Web "anonymity" vs. real life identity
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Shock Trooper
Member # 3980
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written Friday, July 29 2005 16:24
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I feel deep sympathy for all attempts to avoid overlap between ones identity on the boards and ones private identity. I hate the loss of control about the context in which my own R/L name is mentioned anywhere in the internet - and this runs deeper than the childish illusion of freedom for sometimes ludicrous to foolish posts. So I appreciate that Drakefyre wrote on the photo thread quote:However, you pay a price for that: Curious smartalecs start to wonder who you are in R/L and come to marginally plausible conclusions that they tend to incorporate into their prejudices. At the end of the day you have to choose between protecting the innocence of your web identity against wrong conclusions based on intended lack of information and revealing details about yourself in order to establish trust. For an example look here: Education Camps By now, I believe to know that this piece has not been authored by the Drakey whose posts I have read during my limited time here. Intelligent remarks, anyone? [ Friday, July 29, 2005 16:45: Message edited by: No 2 Methylphenidate ] Posts: 311 | Registered: Friday, February 13 2004 08:00 |
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Off With Their Heads
Member # 4045
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written Friday, July 29 2005 17:08
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I know I absolutely can't stand it when people from the Spiderweb community call my by my real name. Even Wizcozski calls me Kel on these boards. I don't feel anonymous, though. My real name is not hard to figure out, nor is my location in the world (hint: my e-mail address). I have a listed telephone number, so anyone with my e-mail address and a phone directory could find me. Beyond that, you know my name, where I go to school, a little of how I think and how I spend my free time, and some know more than that. So where's the anonymity? -------------------- Arancaytar: Every time you ask people to compare TM and Kel, you endanger the poor, fluffy kittens. Kelandon's Pink and Pretty Page!!: the authorized location for all things by me The Archive of all released BoE scenarios ever Posts: 7968 | Registered: Saturday, February 28 2004 08:00 |
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Nuke and Pave
Member # 24
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written Friday, July 29 2005 18:17
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Not revealing my real name lets me speak more freely than I would if this was a student group in college. It's true that I give out plenty of details that would let people who know me well identify me, but nobody who knows me well plays Spidweb games. :) -------------------- Be careful with a word, as you would with a sword, For it too has the power to kill. However well placed word, unlike a well placed sword, Can also have the power to heal. Posts: 2649 | Registered: Wednesday, October 3 2001 07:00 |
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Fire! Fire! Fire! Fire!
Member # 919
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written Friday, July 29 2005 18:48
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Personally, I don't care. My real life friends probably wouldn't recognize me online and vice versa, but that's not the result of an attempt to hide either identity; I simply type and speak in different manners. It shouldn't be too hard to find my name, my phone number, my address, etc. online, but who's going to use that information, and for what? If somone online comes to the wrong conclusion about me, so be it; it's not my intention, but I'm not going to change anything to avoid that. Really, I don't think that revealing my identity changes anything. Makes me less safe, maybe, but I can deal with that. -------------------- And though the musicians would die, the music would live on in the imaginations of all who heard it. -The Last Pendragon Polaris = joy. In case of emergency, break glass. Posts: 3351 | Registered: Saturday, April 6 2002 08:00 |
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...b10010b...
