<p>I know this is a common phenomenon at the other forum community I visit. But what of College Confidential?</p>
<p>I've been here since February 2004, when I was 14. And I get really embarrassed looking back at a lot of my old posts. I suppose that my ignorance was fine, though my gullibility certainly was somewhat embarrassing. More quickly to the point though - I had an ego vulnerable to summer program rejection, so um, I posted some really weird posts after such rejections, and hijacked both the SSP and NASA SHARP threads. Haha, now those posts were quite embarrassing. I think that making a big deal about something that really isn't that significant and letting the whole world know about it was the most embarrassing of my behaviors. And College Confidential certainly isn't one of the forums where you mark a clear distinction between Internet name and real life name.</p>
<p>On the other hand though, I kind of liked some of my old posts.</p>
<p>Not as bad as in previous years though (which do show up in other forums I visited in 2001-2003), when I was so brainwashed as to believe that school was the best means to get an education - where I thought that the people who worked hardest in school deserved to get the best in society (and when I believed that hard work => intelligence, instead of lucky draw in birth lottery => intelligence). Even more embarrassing were my pro-drug control and pro-punish-the-prisoners mentality. Wah wah wah.</p>
<p>Most of my embarrassing posts are on the account I used between 2004 and early 2006 (between 14 and 16 years old) and not this one, which is a relief, in a sense, but those who know my old username will still be able to connect those posts with me. I posted a series of embarrassingly personal accounts of family dysfunction on the Parents' Forum asking for help, got myself into silly arguments on the student boards, and wrote unbearably pretentious messages because I wanted to look literary. :o </p>
<p>There are some posts on this account that I'm ashamed of, but for the most part, I like the person I've established myself here as being, if that makes any sense at all. I think I'm pretty genuine.</p>
<p>The forum I used to post on when I was 12 or so deleted all its posts after 30 days (probably for good reason), so I've pretty much been safe from that.</p>
<p>I've tried not to say embarrassing things here (for the most part) since I know
(1) all posts are permanent
(2) people can, will, and have identified me IRL from the stuff I post on this board.</p>
<p>I figure the guy posting after me could be my future roommate or advisor.</p>
<p>Which is a rather scary thought.</p>
<p>The world is far too small -- if you the College Confidential poster get into HYPSMC or any other top institution, you'll probably meet several others at that school who also, at one time, posted on College Confidential.</p>
<p>Oh yeah, and when I actually do post things here that could get me into serious trouble, I create a new username and use that :D</p>
<p>Not really, because I have been here for 4/3 of a year. Not much has changed since I joined in junior year. For those who joined as freshmen or eighth graders, the reflections they will see five years from now would be interesting because they will change greatly between grades 8 and 12.</p>