to see how easy it was. It took me about 10 minutes, including figuring everything out, and produced an exact street address halfway around the world. Repeating it with a different photo would take seconds. Last I checked, EXIF is enabled by default on many (most?) phones.

3) There is a threat from law enforcement, which in the relevant jurisdiction has the legal right to subpoena IP addresses which will identify you. I have no knowledge of how SS handles such requests, but have no expectations otherwise personally. If your posts don't break the law you probably have nothing to worry about.

4) If you have direct contact with members outside of the site, you assume additional risks. In my own conversations with people here, info has been disclosed to me that personally identified them down to an address. I gave them this same lecture I'm giving you, and for the same reasons.

For the best shot at staying anonymous here, or anywhere else on the Internet you need to carefully review the section in the rules about privacy, which was written by one of the original admins and is very well thought out. Stay safe.

 

[idonthavetobehere]

Not to scare you, but if we were truly anonymous I'd have more to say. We are a lot less anonymous than most people seem to believe. I think in many cases that can be more dangerous than not being anonymous at all because people can be lulled into a false sense of security, doubly so because posters here are often vulnerable and desperate to connect with others who understand.

I make it a point to report posts that expose personally identifiable information because doing so helps to protect people. Think I'm nuts? Just a few examples:

1) The NYT folks were able to tie quite a number of goodbye posts here to real people and track the outcomes, as well as identifying the founders despite extreme precautions.

2) Despite warnings from the site admins there were, last I checked, still pictures on the forum containing EXIF GPS data, which if you know what you're doing is trivial to translate into an eerily precise street address. A year or two ago I went through the exercise myself using an image I found posted here just to see how easy it was. It took me about 10 minutes, including figuring everything out, and produced an exact street address halfway around the world. Repeating it with a different photo would take seconds. Last I checked, EXIF is enabled by default on many (most?) phones.

3) There is a threat from law enforcement, which in the relevant jurisdiction has the legal right to subpoena IP addresses which will identify you. I have no knowledge of how SS handles such requests, but have no expectations otherwise personally. If your posts don't break the law you probably have nothing to worry about.

4) If you have direct contact with members outside of the site, you assume additional risks. In my own conversations with people here, info has been disclosed to me that personally identified them down to an address. I gave them this same lecture I'm giving you, and for the same reasons.

For the best shot at staying anonymous here, or anywhere else on the Internet you need to carefully review the section in the rules about privacy, which was written by one of the original admins and is very well thought out. Stay safe.

This is my worst fear while being on here. My family was in the media last year, (Fox, CNN, local news, etc), I have a court situation with a sort of famous person coming up, among other things that would embarrass me and my family even further.

When it's time for me to CTB, I need to wipe things clean so no one will ever know I was here.

 

[NobodyKnowsMe]

When it's time for me to CTB, I need to wipe things clean so no one will ever know I was here.

I will do that anyway in order to protect this website.

 

[peanuts]

I don't worry too much about it. Honestly, this site isn't easy to find. I am pretty sure it doesn't come up in google searches in NZ. It's not something the average person would stumble upon, or look for. If anyone identified me on here, in order to do anything about that they'd have to identify themselves, or admit to their own use of the site. Most people wouldn't do that.

In terms of strangers hunting down my address.. I actually don't believe I'm important enough. What would they gain from knowing my address, what would they do? Why would they pick me? I just don't think people care that much, especially not on sites like these.

 

[nightnightnitrite]

My anonymity on here allows me to speak candidly on subjects, however, the fear of being revealed/harassed/bullied is what keeps me from fully speaking my mind. Don't get me wrong, if this website wasn't here, I wouldn't have a safe space to talk about my mental health. I even recently made a post talking about being scared to ask if anyone else experienced OCD in the same way I did. I even censored how far one of my symptoms went to avoid any backlash or bullying. What I've learned is there's always a risk of being attacked/outed, so I'll most likely never fully speak my mind in public or online:,)

 

[FogFilledLife]

Enough to use a paid vpn, not enough to not be honest.

 

[Marine]

I don't care as long as no one gets in my way.

I think that if it weren't for anonymity, to whatever degree, people wouldn't be so open and honest with each other.

I am very honest in real life though it doesn't always help. Wish I could always be without people freaking out.