Jump to content
Washington Football Team Logo
Extremeskins
Forum Rules and Guidelines

Question: Would we be better off if no one was anonymous on the internet?

codeorama

By codeorama
in The Tailgate

Recommended Posts

codeorama

codeorama

Posted
Posted

Pretty simple question. 

 

Was just reading the story behind the CNNBlackmail hashtag that has trended on twitter. Long story short, creator of the video where a CNN logo is placed on Vince McMahon's head, and Trump slams him. CNN tracked down the identity of the person who made it and found out his real identity but didn't out him because he apologized. People compared that to blackmail. 

 

This is thread isn't to discuss the story, but simply to ask, is the fact that people are nearly anonymous online a factor in so much of the hate speech, cyber bullying and other issues?

 

What if you were required to use your real name to Tweet to post to forums?  

 

Just curious.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites
@DCGoldPants

@DCGoldPants

Posted
Posted

Letters to the editor used to have a name attached to them. Some papers would call and confirm you are working are you. 

 

Then again, Ben Franklin submitted letters to his brother's paper as Silence Dogood. 

 

It's a legit question for debate. 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Destino

Destino

Posted
Posted

Yes and no.  I would have said absolutely yes not too long ago, but now that social media mobs are so easily formed that go after people's jobs there's never been a greater need for anonymous political speech.  Having said that, it also allows people to act like absolute lunatics and spread hate.  So, again, yes and no.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Larry

Larry

Posted
Posted

Gonna say that any simple answer to this question is wrong.  

 

Just to pick two extreme examples, I think my opinions as to the desirability of anonymity is different, if we're discussing:  

 

1)  People exchanging child pornography.

 

2)  Former victims of child abuse.  

 

but, as a general guideline?  Yes, I think that society should have an expectation of privacy, in our daily lives.  Quite a bit more privacy than society thinks I should have.  (And I'm not just talking about the Internet.  I'm talking about things like corporatioons gathering all kinds of data about me, and similar things.)  

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Springfield

Springfield

Posted
Posted

I like the relative anonymity that ES offers.  Most here are not my friends on Facebook.  ES offers an outlet for political conversation and other thoughts that I'd rather not bring into my personal life on Facebook.

 

I realize that you could figure out who I am if you really wanted to try.  ES is still my outlet.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Larry

Larry

Posted
Posted
23 minutes ago, Sacks 'n' Stuff said:

I bet I could find out who most of you are if I really wanted to,

 

Well, I'm pretty sure I've revealed numerous things about myself, over the years.  My first name, obviously.  City of residence.  I'm absolutely certain that I've mentioned my Redskins-themed license plate at least once.  Probably mentioned my approximate birth date.  Pretty sure I mentioned the date my mother died.  

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
spjunkies

spjunkies

Posted
Posted

I've cut back on it, but if some people that know me IRL read some of the threads I've posted over the years they could put the puzzle together in no time. I like it being anonymous, it let's me feel free to open up a little since I'm so closed in with my regular life. Of course you're going to get the idiots who push too far, but I think more good people overtake the bad.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Llevron

Llevron

Posted
Posted

If you know me its pretty easy to see my real name in my screen name. I dont value anonymity much, honestly. And I have used this same screen name on almost everything, so I guess im not that anonymous at all in reality. 

 

Most embarrassing thing I do online is spell words wrong smh

Link to comment
Share on other sites
No Excuses

No Excuses

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Springfield said:

Also, I have no problem with how CNN handled this situation with the guy who made the Trump video.  I actually think they handled it quite professionally.

 

I wish they had outed him in the original article. 

 

Every keyboard Nazi who uses the cover of online anonymity should fear doxxing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Malapropismic Depository

Malapropismic Depository

Posted
Posted

Ok, so I still get chain emails.But this thread seemed like the perfect thread to post this in, and provide an answer to the OP question.

 

- Hello! Gordon's Pizza? 
- No sir, it is Google Pizza.
 - So, I have the wrong number? 
- No sir, Google bought Gordon's Pizza. 
- OK. Take my order please ... 
- Well sir, you want the usual?
 - The usual? How do you know me? 
- According to your caller ID, the last 12 times, you ordered pizza with cheese, sausage, thick crust .. 
- OK! OK! That's it. 
- Sir, may I suggest to you this time ricotta cheese, arugula with sun-dried tomatoes? 
- No, I hate vegetables!
- But your cholesterol is high! 
- How do you know? 
- Through the Lab subscriber's guide. We have the results of your blood tests for the last 7 years. 
- Okay, but I want my regular pizza, I already take medicine. 
- But sir, you have not taken your medicine regularly. Four months ago, you only purchased a box with 30 tablets at Drugsale Network. 
- I bought more from another drugstore. 
- It is not showing on your credit card. 
- I paid in cash. 
- But you did not withdraw that much cash according to your bank statement.
 - I have other sources of cash. 
- This is not showing on your last Income-Tax return, unless you got it from an undeclared source. 
- WHAT THE HELL? Enough! I'm sick of Google, Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp. I'm going to an Island without Wi-Fi or internet. Where there are no cell phones or satellites to spy on me. 
- I understand sir, but first you need to renew your passport, as it has expired 5 weeks ago!
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Springfield

Springfield

Posted
Posted
44 minutes ago, No Excuses said:

 

I wish they had outed him in the original article. 