Member # 869
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written Friday, July 29 2005 18:57
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I've recently had to remove my full name from my SW profile, mainly because I found out that my dad's been Googling my name. I don't particularly care if strangers know my identity, but I don't want my family/potential employers/vindictive ex-girlfriends spying on me. I don't feel the need to eliminate all identifying details, though; if someone finds out my identity from the forums, that's okay, but if somebody finds out about the forums from my identity, that's a potential problem. [ Friday, July 29, 2005 19:01: Message edited by: Thuryl ] -------------------- My BoE Page Bandwagons are fun! Roots Hunted! Posts: 9973 | Registered: Saturday, March 30 2002 08:00 |
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Guardian
Member # 2238
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written Friday, July 29 2005 19:02
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I don't particularly care about anonymity. I'm not about to go give out my personal information, but I won't hide who I am and what I believe. And that is: I don't particularly care about anonymity. I'm not about to go give out my personal information, but I won't hide who I am and what I believe. And that is: I don't particularly care about anonymity. I'm not about to go give out my personal information, but I won't hide who I am and what I believe. And that is: I don't particularly care about anonymity. I'm not about to go give out my personal information, but I won't hide who I am and what I believe. ok im done... -------------------- The critics agree! Demonslayer is "a five star hit!" raves TIMES Weekly! "I've never heard such thoughtful comments. This man is a genious!" says two-time Nobel Prize winning physicist Erwin Rasputin! Posts: 1582 | Registered: Wednesday, November 13 2002 08:00 |
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Shaper
Member # 5437
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written Friday, July 29 2005 19:07
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I don't feel particularly anonymous. I've mentioned my name, city I live in, school I go to, picture, voice, and a bunch of random information that if put together would tell you who I am. I'm not concerned with letting people know any of these things (though I have been more open with my identity with SW than anywhere else). No one I know in real life plays Spiderweb games (or RP games at all for that matter), and I don't think they would recognize me by writing style either way. I've never met anyone online in person, but I know people who do so regularly. -------------------- Nena Posts: 2032 | Registered: Wednesday, January 26 2005 08:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 4153
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written Friday, July 29 2005 19:32
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I agree that leaving out your real name from the boards gives you more freedom of expression. I only know one person on the boards in real life, and I doubt that anybody else knows me. Personally, I'd prefer to keep it that way, because I'm not sure I could cope with everyone here in real life (no offense, but we're all a bit weird here). -------------------- Gamble with Gaea, and she eats your dice. I hate undead. I really, really, really, really hate undead. With a passion. Posts: 4130 | Registered: Friday, March 26 2004 08:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 335
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written Friday, July 29 2005 19:40
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I enjoy tormenting those who try to figure out who I am, and I also enjoy leading them in circles. I'm a bad person and make no apologies for it. Otherwise, I have no real reasons for hiding my identity. Like Thuryl, I'd rather not have my online persona attached to myself in my daily living, but I wouldn't be crushed if it were. I also have a personal belief that anonymity is good for both the anonymous and those who deal with him or her, but my faith in that is ever more shaken as I come to grips with it in light of my cynicism. —Alorael, whose name is known, though not commonly, on Spiderweb already. You can figure it out if you put some work into it. From there it's a bit more work to find his address, phone number, and social security number. He would appreciate advance warning before lynch mobs show up at his door. Posts: 14579 | Registered: Saturday, December 1 2001 08:00 |
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...b10010b...
Member # 869
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written Friday, July 29 2005 20:19
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quote:Um, it's in your profile. :P -------------------- My BoE Page Bandwagons are fun! Roots Hunted! Posts: 9973 | Registered: Saturday, March 30 2002 08:00 |
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E Equals MC What!!!!
