Anyone use yahoo groups? Anonymous or not?
 

Someone sugested I join a yahoo group for my sewing machine. I'd like to, but it seems that, if you join one, you have no choice but to make your email address public. I don't want to do that. Does anyone have any experience of these groups. Is it possible to join anonymously?

Open another email address just for the purpose of using for Yahoo groups. I am on three Yahoo! Groups for my quilt guilds. I am also on a couple of others too. I have not had any problems using my normal email but I only join groups that require permission to join vs. "open" groups.

Sandy

I haven't had any problems with yahoo groups but I don't respond to junk or spam mail and did open a yahoo account just for this purpose. I now use it for my blog, too so it comes in handy. I am in a few yahoo groups including the local freecycle, some 30s reproduction groups that are no longer active, an auction site and a few sampler groups. As Sandygirl says, I only join groups that screen members and require permission....they seem to do a good job of keeping the psychos off list or deal with them quickly through active moderators. I've given my real name and address without any issues in multiple groups and have traded fabrics without any problems over the years. For freecycle, I generally leave the item on my front porch and let the person know they can pick it up. On the very rare occasions I have picked something up, I asked for the same and/or sent my husband.

That is what I do also!

i was a member of several quilting yahoo groups. i just set my preferences not to get postings of everyone's replys and only let the Moderator email me. do set up a new email for things like this though.
used Freecycle to give away a t.v. but met the lady at Blockbusters parking lot. not my house.

Yahoo groups do not display your email in its entirety. This is to prevent robots from hacking emails. However, people can send you an email by clicking on the truncated email that displays next to your post. They will still not have your complete email address unless you reply to theirs.

My recommendation is to simply create a Yahoo email for yourself that you use exclusively for Yahoo groups.

I have two Yahoo groups and it is possible, if the owner permits it, to hide your email addy....but if you do that the owner/mods can't contact you. Because of this, I don't allow addy to be hidden. And, as Prism said, your addy doesn't show on the messages shown online or if you get a Digest. BUT, for those who get the Individual Msg option where you get the messages on your computer at home, the addys DO show in those. I advise people to get an alternate addy, as mentioned above, to use just for the groups. The things Prism mentions are true when you're reading the messages on the group site.

And you can set your preferences to Web only (if the owner allows it) or Special Notices to read msgs online only....you can post and reply to msgs that way too. I insist on Special Notices so that if I have to get a message to EVERYONE, I send it that way and everyone gets it no matter how they have their preferences set.

Thanks for that. The group I found is a closed one (and I have already been accepted). It was only when I got in there that I could see the members, with their alias and their real email, and I baulked! (They dont allow people to opt out totally of emails, and I understand that.)

My life is too complicated for more email addresses. My husband set his up to all arrive together in his in box but I just don't need the hassle- I cant even remember all the passwords I have already......

I prefer the way things work here I guess!