Should you posting on RCU be anonymous or not? I’m posting this in the AMA forum because for the most part this is where I spend most of my RCU time.

In the past I have always thought that an individual’s RCU logon name (“handle”) and whether or not the individual should be anonymous should be left up to their own discretion. For the most part I believe that what is said on RCU by the members doesn’t warrant an anonymous handle but an interesting situation presented itself to me the other day.

The other day someone contacted my corporate office to complain that I was spending all of my days on the RCU website in the AMA forums and provided my user name and how to look up the website and search for postings that I had made. This individual even went so far as to suggest that I should be terminated for such actions.

Not to defend myself to any of you reading but, I work more than 50+ hours each week and lead a very hard working team of individuals. I work from home in the evenings and am on call on the weekends and on my days off as well. I do have some down time in the office and check emails, personal banking, and do some other surfing on breaks or when I take my lunch in the office. I also allow my employees the same flexibility. At my company we work very hard and everyone in my department is productive. At the end of any given week, month, or year I can look back on what I’ve done and without a doubt know that I have had an impact.

Now for the reason I decided to pose the question above. Without a doubt the contact by this individual was extremely troubling. For anyone to pull this kind of stunt where a person’s livelihood is put at risk is unbelievable. I have two small children (a four year old son and a new born son), and a wife that I provide for. I can only assume that who ever did this took issue with my positions in my posts and as such felt that this was a “cool” way to get back at me.

It’s hard for me to believe that anyone who participates in this great hobby would do such a cowardly act as endanger ones lively hood by sending an unsigned letter to their corporate office. Needless to say, here is just one benefit to an anonymous screen name. Maybe everyone posting in the AMA forum should be required to post with their AMA number and the number of years that they have been an AMA member.

I don’t know if I’ll change my handle in the future or not, but I just thought that I’d share my view on the subject.

Take care,
Jimmy Skids