Member # 5491
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written Friday, July 29 2005 21:43
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I've never really cared about privacy. A random stranger could read a personal letter of mine and it wouldn't bother me at all. -------------------- Sex is easier than love. Posts: 1861 | Registered: Friday, February 11 2005 08:00 |
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Warrior
Member # 5986
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written Friday, July 29 2005 23:29
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A web identity cannot ever be a persona to hide behind, simply because anyone willing to put some effort into a background check can figure out whomever is behind a handle. This is why I've been more willing to shed anonymity than in the past. Until I had the cynical realization that Internet privacy is an absolute farce a few years ago and might as well chuck the disguise, I always tried to keep what people know about the "real me" to a minimum. I also discovered that I behave online just as I would in real life, so I'm not really so attached to the idea of "Slp006" being separate from "me." I respect others' desires for privacy very much, however, since some people aren't as blunt and cynical as I am about web handles. I'd prefer that people would respect the way I carry myself online enough to make a conclusion about my character that's at least accurate on the surface, and keep any slanderous judgments to themselves. But that's not always going to be the case, I imagine. So if/when someone finds something that taints my Internet handle and spews rumors all over the Web, I'd probably just ignore it and hope that those who are familiar with my mannerisms can distinguish info from misinfo. If Slp006 started to become hated unduly, then I would lay this handle to rest and keep to myself on the Internet more often. It's disheartening, but the moment one decides to release a bit of information about their real-life self is the moment one takes the risk of developing a tainted reputation online. Developing a friendly relationship with somebody online is involves risks that most people accept. I'd prefer my close Internet fiends to be open with me, but if they aren't, then that's fine. I'll trust them less than I would if they were open, but that's the also the case when I meet people in the real world. I think it's really bad form to force somebody into revealing themselves, but some people are simply too rude to leave well enough alone. I hope nobody's foolish enough to think Drakey is a right-wing, liberal hating extremist, besides. I know this was an extreme example used to prove a point, but still... "OMG DF = KKK??? :mad: :mad: U R soooooooooo stuipd Drakefire" Right. It's always a possibility that we'll see that in the not too distant future in some horribly misspelled topic thread. My cynical self wouldn't put that past some uppity newb on the board who believes everything from a Google search. -------------------- Wu wei... it's the only way Posts: 154 | Registered: Monday, June 20 2005 07:00 |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 3980
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written Saturday, July 30 2005 00:11
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Agree with Thuryl's and Slp006's posts above. The trouble is that someone who has to make a judgement about you in R/L may google your name ten years from now and not care about the context of your post. She may be less concerned with making an optimal decision but with minimising risks. At the moment I sit alone and relaxed in a quiet room. Writing this feels a bit like confiding thoughts to a diary and I am so very far from envisioning the guys coming in their white cloaks to take me away. However, should I rather write as if I were writing bits and pieces of my resume? [ Saturday, July 30, 2005 00:48: Message edited by: No 2 Methylphenidate ] Posts: 311 | Registered: Friday, February 13 2004 08:00 |
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Warrior
Member # 5986
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written Saturday, July 30 2005 00:28
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That's true; someone could look up, say, Schrodinger's name on Google and find his postings here. I wouldn't post here as if it were a diary, but I'm not about to "be on my best behavior." Hopefully an employer will realize that yet another persona, the corporate/professional persona, is much different from any other, especially an Internet persona. No sane employer expects an individual to act like a saintly little peon while off duty, and the insane ones have more reliable ways to check on you than Google to make sure they aren't losing a valuable asset. Just don't write down anything you'd be terribly embarrassed if your parents decided to read it (in any situation, RL or not). I find that's a good barometer, since parents also have a knack for reading diaries as well and freaking out. Unless your parents are completely off the wall, a potential boss won't have a problem with something your parents don't have a problem with. [ Saturday, July 30, 2005 00:29: Message edited by: Slp006 ] -------------------- Wu wei... it's the only way Posts: 154 | Registered: Monday, June 20 2005 07:00 |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 3980
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written Saturday, July 30 2005 01:20
