Please be welcoming in your welcomes.

May I respectfully ask that all posters ensure they are welcoming in their welcomes?

Fake name* and lack of a location are perfectly acceptable under forum rules and more than understandable if people feel uncomfortable to do so given all the warnings we get about not giving away personal information online.

It's far too often that the first post someone makes is a request for them to reveal their location (or real name), or have other reasons for feeling nervous about sharing such information.

People may be elderly or vulnerable and no doubt have a workshop with potentially valuable contents or models.

They don't know people here and who might be reading their posts so it's hardly surprising is some don't want to share their location.

So please respect people's privacy; if they want to share more let them do so in their own time.

Neil

*Impersonating someone else is against the rules, pseudonyms, however frivolous, are not - as long as they aren't offensive.

I think an important corollary to Neil's post is that just because someone gives you a real sounding name and mentions their locality, it does not mean any of it is true.

Agreed,

Posters should only give as much information as they are comfortable with.

If it becomes important to know a location or real name, etc, there is always the private messaging option.

ATB,

Daniel

(.... and don't mention the war )

Neil Wyatt:

Whilst I don't doubt your suggestion that there have been requests for real names I can't recall seeing one myself.

I and others have certainly suggested that it would be helpful if querists would give an indication of their whereabouts, but not I hope in an unwelcoming spirit.

I f anyone wants to steal anything of any real value from my workshop, they better bring it with them themselves !

On a more serious note, I agree with Neil, people are nervous ,and with good reason. Houses, workshops, vans are being cleaned out all the time, even here, in the sticks.

Had my van cleaned out some years ago, still not sure how much stuff was taken, only miss the item when you go to look for it.

So, take care, all the time.

I think at least country should be part of the registration process and displayed. So often it helps to make sense of the person's questions and contributions. County would also help or at least region as there are huge differences in some aspects between Aberdeen, Birmingham, and London.

My opening post was a query and I received an almost instant series of responses with positive suggestions. Do use my real name and have hinted at location, I think. Not sure why not doing so is an issue, but if the response does depend upon the location then perhaps that should be included in the OP,. I do belong to other forums that are not nearly as welcoming or helpful as this one.