Martin Clear discusses the issue – and it’s an issue that crops up regularly because there are people that don’t like it. Indeed they don’t like it to such an extent that they want to deprive us of it. Like Clear, I have more than one identity online. I have several. They are interconnected only by me. I keep them separate for the various forums in which I am participating. Partly because I want to keep the various parts of my life compartmentalised and that is one way of doing it and partly because I like to keep my online life separate from my offline one.
Unlike some, I don’t have an employer who could sack me for what I say online. However, that degree of separation is useful for you never know what the future holds in store. So, although I am relatively easily discovered from this place – there are others where discovering the real me is more difficult and with good reason; I don’t want that part of me exposed in the real world.
The excuse used to force us to bare our souls to the harsh daylight of the real world is trolling. Yet I would prefer the trolls, stalkers and cyberbullies be allowed their anonymity. Partly because should it be necessary, they can be tracked. And partly because their anonymity is my anonymity. This place has been trolled by a cyber stalker and I dealt with it. He played the game and lost. I still don’t know his real identity and don’t need to. I handled it myself. Each time he tried to take me on, I handled it without involving the police, without getting all wobbly and demanding that he be forced to reveal his real name because I didn’t need it. And I don’t care. Trolls and stalkers online are easily managed with the tools we have at our disposal. If it looks like creeping violently into the real world, then it is a police matter and they can trace the culprit. Up to that point, it’s not an issue, for the various blogging and forum software has management tools to deal with these losers. Worst comes to worst, just ignore them, deleting their rants and banning them each time they come out to play.
So, yeah, let’s keep our anonymity. And, no, I won’t give Google my phone number. Fuck off already.
One of the reason some people choose to live in the city is because ‘no-one’ knows their name.
Village life can be very hard when ‘everyone’ knows everything about you and it doesn’t help that your detractors are all related to you in one way or another.
Anonymity is what helps most of us get along! Would you want to stand next to a wife-beater in the bus queue or be served by someone with ‘crazy’ political views in a shop? Live and Let Live works a lot better when we keep most things to ourselves.
I just feel that it is unwise to put your real name up in lots of different places on the internet. I always use the same pseudonym for commenting on blog posts so most regulars will sort of know me in a way.
He’s right of course. Putting your real name to everything you say, especially when it correctly gainsays the world view of certain political activists, is dangerous. Why? Because a certain mindset will actively ‘go after’ people they don’t agree with. These activists cannot debate properly, and in the absence of that skill, will use any tactic to ‘win’. Including trashing someones life, interfering with their business, family, and even family pets. Nasty people best avoided.
Hence the need for anonymous or pseudonymous online identities. They are the only guarantee for online freedom of speech.
“They are the only guarantee for online freedom of speech.”
Yes, if I had to use my real name I’d stop commenting. I suspect a lot of others would too and some bloggers would stop posting.
It would become too dangerous for anyone not agreeing with the collectivists.
We’ve all had a taste of this, haven’t we? While our troll was relatively easily dealt with the intent was there. We were saying things he didn’t like and his preferred response was to try and shut us down. That worked well, didn’t it? 😈
Thern you get to the point where more people, even in “real” life know you by your screen name than those that know your real name.
Even my Wife calls me Furor on occassion!
You should hear what my wife calls me on occasion…
…as it’s in basic Anglo-Saxon, it wouldn’t need much in the way of translation…
A critical factor is the question of whether or not people get paid for the posts that they write. If they do, then they should reveal whom they are. I’m talking about journalists, quack professors, executives of fake charities, etc. Since we are not paid, then we have no one to answer to. We can call ourselves whatever we like.