Why I post anonymously

[Kross]

Given the overwrought comments currently being made in another thread about anonymous posting, I thought I would start a new thread on this point.

I post anonymously for two related reasons. First, one of the more disturbing features of the Internet is the information that everyone can obtain on everyone else. Anything posted on Q23 is potentially maintained in digital form indefinitely and can be viewed by others indefinitely. For example, as an experiment, I put the names Tom Chick and Mark Asher into Google. The very first reference on the Google list for Tom was from Q23; the Q23 Google placement for Mark's name was no. 8. I also randomly selected Desslock's, Supertanker's, and Wumpus's names and found references to their names on Google that connected them to Q23. While the ready availability of information on the Internet is amazingly empowering, I don't like the lessening of privacy that is the Internet's inherent drawback. I wouldn't mind if the two hundred plus registered users on this board knew who I was. Allowing just anybody to put my name into Google and potentially find out that I post on a game-related board, however, is a choice I choose not to make. I value my privacy to this extent.

Second, searches on Google and other public information sources are becoming a standard resource for employers or other business persons when they decide whether to hire someone or enter into a business venture with that person. I am not looking for work, but, if I were, and given my profession, my potential employer might look askance at me if a simple Google search would reveal that I post on a game board. For similar reason, potential clients might decide they don't want to hire me. While I could wish that gaming was a more socially acceptable pasttime in certain circles, the truth is that it isn't, at least not yet

Many or most of the posters on this board, of course, work in the gaming industry in one way or another, and these persons have less reason to keep their identity secret. Freelance gaming journalists actually have an economic incentive to have their name known on this board. Those of us who don't have gaming related jobs, however, need to think twice before they willingly place their name in the public domain as a game player.

I recognize the problems with anonymous posting. Concededly, it does increase the incidence of the vitriolic calumny that has been pervasive on the internet during the past decade or so. People are somewhat less likely to be a jerk if they are using their real names. Also, the value of a post depends in part on what the reader knows about the writer. A short comment from Tom Chick means more than a short comment from an anonymous guest, because Tom's comment can be placed in the context of the reader's other knowledge about him. Both of these drawbacks to anonymous posting, however, are partly alleviated when the poster uses a consistent handle. In any event, although these drawbacks are significant, they are not enough for me at least to outweigh the reasons for remaining incognito.

[Murph]

So post with a consistent handle.

When Wumpus and Supertanker go to take a job, neither "Wumpus" nor "Supertanker" will be looking for the job, but rather, their respective "real-life" names. (Just the same, "Murph" does not appear anywhere on my resume, though I don't choose to hide my name, either. But, doing a google search on "Michael Murphy" will turn up several thousand references, few, if any, of which are actually me.)

Using a consistent handle, though, still lends credibility. For example, we already know what to expect when we see a post by "Wumpus" or "Met_k." :-)

[Supertanker]

I agree with Murph on using a consistent handle. It is basically a courtesy to the reader.

It isn't hard to come up with my real name in connection with my handle, since sometimes I use both at the same time & I have used this handle since 1985. If you google "supertanker quarter to three" it gives it on the first hit! I just try not to post anything too embarassing, regardless of how I sign it.

I give a speech to an attorneys group every couple of years on how to use the electronic resources available to the group. I have a part entitled "The Internet is Forever" and use Google Groups to pull some old Usenet postings of mine - mostly recipes. The fact those things are still around after almost ten years always draws some "surprised crowd" noises.

Oh, and I always do some Google searches on people that I interview. I've found some interesting stuff, but you can't always be sure it is true or actually the person you are checking on - there are a lot of duplicate names in a nation of 300 million people.

[Met_K]

Using a consistent handle, though, still lends credibility. For example, we already know what to expect when we see a post by "Wumpus" or "Met_k." :-)

Hey! Just because I'm a troll on the board doesn't mean I'm a troll elsewhere.

But, yes, you do know what to expect when you see my name on the board. And on most boards. Only place I'm actually "real" is in a real-time chat or, well, a real-time chat. I hate message boards, so might as well fuck them up before they bomb and usenet comes back.

[wumpus]

Concededly, it does increase the incidence of the vitriolic calumny that has been pervasive on the internet during the past decade or so

Worst. Sentence. Ever.

Bonus points for making up a new word, though.

[Kalle]

I decided to do a google search of my last name on Usenet. All I can say is damn! I found messages from when I was fourteen. Not something I'd want to share with a prospective employer

[Dave Long]

Get yourself a super-common name like Dave Long and you'll never have a problem!

--Dave

[DennyA]

Concededly, it does increase the incidence of the vitriolic calumny that has been pervasive on the internet during the past decade or so.

Your anonymity was safe until this sentence, Mr. Johnny Wilson. :-)

[Dirt]

I post anonymously because I forget to log in.

[Alan Dunkin]

Yeah I have some decidedly weird stuff attached to my name that when I look back on wasn't really the greatest, but oh well.

Didn't know that QT3 message board items show up on Google though, it kinda depends on the message board technology and Google's meta-search/page-weighing scheme I think.

--- Alan

[Kool Moe Dee]

This isn't posting anonymously, it's posting pseudonymously. :P

And yeah, I pretty much agree with most of the reasons that have been posted so far. I prefer that people be able to associate my postings with one another, rather than me just sniping from the peanut gallery...

[voltaic]

Concededly, it does increase the incidence of the vitriolic calumny that has been pervasive on the internet during the past decade or so

Worst. Sentence. Ever.

Bonus points for making up a new word, though.

All the words in that sentence show up on dictionary.com and in my Oxford Unabridged. Which one is new?

