I Lied…Is That Bad?

Posted on 01.08.07 in Thoughts and there are 5 comments.

Euphrony posted a great link to a site called Freeccm.com. At this site you can download free mp3s by artists such as Sara Groves, Mercy Me, Skillet, The Afters and Derek Webb. Good stuff.

Here’s the problem. I lied. See, you have to enter some information before you can see what the music selections are. Here’s the information you have to submit:
1. Email address
2. First and Last Name
3. State
4. Zip code
5. Birthdate - month, day, year

Frankly, I’ve grown accustomed to lying. That’s bad, I know. I’ve justified it to myself by telling myself that I’m giving them all the information they really need...I give a working email address (although it’s dedicated to email lists and such), I give them a name I respond to “Kat” (although it’s not on my birth certificate), I provide my state and um....

I give them a similar zipcode and a birthdate similar to mine so that they have the proper demographic information....just not my exact information.  I suppose the only ones I really don’t feel comfortable giving out and I don’t see why they need it, are my first AND last name and my EXACT birthdate. I’ve never gotten a birthday card from any site I’ve registered at so I don’t see why they need anything more than my birth year.

It’s still lying though, isn’t it? Hmm....

What do you do? Do you give exact information about yourself or do you fudge it at all? What do you think about it?

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I actually entered factual info for this.  I did not use my primary e-mail, but it is one I check regularly.  Once upon a time, when I was a lying sinner, I would always give as my address info the address for the old Texas A&M;basketball arena, living under the name “Jim Shorts” (say it out loud, and in connection with the address).  If I didn’t have an inkling of who it was asking for this info, I would have turned away and never posted the link; but I felt I could trust them at least that far.

Euphrony,
Jim Shorts...good one.

I don’t think it’s so much that I don’t trust them, although, with other sites, that’s definitely the case. I think it’s partially that I am in the habit of it. I always use this “other” information when submitting info online. The other issue is that I don’t understand why they need that exact info (first AND last name AND exact birthdate)...so I just give something similar to the truth that fulfills thie

Ugh. That sounds terrible.

Better not tell Matthew Smith you put in false info. Doh! 

I caught some real flack over that Derek Webb smart-butt comment I left. 

I do think it is funny that you ALMOST put in the right info.  It’s like you accidentally miss the right keystroke but...on purpose. 

Setg Warf

I usually give my actual info.  The way I see it, by being an American citizen, all of my personal information is already for sale.  If anyone wants to find me or get in touch with me, they can.  The only information I will never give out, no one can legally ask for anyway: my credit card numbers, my banking information, and my social security number.  I already get spammed and telemarketed, so there’s really no additional loss of privacy there.  I don’t know.  I guess I just figure that it is lying, and that if I am told honestly what the requirements are, I should follow their rules.  If the real information is too high a cost, then I can’t afford that product or service.

I always input the correct information, up to a point.  Like euphrony, I don’t use my primary email address, although I do use one I check once a week or so.  When it comes to my phone number, though, I “accidentally” hit the wrong key at some point...so I guess I lie, too, Kat.

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