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quote:Same applies to your kids. However, I did talk about opening this thread to a relative whom I trust in such matters and this relative advised me strongly against it. I just hope it is o.k. now. [ Saturday, July 30, 2005 01:21: Message edited by: No 2 Methylphenidate ] Posts: 311 | Registered: Friday, February 13 2004 08:00 |
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Triad Mage
Member # 7
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written Saturday, July 30 2005 02:53
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I am buried in the thousands of Ryan Thompsons on the internet. Even worse/better, one was a professional baseball player, so 100,000+ pages mention his name. I don't want people to judge me based on what they may find out about me IRL - I want them to judge me based on my posts and actions here. [ Saturday, July 30, 2005 02:56: Message edited by: Drakefyre ] -------------------- "At times discretion should be thrown aside, and with the foolish we should play the fool." - Menander ==== Drakefyre's Demesne - Happy Happy Joy Joy desperance.net - We're Everywhere ==== You can take my Mac when you pry my cold, dead fingers off the mouse! Posts: 9436 | Registered: Wednesday, September 19 2001 07:00 |
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Agent
Member # 1993
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written Saturday, July 30 2005 04:18
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I'm all for transparence and I don't mind if people know my RL identity. But I mind if the SW identity is mixed with the real identity, e.g. my graphics for the Louvre are under my real name or beta-testers are noted under their real identities. When I look for graphics I really would like to search under SW user names and not find out first how people are called in RL. -------------------- ^ö^ I was a cannibal for twenty-five years. For the rest I have been a vegetarian. George Bernard Shaw Posts: 1420 | Registered: Wednesday, October 2 2002 07:00 |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 3980
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written Saturday, July 30 2005 04:24
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Drakey, is that not what everybody would dearly love - being able to decide yourself on what criteria you are judged? Would that not be wonderful if we could all taylor the criteria to our preference? However, things do not work that way among critical thinkers in RL. [ Saturday, July 30, 2005 04:35: Message edited by: No 2 Methylphenidate ] Posts: 311 | Registered: Friday, February 13 2004 08:00 |
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Triad Mage
Member # 7
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written Saturday, July 30 2005 04:33
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It's not very realistic, especially when people begin to come better friends. Misunderstandings happen, and very often they're accepted by one or both of the parties, and I think it's best to wait until people take you into their confidence, as opposed to probing and perhaps getting false ideas. A lot of people are understandably uncomfortable with divulging too much real life information. EDIT: Your edit ruins part of my post :P [ Saturday, July 30, 2005 04:33: Message edited by: Drakefyre ] -------------------- "At times discretion should be thrown aside, and with the foolish we should play the fool." - Menander ==== Drakefyre's Demesne - Happy Happy Joy Joy desperance.net - We're Everywhere ==== You can take my Mac when you pry my cold, dead fingers off the mouse! Posts: 9436 | Registered: Wednesday, September 19 2001 07:00 |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 3980
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written Saturday, July 30 2005 05:18
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quote:Sorry, if I may have appeared less than tactful in this matter. However, how do you find out whether your ideas are "false"? My own test consists in trying to convince others, probing assumptions, limited provocations asking questions - not afraid to make a fool of myself. Is this not what you suggest in your own signature, Drakey? My maximum suspicion arises if someone tells me that my ideas are "false". I have the feeling, I better shut up here at the moment, however, and I have also been told so in private. [ Saturday, July 30, 2005 08:03: Message edited by: No 2 Methylphenidate ] Posts: 311 | Registered: Friday, February 13 2004 08:00 |
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Guardian
Member # 3521
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written Saturday, July 30 2005 07:53
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I've never been much for discretion or secrecy, and as such I'm quite delightfully indiscreet around here. I don't really think there's a significant detail about my life that I haven't included in a post, or several, at some point. I suppose I really ought to be more cautious about how I express myself around here- for example, my parents have no idea I drink (they stridently oppose boozing) and would likely pull quite a fit if they read any of my posts describing my drinking habits. Other pitfalls exist, I'm quite sure. I've never been much of a cautious type, though, so I generally ignore such concerns. It would be decidedly out of character for me to neuter my board personality just for the sake of the lean chance of my dad coming around here. There are far too many cowardly types around these boards, and I don't intend