Parents Anonymity on CB

[Ali'sMom]

I'm still relative new to CB.
I have seen that everyone here takes anonymity pretty seriously.

My question for you veterans - have you ever gone to a meet where you know someone from CB will be? Do you try to say a "Hi!" or do you not ask who someone is, and just still be anonymous?

There is a chance I will be in that position next fall, and I just want to make sure to follow CB etiquette

 

[skschlag]

Yes, I have met one mom from CB at a meet, and was trying to meet a couple more in FLorida but it didn't work out.

 

[cbifoja]

I've met one person from the social group I'm a part of. We planned it and it was nice to put a face to a name and to see her beautiful daughter in action. I have no regrets and I feel like it went well. Obviously, I would never use her name or her DD's name in the forum out of respect for her anonymity.
You can always PM the person and see if they are interested in meeting. If not, then you have your answer.

 

[gymmutti]

It definitely does not hurt to PM someone if you would like to meet up. I've met a couple of CB'ers at meets and really enjoyed putting faces to usernames and cheering on girls from teams other than our own.

 

[profmom]

It's also important to remember that you are pseudonymous, not anonymous. The competitive gym world is small and pretty networked. Depending on what and how much you post, it may be very easy to follow the trail of bread crumbs from your posts back to your gym. As a general rule, don't post anything in an open forum that you wouldn't be comfortable knowing that other people could connect to you or your child. (Not quite on topic, but I thought it was useful to mention this for some of the newer posters.)

 

[IreneKa]

It's also important to remember that you are pseudonymous, not anonymous. The competitive gym world is small and pretty networked. Depending on what and how much you post, it may be very easy to follow the trail of bread crumbs from your posts back to your gym. As a general rule, don't post anything in an open forum that you wouldn't be comfortable knowing that other people could connect to you or your child. (Not quite on topic, but I thought it was useful to mention this for some of the newer posters.)

Agreed. Two people here busted me by just my pictures and videos. One PM'ed me asking if we were at their meet last weekend, because she recognized DD's leo. Another one watched my video and PM'ed saying that she recognized the gym where the meet took place.
So, if you want to stay really anonymous, don't post anything personal like that.

 

[wnl256]

It depends on the person. If it is someone that I have had good interactions with on-line (like cbifoja and gymmutti) then I would consider meeting up with them at a meet. In fact, I missed an opportunity to meet up with gymmutti earlier this year, and I still regret it. But if it is just some random person who happens to have an account here, probably not.

And, you may not be as stealth as you think. I've already had one CBer send me a PM letting me know that we might go to the same gym because she recognized the competition leo in my avatar (turns out she was right, and we have since met up at the gym).

 

[MILgymFAM]

I personally, have never tried to be anonymous online. Anyone can figure out who anyone is, if they try hard enough. I haven't met anyone from CB, because I haven't been around that long, but I have met numerous people from another online support group I belong to, and I have had wonderful experiences. Just plan carefully and make sure you are comfortable with the time, place, and people.

 

[wnl256]

Agreed. Two people here busted me by just my pictures and videos. One PM'ed me asking if we were at their meet last weekend, because she recognized DD's leo. Another one watched my video and PM'ed saying that she recognized the gym where the meet took place.
So, if you want to stay really anonymous, don't post anything personal like that.

Also true for posting scores. If you post meet name (or even just city or state) and exact scores then anyone can find your child's name and gym courtesy of mymeetscores. Even without the location it still might be possible to find the name: it would just take some more digging.

 

[Ali'sMom]

Thank you all!!!
I'm someone who could too-easily be an open book, so I have to think and try to stay relatively anonymous.
I figured if/when the meet I'm thinking of comes up, I will PM the person who (whom?) I think will be there and see, but I didn't want to cross any lines, if that was frowned upon.
Truly, I'd love to meet anyone who made it to my neck of the woods! But I know that not everyone is the same way...

Thank you all!

 

[htimcj]

I have meet one other person from CB at a meet. We arranged it prior to and it was someone that I chatted with online a lot. It can be fun.

 

[bogwoppit]

I have met quite a few CB'ers.

Some I even travel with now, and consider to be some of my closest friends.

PM whoever you want to meet up, if they say no it is no big deal.

 

[Ali'sMom]

I have met quite a few CB'ers.

Some I even travel with now, and consider to be some of my closest friends.

PM whoever you want to meet up, if they say no it is no big deal.

Thanks! (I've met a whole group of friends online that I've known now for over 10 years who are wonderful!) I just didn't want to PM, and be viewed as "Doesn't she know we are private?" , that type of thing.

 

[2G1B]

I'm fb friends with one person from here and would love to meet up with her sometime. I have figured out who a few people are from pictures, like when I recognized a coach. It actually stopped me from posting pictures because I realized how easy it is to recognize people. I do try to not post anything that I wouldn't want people to know I said.

 

[Gymmonkeymomma]

I've met a few CB'ers and have become good friends with a couple of them. Meet ups can be fun!

 

[Deleted member D3987]

i had a mom and dad pass me a note...

 

[Bess]

i had a mom and dad pass me a note...

Did it say "psssstttt. I know who you are" ;-)

 

[bogwoppit]

Did it say "psssstttt. I know who you are" ;-)

I bet it said "Yikes".

 

[BachFlyer]

^^^^^hahahaha

 

[2G1B]

Wait, someone figured out who Dunno is?