Online anonymity disappearing

[twilyth]

There are people who behave poorly because of the anonimity that the internet allows.
They would NEVER act that way if they were face-to-face with someone and might have to own up to their actions.
I am WYSIWYG in both real life and online, for better or worse, but to hide behind the anonimity of the 'net and cause misery is being an epic coward in my book.

As always, just my 2 cents.

I go out of my way to make sure I'm anonymous and I don't understand people who aren't jealous of their privacy. But then as a retired attorney, I tend to look at things from a worst case scenario. Of course I understand that isn't always justified. However if it doesn't cost you anything (or very much) to remain anonymous, then the nominal effort involved is justified - however remote any potential consequences might be.

 

[btarunr]

Making people really give out their real identity online is a terrible idea on so many levels and that's what my post is about. As expected and hoped for, the No vote is winning by a country mile. In hindsight, I think I should have voted the my brain is too small option, to make things even funnier, while clarifying my real position as a No vote.

Don't worry, even if 99% of TPU's registered users voted "yes" in this poll, we still won't change the way forum members are recognized. TPU is not a democratic institution, but it's not evil either.

 

[qubit]

Don't worry, even if 99% of TPU's registered users voted "yes" in this poll, we still won't change the way forum members are recognized. TPU is not a democratic institution, but it's not evil either.

OMG, I should hope TPU never implements something like this! lol

Did you have a look at that TechCrunch website? It's shocking to see people's real ID's in the comments. They really have no clue to what they're opening themselves up for. :shadedshu

Sadly, I feel that this trend might spread.

 

[Kreij]

TPU is not a democratic institution, but it's not evil either.

When I was asked to be a moderator they told me I had to be evil.

 

[btarunr]

When I was asked to be a moderator they told me I had to be evil.

Yes, when it comes to maintaining forum order, you are asked to be a baby-eater, that's a different issue though.

We aren't evil towards people who are in good standing.

 

[AlienIsGOD]

OMG that feels better! Now your turn...

im on FB already and can be found with my nickname AlienIsGOD, already have several members on FB too

i really dont worry about this kind of stuff 'cause i have almost 500 ppl on FB and most of them are there just for 2 specific games that I play on FB. My identity is already out there and the comments i make NEVER put me in any kind of jeopardy or legal action, which is where some of that can lead to by idiots that forget/dont care when they make a malicous or incriminating post on a site.

IMO if u got nothing to worry about, then u are fine

 

[Kreij]

Yes, when it comes to maintaining forum order, you are asked to be a baby-eater, that's a different issue though.

Rofl ... you're the best Bta.

 

[cadaveca]

My name and general location are part of my UID already.

I could care less about privacy online, and anyone that attempts to steal my personal info for financial gains, just ain't gonna gain much, and is likely to end up worse off.

Going through life as I have, holding secrets seems pretty pointless.

 

[m4gicfour]

DO NOT WANT

Ugh. Yeah, because having a single globally unique ID (even if it's just a "profile" and not login details or credit card numbers) isn't a massive security risk... riiiiiiiiiight.

Imagine PS network or steam forums had been using that sort of software. Now the hackers, in conjunction with other stolen personal information, can track you to various websites and have a much better chance of taking advantage of reused username/password combos.

 

[garyinhere]

I talked to qubit & apparently he is horney for a fee lol... Who cares if people know your real name? The time of the internet being open & free is coming to an end thanks to lobbiest and congress.

 

[AlienIsGOD]

I could care less about privacy online, and anyone that attempts to steal my personal info for financial gains, just ain't gonna gain much, and is likely to end up worse off.

Is it me? or are us Canadians just more laid back about this kind of thing

 

[garyinhere]

Is it me? or are us Canadians just more laid back about this kind of thing

No you are just used to the usa telling you what to do already

 

[m4gicfour]

Is it me? or are us Canadians just more laid back about this kind of thing

Yep. Just you.

No you are just used to the usa telling you what to do already

+1

 

[qubit]

I talked to qubit & apparently he is horney for a fee lol...

Wha?

Who cares if people know your real name? The time of the internet being open & free is coming to an end thanks to lobbiest and congress.

Yes, big money in the form of vested corporate and government interests certainly do seem to be restricting the internet, little by little. :shadedshu

DO NOT WANT

Ugh. Yeah, because having a single globally unique ID (even if it's just a "profile" and not login details or credit card numbers) isn't a massive security risk... riiiiiiiiiight.

