This Site's Hidden Member Info...

I've noticed a lot of threads in which people ask where a particular member lives.
This info is almost completely hidden if you're trying to find it from the site itself. But that doesn't mean it isn't here.
To find any member's real name and location, open a new browser window and type:
pipesmagazine.com/members/SCREENNAME
in your browser's URL line, replacing "SCREENNAME" with the member's actual screen name. Press ENTER and you'll get that member's info.
Bob

plateauguy wrote:
"if I wanted everyone to know where I live, I'd broadcast it."
But. . . you did! When you signed up, you filled out this information page for PUBLIC consumption. I mean, it asks what your favorite pipes and tobaccos are. . . Did you all think that Kevin was just personally curious about this? No. It was intended for the community here.
I only posted the tip I did because there is no other easy way -- at least not one I've found -- to get to this specific page of PUBLIC information. (Although you can also Google any member's forum name and find these pages.)
Bob

Plateauguy:
I like how you changed your information to something you're more comfortable with. I especially like that you didn't make up a deceptive name or give an incorrect city; it's clear from the info that you're simply guarding personal information, not trying to present false information or misrepresent yourself in any way. As a member here who really does enjoy checking these pages to see how long folks have been pipe smokers, what their favorites are, where they're checking in from, etc., I appreciate the fact that you're not trying to fool or deceive anyone; you're just being diligent.
Bob

"Having instructions posted on how ANYONE, member or not, can view my information is a little disconcerting."
Understood. FWIW, it's highly unlikely that a nonmember would know anyone's "forum name" here to even do a Google search to reach this page. (I'm not even sure a nonmember could reach the page. The mods would know about this, though.) And, obviously, no nonmember is going to see my tip in the first place.
BTW, these member pages can also be reached via the site's Home page. Click on "Home," then scroll down to the "Members" list on the page. Clicking on any name takes you directly to their member profile. (Which is different from the Forum profile page, where you can get a list of a member's recent posts and threads.) This is actually a great way to see the names of newly registered members and check in with their interests.
I wasn't intending to insult anyone else in my response to Plateauguy. I apologize if anyone took it that way. But I guess I would find it unsettling if people posted deceptively false information in their personal profiles here. By "deceptively false," I mean fake names that are meant to be taken as real names, or stating that they lived in one state when they actually lived in another. This "unsettles" me because, for me, it lessens the sense of trust I feel for this community -- a community where folks often share much more personal information in their regular posts than is shared on a basic page of name, location, and pipe experience. After all, I bet a lot of us could tell the names of other members' spouses and pets, what their favorite drink is, what TV shows and movies they like, and what they enjoy doing on the weekend.
To be honest, I'm really very surprised that so many forum members were unaware that their answers to the new-member questionnaire actually appeared here. I'm not sure where they thought that information went or what they thought it was intended for. To me, it just helps build connections here and, yes, build community. And I believe anyone who has spent much time on the Internet would agree that forums encouraging complete anonymity are also the ones where mutual trust and respect are often the most casually dismissed.
Bob