Question of the Day, July 8, 2010

[Canadamus Prime]

No. You must earn the right to know my real name.

 

[joshuaayt]

Never my last name- My motto ("Ever read Death Note?") explains why.
I don't think my last name exists anywhere on the internet.
First name? I've always thrown it around.

 

[Troublesome Lagomorph]

Why would I want to use my real name? What's the point to using your real name on the internet?
You're much less anonymous and therefore easier to stalk.

I don't want to get stalked.

 

[Thunderhorse31]

I'm just wondering, what's going to stop people from using fake names anyway? Instead of clever (or not) tags and monikers, why wouldn't people just use Jack Mehoff or something equally goofy? Are they going to require drivers licenses for ID checks or will they just make you use whatever credit card name is on file? I'll bet there are plenty of kids who use their parents' card info, so I honestly can't see how they're going to do this legitimately.

 

[kentallard]

Since I'm on facebook, I wouldn't want someone to be able to go from a forum to a picture of me and all my info that easily...

 

[Karlaxx]

I could if I had to.

I have one of the most generic names ever.

 

[Nivag the Owl]

Doesn't bother me in the slightest. The only time I might consider a separate online persona is if I start posting on a website called WeBurgleOutUsersRegularly.com

 

[Ponch]

I use a nickname by which I am referred to by most of my friends and family.
The only reason I don't use my real name is because there are usually one or two people that have already registered it on the forums I frequent.

 

[Ponch]

I use a nickname by which I am referred to by most of my friends and family.
The only reason I don't use my real name is because there are usually one or two people that have already registered it on the forums I frequent.

 

[Borntolose]

Sure, my anonymity isn't that important to me.

 

[TheTaco007]

No.

There are probably about 10 people in the world who have my first name. Combine that with my last name, and you could basically just find my house anytime you want. That's a scary thought.

 

[secretshadow90]

I'm against this policy because of the linkage with Facebook and the question of what do they mean by "other information." Seriously, every time I've seen this policy brought up it's always real name and "other information." What is this "other information?" I have one of the most common names ever, and even though my FB is linked on the escapist I've upped my privacy so only my friends can see stuff. I wouldn't want my FB linked on other forums. The problem with modern social networking is many people have multiple sites for networking but link them all together (twitter, facebook, etc.) It wouldn't take much for one accidental slip-up to spiral out of control. It gets even scarier if you used your middle name on one as then it's even easier to find you (seriously, I have one of the most common names and I still found me relatively easily). I use social networking sites to stay in contact w/ friends and family, but forums are completely different and each forum is different in itself and so on. I behave myself online as I've never seen the point of acting mean, but some people get way too caught up in their online life and carry it into real life and do some pretty scary stuff. I just like keeping my real life and my internet life a couple degrees separate.

 

[skystryke]

The only reason I care is because the screen names we use now make us more unique. Hell, I use my real name in my profile if anyone gave a shit they would just need one click to find it through my post.

 

[jmoore4ska]

I'd post on the Escapist with my real name (Heck, i almost do already.), but with communities in which i don't have this level of trust...yeah, not happening.

 

[somerandomguy76]

On a forum such as this with, generally, responsible peoples then yes I would have no problem using my own name. Now in /b/ on the other hand...

I've never really been one to suffer from the Greater Internet Dickwad Theory. Anonymity never (ok fine) rarely affects what I post or how I phrase my thoughts.

 

[Tharwen]

I don't mind having my name on the internet; it's not really unique. But, for that reason I'd also prefer to have my own (more memorable and unique) username.

Also, how would you deal with duplicate names?

 

[Epitome]

I've used my real name in forums for years. Perhaps because I've been on stage or on camera or writing for the public since I was a teenager, but it's never phased me to have my name "out there."

Plus, as far as I'm concerned, if you aren't comfortable attaching your name to what you say and do, then you probably shouldn't be saying or doing those things.

Easy to say but like I was saying ewarlier take the "Religeon and Politics" forum here? A great place to go for spirited debate, but I dont employers profiling me. Its hard enough to get a job without them knowing I hold an opposing viewpoint than them. I know it shouldnt count against me but it would, or take my country Ireland where recently major fraud in teh Leaving Cert examinations was uncovered by anon whistleblowers on a popular forum in teh country. You think they would have grassed up their classmates if they had to use real names?

It's not actually easy to say. Easy to say and not mean, perhaps, but putting your actual name on everything you post on the internet is not easy. It's hard as hell. I know it. That's why most people don't do it. Yet it's also why the internet is full of people acting like complete assholes. It's possible these folks are also assholes IRL, but a lot of them just hold it in and let it go on the net, where they can get away with it because they're anonymous. For some people this is part of the charm of the internet, which I understand. I don't personally agree with that way of thinking, and so I back up my point of view by putting my money where my mouth is and posting everything I post under my own name.

I wasnt intending to imply it was easy to stand by everything that you write I imagine it is very difficult to be held accountable for everything you say. But you made a concious decison a long time ago that that is what you would do, this removal of something many view as an integral right is differant. Your not only talking about making us accountable for what we say, but retroactively making us accountable for what we have said while we believed we were anonymous. If a forum decided we all had to see our real names would we simply have to change our alias's so our past posts all bear our new name, or do we all have to go back to zero?

Yes it is a shame that there are people who use the veil of anonimity to spew venom, but I dont feel removing the veil is the best way to do that. This community here is a testement that liberal use of the banhammer on people who abuse their right to speak here is a massivestep in the right direction. While I dont have to post my real name on everything I still maintain civility because the community here does not by and large accept flamers/trolls/assholes.

 

[MelasZepheos_v1legacy]

Around on the Escapist I don't think I'd mind too much, I think I have given out my name once or twice anyway. Sure I like using the name Melas Zepheos but it's not like I have some sort of unbreakable attraction to it.

Other places on the internet I'm not so sure.