[Murph]

It's probably the first word he didn't recognize; Wumpus has never conceded anything. ;)

[Matthew Gallant]

This isn't posting anonymously, it's posting pseudonymously.

You aren't Kool Moe Dee? Crap. Are you at least wearing old people sunglasses?

[Anonymous]

I... use Google Groups to pull some old Usenet postings of mine - mostly recipes.

Now that IS embarrassing!

[Derek Smart [3000AD]]

....he, then whatever you do, do NOT put in "Derek+Smart" into Google :D

[Aszurom]

Derek, other than Bill Gates, I think you're the only person I know of that had an entire usenet group devoted to flaming you.

We should collaborate to write a book about you. Title "Supreme Commander - One man, and the story of how he survived pursuing his lifelong ambition to father a universe."

[Kool Moe Dee]

This isn't posting anonymously, it's posting pseudonymously.

You aren't Kool Moe Dee? Crap. Are you at least wearing old people sunglasses?

Nope. But hey, if you want to pretend I'm a celebrity, pretend I'm Robin Williams...you know, he's got that whole gamer thing going on...

[Sparky]

Nope. But hey, if you want to pretend I'm a celebrity, pretend I'm Robin Williams.

Oh no...all that hair will clog the Qt3 pool filters.

[Mark Asher]

It takes a village to raise a child, but it only takes a village idiot to wreck a forum.

That's a general response to Ben. I don't find the initial post in this thread offensive. I suspect it's another urban myth, however.

[Derek Smart [3000AD]]

...and this (posting by ErrorS at bottom of page) is why anon postings end up ruining discussion forums. I suspect that he's just an alias for the poster I was responding to, a few posts before. The only way to know that is to do an IP trace. Unfortunately, only the admins can check this since the IP for anon posters is not visible. I'll bet dimes to donuts this anon poster is an alias for someone else here. At the very least.

[Jason McCullough]

I'm the number one match for my name! I rule!

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&i...son+McCullough

[Tom Chick]

...and this (posting by ErrorS at bottom of page) is why anon postings end up ruining discussion forums.

Derek,

Nonsense. He's not ruining the forum at all. I welcome your contribution here. But with all due respect, if you're going to leave because someone's posting anonymously, I'd rather that you left instead of us stopping anonymous posts. Ignore him and he'll go away.

Mark and I want to allow anonymous posts for anyone who'd like to make them. If you want to criticize a game, a developer, a publication, a writer, or whatever, feel free to do so. You can even be a jerk if you want, but I think most of us will ignore you. Which is what keeps the forum from being ruined in the end.

My only request is that anonymous posters at least register a psuedonym and stick to it.

-Tom

[asspennies]

I'll say right here my name is Greg Weiss and I live in Pittsburgh, PA, but I don't know exactly what good it will do. I've said it before in other places and I use "asspennies" all around the internet. It's not to common (came from an upright citizens brigade sketch) and is only a little off-color.

I agree that sticking to a pseudonym is just as good as giving out your real name. But think about this - people care about who Tom Chick is, about who Mark Asher is. No one cares about who Greg Weiss is. I'm not a big-time reviewer or magazine writer. So sticking with asspennies at least gives me some small sense of individuality.

[Mark Asher]

I've just always used my real name because I could never think of a 'nym that was interesting. Tom used to post on Usenet under some silly 'nym, Ichabod Kagass I think it was.

The key is to take one name and stick with it. It didn't matter to me that Ichabod Kagass was Tom Chick. I just knew that Ichabod Kagass was Ichabod Kagass.

[Kool Moe Dee]

I've just always used my real name because I could never think of a 'nym that was interesting. Tom used to post on Usenet under some silly 'nym, Ichabod Kagass I think it was.

You know, for you the obvious choice would be Masher. But that's just my opinion.

[Mark Asher]

I've tried Masher for game handles before and it's almost always taken. So is Smash, another nickname of mine within my extended family. Even Smashington is often taken. Therefore, MarkAsher is often a gaming handle of choice.

[Derek Smart [3000AD]]

...and this (posting by ErrorS at bottom of page) is why anon postings end up ruining discussion forums.

Derek,

Nonsense. He's not ruining the forum at all. I welcome your contribution here. But with all due respect, if you're going to leave because someone's posting anonymously, I'd rather that you left instead of us stopping anonymous posts.

Fair enough. I'll leave. Why? Because you clearly missed the point I was making. I wasn't whining about it nor was I asking you to do anything about it.

The point is, IF I engage, it only ends one way. And I'm not very well known for ignoring people who flat out make personal attacks for seemingly no reason at all. The result? Well, you should know by know. For that, I'd stick to the Usenet (where I haven't even posted in months).

Most of these n00bs posting anon have no frigging clue what the general premise of the forum is. And all it would have taken was a cautionary post about the board rules etc. If I wanted to post on a free-for-all board, there are thousands to choose from. I post here, frequently (compare my post count to every one here), for a specific reason.

And if you go back and look at the thread, you'd probably see the subsequent posts and the point I was making.

Since posters (anon or not) with a view to ruining the board by engaging myselt and others in wanton acts of personal attacks are more valuable than my contributions, fine, I'm gone. Its been fun. Be well.

[DennyA]

Derek,

Why not ignore the idiots? If you don't respond, they eventually just go away. Respond, and they feed off it.

[Mark Asher]

Derek has the opposite of attention deficit disorder when it comes to posts. :)

Derek, you've made some informative posts. I'll be sorry to see you leave if you choose to do so, but we're not going to get rid of anonymous posting.