Imagine PS network or steam forums had been using that sort of software. Now the hackers, in conjunction with other stolen personal information, can track you to various websites and have a much better chance of taking advantage of reused username/password combos.

+1 Damned good point.

 

[garyinhere]

I think it's because the internet is viewed as the wild west and their are no clear jurisdictions for various agencies and countries to control.

 

[qubit]

I think it's because the internet is viewed as the wild west and their are no clear jurisdictions for various agencies and countries to control.

Yeah, they hate that, with a capital H. The RIAA/MPAA in particular, fair use and other business models be damned!

Everybody, put www.techdirt.com in your bookmarks for revealing info on what these vested interests constantly get up to.

 

[cadaveca]

Is it me? or are us Canadians just more laid back about this kind of thing

WE consume a large portion of the glocal internet traffic, and more people percentage-wise up here have access to high-speed internet. It's been legislated into law that the entire country will have Wi-Fi access to the internet, from border to border, by 2014.

With such prolification into our lives, it's only natural we're a bit more accepting of the internet being a real thing, and naturally, when it's tied into your life in such a way, you're more willing to really "merge" online and offline into hte single entity that they really are.

No you are just used to the usa telling you what to do already

Yes, that's why we have the Royal Army and Navy, and use "olde English", and the metric system.

The difference is that we do not place ourselves as important, living under what is really Royal Assent. The individual is less important up here, where clearly...down there it's different.

Troll fail.

Imagine PS network or steam forums had been using that sort of software. Now the hackers, in conjunction with other stolen personal information, can track you to various websites and have a much better chance of taking advantage of reused username/password combos.

Having accounts like that directly tied to your real identity, to me, provides more security, than anything else. those accounts are directly tied to me as a person, rather than some random anonymous name that has no link to me whatsoever.

 

[AlienIsGOD]

No you are just used to the usa telling you what to do already

ROFL hardly dude

None of my friends that i have talked to about this kind of thing fret over it either.

 

[erocker]

and the metric system.

How dare you bring up the metric system! How DARE you sir!

Stay on topic folks.

Thanks.

I don't know why the question of TPU forcing people to use their real names is even being brought up. It's not happening.

 

[cadaveca]

How dare you bring up the metric system! How DARE you sir!

It has come to the point up here that many companies that we deal with on a daily basis, telephone, cell phone, internet, gas, power, cable, and even the government, are moving to "paperless" systems that require access to the internet.

Even schools...my kid's homework is sent to me every day by email. The school even teaches the kids how to effectively search using the internet. Society as a whole up here is adopting a much more "online" lifestyle such that online anonymity is really going to be a thing of the past, very soon, at least here.

 

[FordGT90Concept]

Cyberbullying is only effective when the one being attacked knows the attacker. Anonymous attacks, although can be worrying, people tend not to take seriously (there are rare exceptions, of course). Case in point, which would you be most offended by:

A) A random stranger coming up to you and saying, "You suck!"

B) Someone you knew well coming up to you and saying, "You suck!"

Most people's response to A is "Okay?" Most people's response to B is "Why?" B is potentially devastating, A is memorable but altogether unimportant.


I think on that basis alone, it is self-defeating.

 

[Damn_Smooth]

I voted my brain is too small because DERP???

 

[streetfighter 2]

I voted No, but I mean "No", not "No plus some editorial flare provided by our good qubit".

Sometimes my privacy concerns border on tinfoil, but anonymity has a power that most people do not appreciate.

I voted yes because it would make it a lot easier to find you doofuses and beat the snot out of you if you trash me here at TPU.

I may be stupid, incompetent and a doofus, but I am not a transvestite walrus.

http://www.theonion.com/video/google-opt-out-feature-lets-users-protect-privacy,14358/

 

[CDdude55]

It would suck if we had to use our real names as user id's and it's not so much of privacy, i am never considered with the people i interact with daily who i don't know to know my name. I'm not concerned that after they know my name they're going to go home and try to steal my identity, so i apply the same reasoning online. Plus i have an Iranian last name that most people can barley pronounce correctly, so i like to believe it adds an extra layer of security lol.

But i like my online '''identity'' to be separate from my personal identity because those can intertwine easily, i don't want my full name to be stapled to everything i do online (not to say i watch/do bad stuff online wink wink lol). So user ids act as a wall between me and the sites i want to interact with and i enjoy that.

 

[Solaris17]

no way brah because then if i told someone to get fucked they would beat me up. even though i have most of the mods on my cell phone.