 

Every keyboard Nazi who uses the cover of online anonymity should fear doxxing.

 

Meh.  I think it's more professional this way.  I DON'T think that it's extortion.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
BornaSkinsFan83

BornaSkinsFan83

Posted
Posted

Ftr i never said no anonymity at all. Absolutes are for assholes and idiots. Of course private correspondence is private correspondence. And if you want to download porn, what the ****, who's actually posting comments on pornhub? Stream that **** and get your nut off all you want. I'm talking simple social media.

 

Whenever I talk to people about the topic, I always like to ask them to imagine being an 11 year old Black child or Muslim or Jewish or Hispanic like my little brother or hell your beautiful little wasp baby. Imagine going on a YouTube video and scrolling down to the comments. How being inundated with that **** over and over again is contributing to these kids' upbringing.

 

There's no where to hide from it. The internet is an absolute cesspool. And we're just starting to see the consequences with the rise of the Neo-Nazi alt right (which was birthed by online troll culture). And you better ****ing believe it's only going to get worse. 

 

Our current system is broken. Something has to change. Online Wild West needs to end. Posting on social media is a real world action and there needs to be some kind of real world consequences. 

 

 

Sidenote, none of this would be a problem if Twitter and Facebook and the like had actual standards and were being moderated, ala ES (as anal and petty as some of these...fine folks can be sometimes...jk..cough). 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Dont Taze Me Bro

Dont Taze Me Bro

Posted
Posted
8 minutes ago, BornaSkinsFan83 said:

Our current system is broken. Something has to change. Online Wild West needs to end. Posting on social media is a real world action and there needs to be some kind of real world consequences. 

 

Sidenote, none of this would be a problem if Twitter and Facebook and the like had actual standards and were being moderated, ala ES (as anal and petty as some of these...fine folks can be sometimes...jk..cough). 

 

 

With all the crazy, sick people already out there, I definitely think one should have the choice to be anonymous on the majority of social media that allows it.  But you are right, it's a giant problem now and it will only get worse.  I also agree that the platforms should be heavily moderated to help cut back on threats, cyberbullying, etc.  

 

And through Twitter, Facebook, etc. it shouldn't be a reactive response, it should be proactive with moderators deleting posts, editing them, temp banning accounts, etc.  Though I wonder how much that would cost and if it's even possible?  This article lists total number of users (older stats from 2015-16):  http://www.adweek.com/digital/heres-how-many-people-are-on-facebook-instagram-twitter-other-big-social-networks/

 

Facebook is at 1.5 billion (I'm sure a lot more now), Twitter was at 320 million users.   That is a lot of material/posts/tweets/etc. to moderate, much less at the level ES moderates.  But something needs to be done.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Busch1724

Busch1724

Posted
Posted

I certainly can see pros and cons for it. Years ago, I also felt there were pros and cons and would have leaned to anonymity. In light of recent events like CNN, impact bullying on social media on children, the election of Trump and the actions of the alt-right and extreme progressives on the left, etc.; I am leaning towards no anonymity online. My thoughts on the subject are much more nuanced that what I can communicate here, but I do feel times have certainly changed online, not for the better. I wonder if there is some kind of balance.

 

I will say though, that in general, as a society we are often quick to give up freedoms in order to give ourselves the feeling of perceived protection. Now I will admit this is a  false equivalency, but after 9/11, many people were OK when the Patriot Act was passed because they felt they had nothing to hide. I sense many people giving up the feeling of privacy/protection online would feel the same way. What are the negatives to doing so? We find out many of these things in hindsight. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
codeorama

codeorama

Posted
  • Author
Posted

For me personally, everything changed when I became a teacher. I'm much more responsible about what I post. I'm careful, I act as if I'm being watched.

 

I do have 2 twitter accounts, one with my real name that I really only use to post vanilla stuff. The other is mostly for video gaming. Even on that one, I don't post anything controversial. 

 

I guess for me, it's an issue that needs to be looked at. If no one was anonymous, there would be fewer issues and racism, bullying etc... because I hate to say it but people in general suck. It seems as if most people don't really care about other people and how words could affect them. 

 

Its kind of like government. On one hand, you really wish we could have a small government that leaves us alike, but on the other, you can't trust people to do the right thing. 

 

Tough issue. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
No Excuses

No Excuses

Posted
Posted

When I first signed up for facebook, I had to use a .edu email address to be approved. 

 

I get that social media companies have drastically changed as a platform since then, but the issue of bots and fake accounts isn't really that challenging.

 

Twitter especially is reluctant to get rid of bots because I think they inflate the real usage of the platform vs what it actually is. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...