When does a username get a face?

I actually recognized someone from this thread over on Meta 😬

I’ve even spotted a few people in my actual life. One was, I guess you could say, a student of mine. 😵 😱
Then there were some other odd characters, people who have taken some pretty strange paths in life 😵 well, you know how it goes... 😁

northernharbor34 said:because they overdo the "???" and "!!!" in their sentences

Reading this gives me a literal skin rash. It's just as bad as when people used "w" instead of "v".

So, get this—some woman from one of the forums actually flagged me down on the street a few days ago and basically laid my whole identity bare right there in public. 😲 😁
I was honestly so blindsided that I didn't even get a chance to ask what her handle was, let alone anything else. But, strangely enough, I walked away feeling pretty pleasantly surprised (and no, it wasn't because she unmasked me).

I realized that a friend of mine who isn't even on this forum 😁 has one of our regular members 😬

as a friend over on Meta. Since I actually decided to upload my own photo to the forum a while back, there's a decent chance someone might have recognized me too. 😁

Honestly, if I were to spot someone from my actual life here on the forum, I don't think I'd ever say a word to them. I just have no desire to blur the lines between the internet and real life 😬...

I have lost count of how many times I've been let down by friends. It leaves me wondering if I even have anyone in my life who isn't posting on this forum.🤣