to join their ranks. I'm a tolerant man, but I've never been able to respect the whisperers, schemers, and sneakers of the world. Of course, paranoia isn't merely the result of fear of possible consequences. In the paranoid individual there often exists an exaggerated sense of self-importance. I'm well aware that I'm no one special at all. Why would anyone bother to mess with me? No reason at all. As for board reputation, I really don't give a damn. If every prude, conservative, woman, white person, ferret enemy, hunter, Polarian :P , modern music devotee, straight-edger, strident intellectual, and beard disapprover on these boards resolves to hate me with a passion as a result of my open expression of my lifestyle and views around here, I'll willingly accept that. As I've mentioned, though, I'm a tolerant type and never aim to antagonize. I'm much the same around here as I am in my dealings with others in person, although I am slightly more witty and articulate in my writing than in my speach. I'll admit to exaggerating the quirks of my personality just a bit around here, but I'm quite sure that's not at all atypical. [ Saturday, July 30, 2005 07:57: Message edited by: Stugri-La ] -------------------- Stughalf "Delusion arises from anger. The mind is bewildered by delusion. Reasoning is destroyed when the mind is bewildered. One falls down when reasoning is destroyed."- The Bhagavad Gita. Posts: 1798 | Registered: Sunday, October 5 2003 07:00 |
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Master
Member # 4614
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written Saturday, July 30 2005 08:54
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Those who are clever can pretty easily figure out my full name. But only those who are clever. -------------------- -ben4808 For those who love to spam: CSM Forums RIFQ Posts: 3360 | Registered: Friday, June 25 2004 07:00 |
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Skip to My Lou
Member # 40
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written Saturday, July 30 2005 12:15
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My web personality is both notably different and exactly the same as my RL personality. The same in that when I am relaxed this is pretty much how I am, different in that my oppressively over-protective, insanely conservative parents are psychopathic in their desire to shelter me from anything approaching somewhat close to almost, kind of, violating their often ridiculous standards. I have little doubt that if they knew 1/10 of what goes on here they would feel it necessary to fear for the welfare of my eternal soul and forbid me from ever coming back. Fortunately, computers mostly baffle them and they have a tendency to make sweeping assumptions that they know everything there is to know about things they have only heard of. They see me often playing video games and they see me often on some message boards owned by a game company. From comments they give I am assured that they assume we do nothing more than talk about Spiderweb's games. I am utterly baffled by their logic, but it keeps them in the dark and that's all that matters. [/frustrated ranting] On a different note, googling my name turns up only two results: an outdated link to the high school I went to and what appears to be some sort of Dutch genealogy site. [ Saturday, July 30, 2005 12:40: Message edited by: Archmage Alex ] -------------------- Take the Personality Test! INTJ 100% 75% 100% 44% Huzzah for the Masterminds! www.Keirsey.com for personality information. The Sloganizer! "Swing your Archmage Alex." Deep down, you wish you were a stick figure. Posts: 1629 | Registered: Wednesday, October 3 2001 07:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 2984
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written Saturday, July 30 2005 13:00
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My online identity is not far removed from my real identity. Anyone, online or RL, who would like me less upon finding the other personality probably already disliked the first one (or misunderstood it, which means they don't know me that much anyway). The only issue I have with loss of privacy is risk of unsavory people I know online approaching me in real life. So far I haven't been dissident enough for the CIA to come knocking, however. And as a male I have statistically far less to fear from potential stalkers. Besides, the places where I hang out are mostly savory. So I'm not particularly worried. Yet. -------------------- The Encyclopaedia Ermariana <-- Now a Wiki! "Polaris leers down from the black vault, winking hideously like an insane watching eye which strives to convey some strange message, yet recalls nothing save that it once had a message to convey." --- HP Lovecraft. "I single Aran out due to his nasty temperament, and his superior intellect." --- SupaNik Posts: 8752 | Registered: Wednesday, May 14 2003 07:00 |
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Shaper
Member # 5450
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written Saturday, July 30 2005 13:33
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Not much of me is known. Sure, my face, intrests and location, but really, who is going to go looking? I live more than 1000km from the nearest person, so who is willing to travel that far just for me? -------------------- Mugglenet--The ULTIMATE Harry Potter Site. Polaris-- New location. Posts: 2396 | Registered: Saturday, January 29 2005 08:00 |
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