Thursday, September 8, 2016

Anonymity by not using a family name? Not anymore.

Found via Tyler Cowen. He's quoting from an original newspaper account that reads:
In the northwest corner of Phnom Penh’s Boeng Keng Kang market, a new stall is creating a buzz among shoppers.

Its occupant is a 28-year-old former U.S. Peace Corps volunteer who offers tarot-card readings in Khmer. And customers say her predictions are on point.

With strings of fake leaves hanging from the ceiling, colorful paper butterflies affixed to one wall, and a sign that reads “Mantis Magic,” the booth—which has been open for two weeks—stands out from the neighboring hairdressers and food stalls.

“I didn’t have a job, I needed something to do and I wanted to help people through my spiritual work. I was getting messages to do this, so I just followed my gut,” said Eileen, who speaks conversational Khmer and asked to be identified only by her first name so that her mother in the U.S. would not find out about her new trade.

Originally from New York, Eileen said she graduated from West Virginia University with degrees in gender studies and criminal investigations before relocating to Cambodia nearly five years ago with the Peace Corps.
I can't help but feel that Eileen's confidence in retaining her anonymity by not using her last name might, perhaps, be misplaced when she is further identified as 28 years old, a Peace Corps volunteer, from WVU with a major in gender studies. I would have guessed that she hadn't heard of LinkedIn except that she has a LinkedIn profile that turns up with a search on the quoted characteristics.

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