How do you tell non-Fluther people about answers you obtained on Fluther?

Usually go with ” I read somewhere” or “someone told me”.

I usually tell people I found it on Fluther. And I explain that it’s a community that answers each other’s questions – and there’s great discussion.

Sometimes I’ll e-mail a friend the link to the particular question if we were particularly inspiring.

I’m going to tell my friends I saw this great question online somewhere.

Since the Fluther gods in their infinite wisdom will not let me change my username, which I poorly chose as my first name, I usually do not mention Fluther as the source. I usually generalize and talk about something I heard in a discussion on (insert subject).

(See guys if you let me change, I could promote the site much more heavily.)

I tell people who do not have internet stalking tendencies about Fluther.
Otherwise, I keep it vague. It would be easy enough to find me here.
I just don’t feel like helping it along.

Just start your conversation w/ the info you’ve obtained-not of its orgin.
If need to, say: “Oh, off the internet” (in a casual i dont care kinda voice)

So, so far my tally is 5/6 for vague, with anonymity being one major issue though I wonder if there are others. Why do some people feel more embarrassed to say they learned something from another human being (granted it is the internet representation of that person) than from the entity known as Google?

There’s no record of me asking Google a question.
And discussing it in excruciating detail.

I say “This online community I post in.” I don’t want people I know coming in here and reading self-incriminating tidbits.

I wonder if a particular gender will lean towards one or the other?

i told my sister and my daughter and they both told me I had too much time on my hands…

@Marina: I have the same problem! Silly me made my username my actual name, so I worry that if I tell someone about Fluther they might look me up and realize that I’ve been puttin’ them on blast all up in the Fluther community! Look on the bright side—at least your username doesn’t include your last name. :(

I usually say “I read online.” But some of my friends do know about my secret Flutherlife, so I don’t mind telling it to them. I just have to be careful since I don’t have the anonymity that some may have.

OK so am I the only selfish one who’ll try to look all intelligent and go, “what, doesn’t everyone know that?”.

I tell people about fluther but I shouldn’t have been, because now they can look up all
my rants and silliness and upsets. Damn.

Also a member of team real name. The two times I had to share answer with someone I told them it was just a Q & A site. And both times they were medical things that I had to tell my mother. Both of them were actually responses by shilolo.

edit :: and I would also like to change my username for the reasons posted above.

I tell them a group of jellyfish told me.

I do not elaborate.

for poops and laughs

I tell them to check it out for themselves. That the site is full of helpful people.
Then I go check out fluther for more knowledge.
Oh yea and on another subject when you reach 10000 lurve you should be able to change your username, you earned it. Thanks

@srthill Good idea! That would help me and soon JP. Emily, you’re climbin’, girl, you’ll get there.

Like passing the level and getting a 1-up? Nice.

I tried to get a couple of my friends into fluther but I guess they’re just not as cool as me and couldn’t handle it all.
most people close to me know about my fluther obsession but for other i usually just say on a q&a site.

it depends on how well i know the person – if i feel they would like the site, i tell them about it, direct them towards it, etc (no takers yet, i think). i can then refer to it later. if they’re just an aquaintence, i tell them “oh, i found it on the internet”

@johnpowell of course you’ve never told them an answer from me, have you? – i’ll get you yet, shilolo!

Go, drhat77! :)

No way, drhat77…

even if you did, I would use my superpowers to eliminate the evidence

:-)

I too wish I could change my username.
I usually tell people “I was talking to someone about…” and don’t get into specifics. A few of my friends know about fluther, and I usually just say I got the info from fluther, or in group situations, I will use the vagueness above, and the friends who know will call me out on it, and it’s embarrassing. Damn.

It depends. If it’s someone I’ve referenced in a Q or A and would not want reading it (e.g., my awful roommates) I would keep it vague. I’ve already shown Fluther to most of my friends and will gladly keep recruiting so I’d tell them without thinking twice.

I think there’s a generational thing here—most of my friends in my age cohort have no problem merging the internet with “real life” and don’t really think it’s weird at all, but a generation older still seems to get the heebs from it.

@niki. Thanks. My ego needed that…I’m too old to adapt to modern technology. Pass the metamucil…

Great question.

I’ve referenced something that was mentioned on Fluther several times in real life to non-Fluther friends. Depending on the context of what I’m saying, I sometimes keep it vague because there’s no need to get confusing. Other times, I full out explain the website.

For instance, if it’s a really offhand, casual comment, I say something like, “Yeah, someone on a message board said such and so.” (“Message board” works well!!)

If, in order to understand what I’m talking about, I need to give the whole history of various Fluther threads, I’ll go into the whole “This question-and-answer website…” explanation.

“I flound somefling on Fluther flat may flinterest you!”

My immediate family and close friends know I’m a Fluther geek, and I routinely credit the site with them. For others, I’d just say “the internet”, to avoid lengthy explanations.

I, too wish I’d chosen a different username. While it’s not my real name, it is my universal username, thus completely recognizable to anyone who knows me.

@shi Don’t hog it all.
@niki We are as old as we feel. ;(

@Marina. How do I know when drhat will show up? People want answers, I’m here, so, I do what I can.

@shi: I think she meant don’t hog all the Metamucil.

@augustlan. See, my brain is already turning to mush…

I say, “I saw something on Fluther that…. Oh, you don’t know what Fluther is? Weeeeeeeeell… it’s a…”

Two hours later I’ll remember what I was initially going to tell them.

What can I say? I’m all about word-of-mouth promotions.

I’ve told a lot of my friends about Fluther so to those I tell them that’s where it came from. My parents didn’t know before but I got my mum’s help to answer a question about young children getting their tonsils removed so she knows about it now. Other than that, I just say the internet or “this awesome site where you can ask questions and people answer them” and if they inquire more I explain Fluther. If I’m just telling someone about something random I’ve talked about with someone here, either in a thread or in the chat room, I just say that “my friend said” or “my friend told me” such and such (or “my friend in America” cause that’s where most of you are). Cause you are, you’re my friends :)

Aw, shrubbery…that made me feel all warm inside :)

Aww…you’re cute.

@shi I definitely meant the Metamucil

As to drhat77, he’s on his own. I just love watching his angst as he beats his wings futilely against your speed in answering and expertise.

Marina – i’ll get him yet, just as soon as i can steal enough wonderflonium to power my freeze ray

@drhat77. Let’s make an on-call schedule. As an ER doc, you can cover the graveyard shift….. ;-)

shilolo, no, i’ll just freeze you in place, then Fluther will be mine! ALL MINE! AHAHAHAHAHAHA!