Contributors' personal information

What would you think about posting a bit of personal information? We're sort of an online community, or maybe a fraternal cyber society but we generally only know about each other whatever we've picked up indirectly from postings. I've gotten such an incredible amount of good advice and useful information on this site, and had so much fun reading it, that I feel a strong bond with practically everyone who participates, yet we're all essentially strangers.

Here are the bits of information that I think would be interesting:

1. Name, at least a first name if you're concerned about privacy
2. Age
3. Occupation, past and/or present
4. Location, not address but more specific than just state or large city
5. What your online name means

My personal feeling is that this is not dangerous information to post on this site but each of us will, of course, make his or her own decision.

Here's my info: I'm Stan Lewis. I'm 60. I've been a remodeling contractor, a failed writer, maintenance supervisor for a management company, got a CPA license at 50 and never used it, currently metal sculptor and assistant welding instructor (was a volunteer position, now poorly paid.) Stan in Oly, WA means Stan in Olympia, Washington. I live on the west side of Olympia in an old neighborhood with grid type streets. Olympia is located in western Washington at the south end of Puget Sound. It is a small city which is gaining population and losing charm at an alarming rate. But I'm originally from Seattle so I can't complain about outsiders moving here and ruining the small town feeling.

Okay, now everybody else.

Stan

I was born in Olympia in '53; which is the age I am now. Grew up on the Peninsula in Western Washington, went to Vietnam, courtesy of the U.S. Navy, finished a degree in Russian and have worked mostly as a banker since college. Moved to a 10-acre farm in Spokane about three years ago, bought a Super C a little over a year ago and just discovered this site in the last few weeks. I'm on the learn-as-you-go approach to farm management, but I thoroughly enjoy this site, particularly the personal give-and-take.

Age:54
Father of a 2 year old son (my first...we kind of re-defined the phrase "shock and awe")
Jobs: fixed mainframes for IBM in the 70s, ran an International network in the 80's, worked as a network engineer for 15 years (router and server jockey), Dir of eng for Bell Atlantic, had a business refurbing PCs, have been a market gardener, worked farms in my teens, used to mix rock and roll shows on tour (for 2.5 yrs), Also been a motorcycle mechanic, a professional drummer (actually supported myself for a brief while).

Live in South East PA on 4 acres of trees and some grass (near Media, Delaware County). Got started playing with tractors while I was living in rural NE CT. Used my IH 424 mostly to log...heated strictly with wood and lived on a long dirt road. Also had a few "pleasure" horses. Currently have a small MF 220 w/ loader, hog, rake.

Love this place. Get more info than I can usually absorb. I've been on the 'net since the era of text only (shell)accounts wehen the 'net was only big corporations and universities. I know more about internet security than most (installed and administered firewalls for 2 fortune 500 companies). I mourn the more innocent time when you could converse with your friends and not worry about getting hosed by some butt-head.

Went from a 60s era airhead liberal to a dyed in the wool Reagan conservative over the past 30 or so years....(thank God I finally got something right).

illigitimi non carborundum ...not really latin (but close)for "don't let the bast--ds wear you down".

thanks for being there gentlemen.....

Mike

I'm 43 and live in Stratford TX at the very northern edge of the TX panhandle.

I farmed for about 14 years, but now am IT director for a local college. My college training was in computers and networking. I have about 700 computers on my network.

My dad and brothers and I always farmed with JD tractors, but we ran a lot of Minneapolis Moline engines to pump irrigation water.

After I got out of farming, I got the old iron bug pretty bad and started buying JD's, but soon became just as enamored of the old MM's. They are all great, though.

What I like the most is finding "farmerizations" on the old machines. One of my JD D's has the prettiest welded up block you ever saw from some long ago early cold snap which froze up the engine, for example. My JD A had cast iron compression inserts in it to boost compression, etc.

A machine restored back to 100% original just doesn't tell tales or give any clues as to how it was used over the years... I like the scars and war stories!

Anyway - great thread!

Howard Henderson
Stratford, TX

Other: 17 acre hobby farm that we are trying to make some money on. So far just a money pit. We have a 48 Ferguson TE20 and a 53 WD.

• Emerald Farm

Have 1 1947 ford 2n that I use for chores around our 10 acres. Love the tractor and helping others out on these boards.

Born in 1959 about 15 miles from where I live now (Port Crane, NY). I am the manager of the general ledger/finance department of a small metal-bending plant in Upstate NY. Settled in on 20 acres with a log ranch home in the hills above the Chenango River and sinking my roots here until someone drags me off bodily. Raise chickens and vegetables and play in the dirt.

"Stumpkiller" I was nicknamed from my love of traditional field archery/roving (aka "stump shooting"), and I also moderate on a muzzleloading forum in the flintlocks and hunting sections.

ll

P.S. Don't appologize for that "tool". Takes no brains at all to do what he did.

www.oldduggy.com

Stan,

Good Idea, but I think there might be a better way of doing this.

I entered your name and city at WhitePages.com and came up with:

Stan Lewis
604 Milroy St SW
Olympia, WA 98502-5126
(360) 352-4019

A little Mapquest, Google Earth, etc. and I came up with this.

Am I close?

Just being cautious,

Scott

P.S.

If you need directions, get off the 101 at Black Lake Blvd. SW, etc.

I'm in no way being mean, it just doesn't take much with this internet thing and I teach my daughter (14) not to give ANYTHING out that might get posted.

Scott

Big deal. I gave my full name on this forum long ago, and that was to a jerk who was making veiled threats and generally acting deranged. My online name gives my city of residence, Olympia, and I'm the only Stan Lewis listed in the Olympia phone book so anybody could find me without even owning a computer. A trip to the public library would be enough.

Guess what, I'm not a 14 year old girl and I'm not going to live scared. If you believe that knowing someone's name and address is enough to steal their identity, then you must crawl under the bed and wet yourself when you hear that the geniuses have decided to raise the terror status to orange.

Since you're into public service, why don't you see if you can find out if I have a criminal record or a history of mental illness and post that---anonymously, of course.

Sincerely, Stan Lewis

P.S. Sorry everybody else. Kind of puts a damper on the good feeling that motivated me to make the suggestion in the first place.

--->Paul - on a farm in southern MN - I've not given my age on a web site as I prefer the fun of letting people guess - tho I'm sure it, like almost any info, can be looked up.

Sometimes it's more fun to be mysterious tho. :)

My name is Grant, I'm just North of you on Vancouver Island. CBBC means Cranberry from BC.
I'm a cranberry farmer as you may have guessed.

I would like to thank everyone who posts on this site. I read it often and am learning all the time. Keep up the good work Kim!
My website is www.yellowpointcranberries.com if you want to know anything else about my farm. You will have to cut & paste, I can't figure out how to post the link.
Thanks,Grant

Although it would be nice to get to know everyone a tad bit more, you have to remember this forum goes world wide and not every one has good intentsions for the use of the info.

With your name and the info you gave I bet I can locate you without any problems.

I personally feel maybe this would best be done via e-mail vs open forum in a thread. Maybe a forum member thats been a long timer will volunteer to compilie the list then it can be passed via e-mail. Maybe someone from north, south, east and west that way it's not a burdon on one person.

I think this would be a much safer approach so no one get will there identity stolen.

T_Bone