Steve... Even if you searched me on Google, you still wouldn't have any idea who I am. It's not an issue of fame or vanity, it's simply an issue of privacy. Let me pose a few scenarios for everyone. Though probably unlikely to occur, you can't say, given the world today, that these situations are impossibilities:
-A perspective client searches your name and, along with your professional data on the web, views a substantial amount of information about your involvement in baseball memorabilia. The client finds it juvenile and goes elsewhere.
-You work for a conservative firm and they, given the current economic conditions, are looking to downsize. They perform background checks on employees that include cursory web searches. They see your involvement in this hobby and 1) think you're spending too much time on outside interests and let you go or 2) see what you have recently purchased on a thread and decide that you have enough disposable income where letting you go won't adversely affect your lifestyle.
-A lurker on the forum reads that you have recently won an expensive item in an auction or you reference an item you already have and, because full names are mandatory, he easily locates your home via the web. Perhaps a burglary ensues or a kidnapping.
Outlandish? Perhaps. But not out of the realm of possibility. I, for one, will chose privacy each and every time because, above all, my family's safety and my livelihood are of the utmost importance. This is a just hobby and more than enough personal information is provided to the people in charge. If something illegal is done, this information should be used appropriately. If you are a "member" in good standing, you should be able to remain anonymous if you so chose, for whatever reason, without having to justify it to the community.
It's been mentioned that this isn't like splitting the atom. I concur, wholeheartedly. It's a hobby, plain and simple. Actually, this forum is a side effect of a hobby. If I were to prioritize my interests, as mentioned earlier, family and profession would top the list. My interest in memorabilia would be a several notches below that. Further down the list would be this forum. That's not a low blow to Leon or the rest of you. We all can still enjoy this hobby without the forum. Hell, most of us fell in love with this stuff long before the internet came along. This forum is an enjoyable outlet loaded with information, but not necessary to collect trinkets. I am afraid that a substantial portion of people would cease to post if anonymity were to become mandatory.
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