"Anonymous" Topic

Here begineth today's mild rant.

The internet is a medium that promotes anonymity. So why do some folks get all wound up about 'anonymous' usernames? What does using one's real name bring to the party? Does it establish one's credentials better? If I allowed TMPers to know what my 'real' name is would my dribblings carry more weight?

Here's the latest, which prompted this ramble.

Interesting to me, a complete new guy here, that 7 to 10 of the oposition to Napoleon or joking people are complety unknown.
Wile the rest had not any problem in put their names, adress or country were they lived.

TMP link

Yrs

Jeff Mullany. MIEEE.

Get Googling

This is an interesting rant, of all the places I frequent the TMP is the only place I don't use My real name.
I think useing your own name does carry more weight.

I think useing your own name does carry more weight.

Why? If Yokitori-san from Kyoto shoves a thread up on here why should I, ensconced in the English Midlands, give a rat's arse if he calls himself Yokitori Kenshi or Grey Ghost?

I use my real name because it's easier to remember. When you reach a certain point in life, that becomes a factor.

Allen

Everyone knows (I expect) that Lentulus is not my real name. Well, that is a thing you actually know about my name. If I change it to George McLeod, will you know more or less?

Of course, the phrase "On the internet, why do people get so wound up about…" can be attached to such a wonderful range of things.

Of course, the phrase "On the internet, why do people get so wound up about…" can be attached to such a wonderful range of things.

Yes. Thank God for the ranting board. If only I'd started this thread on there.

oh

wait

That's Gray Ghost, no e.

Well, Jeff, I googled it and….
it looks like you got some basketball stats…
link
or… as a musician…
- Jeff Mullany @ Sunset Pub & Grill 5pm ~ Lincoln Park
or… Doubles tennis…
Jeff Mullany 7 – 5 , 6 – 2 2. link

On the other hand, folks around here being Anonymous does not bug me. Being annoying does, not anonymous… Its a message board. I am gunna read the posts I like, and forget the others. Real names carry no weight for me (I carry my own weight, as I am a large gamer! ).

That's Gray Ghost, no e.

Ah. I'm sorry, we only use English over here

Well, Jeff, I googled it and…

That's because I gave a false surname Richard. Sorry. I am a MIEEE though…so if you want to trawl through all the Jeffreys in their membership lists you will find me.

I forgive You
On other sites I belong to we argue quite seriously, in a gentlemanly manner though, so it's nice to know that you are talking to John Smith and this is what I believe in.

On the internet my is 14 inches long.

Interesting note: the bleep-o-matic will not catch that word.

Good. Otherwise how would we talk about Nixon?

How would anyone know it's your real name anyway?

I ranted about anonymity and how you should not be ashamed to attach your real name to your opinions many years ago.
I don't give a now. How do I know if your real name is your real name? I don't.

In my case, when senile decay sinks in, John the OFM may be easier to remember than my real name. In reality, if I used my real name here, it would not be as memorable.

Googling "John Carroll" will get you the first Catholic bishop of the United States, a university named after him, a punter for Oklahoma, John Wayne's costar in "The Flying Tigers" etc., long before I show up. If at all.

For me it's simply easier tha explaining thatI'm a well trained labrador named Hubert.

I use Gungnir because a) it fits and b) it's easer than explaining 99.9% of the World how my actaual name is pronounced.

My real identity is far from secret, as a matter of fact I start my forum/blog/thingy with my introduction:

link

An interesting discussion.

As to my use of my RN versus something else, perhaps
it's due to my upbringing, I don't know.

I have in the past, when running a couple of BBS's
(for those of you who remember BBS's), used a
psuedonym, but my contact information, including
RN, was present since sometimes necessary.

I use a user name to keep the CIA, FBI and my Ex-Wives from reading my mind using microwaves.

It also stops the annoying kow-towing and self-absement that arises when a certain type of person realises who I am. Hero-Worship can become cloying after a while.

Lastly it stops people coming round my house and pouring Kerosene through my letterbox when I express a frank opinion of their ty paint-jobs, lame-assed game design or stupid user name. If I wanted to consider whether what I was going to say might get me a sock in the chops every time I opened my mouth, I would limit myself to face-to-face verbal communication, and that is SO last week.

BTW, If anyone wants to punch me in the face, I will be at Fiasco tomorrow, wearing a luminous orange fleece as usual.

Pat

Interesting comment, if his profile is correct. One would think someone from a large city would be more security conscious. I could appreciate that view from someone from a small town where everyone knew everybody and anonymity was a foreign concept.

As for me, I never use my real name because when you run an internet search on it, I would be the only entry.

So why do some folks get all wound up about 'anonymous' usernames? What does using one's real name bring to the party?

It shows (or at least implies) that one has the courage of their convictions.

Why not use a false name in everyday life? Why not go about in a disguise all the time?

People seem more trustworthy when they don't start every conversation with a lie.
-Kle.

It's a mixed bag. More than one person has regretted being known when saying things online that show up at work. It really depends what you do online. I lead a pretty sedate life, so don't worry too much about it anymore.

Back in the good old days, not revealing one's real name was a big part of hackerdom. Vernor Vinge gets credit for some of the phenomenon it in True Names, wherein knowing one's real name gave others power over him. He anticipated identity theft, just not exactly.

- Bob

Klebert, it makes no difference – there is no way to verify any names used on message boards. My name (and presumably yours, and several others" look like real names, but that's meaningless. I could call myself William Coolidge for all the difference it would make. If you're paying more attention to or putting more trust in posts from people with "real" names, more fool you.

I use my name because…well….I just do…
Really…I can't come up with anything uber witty…
And I'm used to someone screaming "MURPHY! What the **** did you do?!?!?!" or something like that…

I use my real name on TMP, mostly because I've never bothered changing it. I use a thinly disguised nom de keyboard on most other fora though. No real point in googling me though as there are about 1/2 a dozen others who 'could' be me including at least one in much the same profession (& yes, we do get each others mail occasionally!) & a couple with vaguely similar interests. Sadly all those articles on the AWI aren't mine!

I use Garand because back in the day, when I started my first historical wargames website on Geocities, Garand was what I went by (actually Garrand, and I'm really surprised no one nabbed Garand on TMP of all places..). I do sign every post with my real first name, and IIRC I have my full name in my profile. There are some benefits to anonymity though, like the avoidance of ID theft (which can occur with more things than just your credit cards).

I did google my name, and found it a bit disturbing I have a profile on Spoke.com, which I never subscribed to…

Damon.

Klebert, it makes no difference – there is no way to verify any names used on message boards. My name (and presumably yours, and several others" look like real names, but that's meaningless.

Not entirely. People can often find pictures and other identifying data on the internet, and people do meet each other at Cons and such.

I haven't met too many people over the years who use something that sounds like it might be their actual name on the internet, who are actually using a pseudonym.
-Kle.

I think my real name is Paul Confused, but I am not sure.

So why do some folks get all wound up about 'anonymous' usernames?

So you're saying that your real name isn't 'Conrad' after all, Jeff? Mon Dieu!

Take another look, it's not even 'Connard'. Though some may disagree.

Sorry Calmarac, I is a idiot

:)

And I was trying to be 'too clever by half' as my old headmaster used to say

:o)

I use my real name because I got tired of using pseudonyms. I got tired of using pseudonyms because people were directing unwarranted attention toward my last one and I got jealous and wanted all the attention for myself….

I use my pen name. I like to think that a person's musings should rise and fall on their own merits. It doesn't matter anymore because so many folks know my given name anyway – it's just force of habit now.