Originally Posted by
miamifella 
I remember someone saying on this subject that they did not think they could make friends in AA because usually they know their friends' last names.
I think nowadays people in the rooms are looser about anonymity (perhaps because with Facebook it is harder to maintain that level of anonymity?), but the legacy of that time does stay on. The program is personal...but only so far because of the need to maintain anonymity.
We are not supposed to be anonymous from each other. To quote Dr Bob," we maintain anonymity at the level of press, radio, tv and films. To maintain it at any other level is just as much a breach of this tradition".
When I first came in, everyone knew last names. Today it feels like more people are choosing to be anonymous. It is a real bugger, when you try and visit someone in a hospital, or worse miss their funeral, because they wanted to be anonymous.
Everyone in AA in my home town knows my last name. The same goes for any group I frequent. I want them to be able to find me if they want. There is just no point in being so anonymous that I cant help anyone.