Just reading through some CiF on the guardian website and started to think, if you had no choice but to use your real identity on the internet what would it look like?
I’m guessing CiF, some of the more heated posts on here and those dodgy adult themed websites (which someone told me about) would either cease to exist or have not many members. Mainly just thinking about forums such as this, I can also appreciate that anonymity is needed in some cases plus it also gives a great opportunity to vent.
Maybe I should just not read anything below the actual article on the Guardian website….

Comment is Free??

My name goes up there so does my email. The terms anonymity and internet don’t mix that well as most people can be traced straight back to their comments.

I think the internet would be a far better place if that where the case. My real name is part of my profile here and elsewhere. If people want to vent they should be prepared to do so under their real names, I am.

Just for comparison have a look at this forum.

Then go look at the comments on ST’s facebook posts.

The (anonymous) forum is much better mannered. And that’s before you get to facebook sites like Pro Kit W****** where blokes go to slag off other blokes choice of clothes.

As for “those dodgy adult themed websites”, I suspect that they’d just become less taboo. After all, you’ve pretty much admited to frequenting them in the OP, and I don’t think many blokes[i]people [/i]would deny using them.

This place before you could post un-anon was ace. 😀

Not bother me much if I had to use my real name, it is bikebouy BTW 😆

We all have a mental image of Hora and his liking to Benny Hill, we may point and laugh a bit at him for it but seems his personality isn’t too far away from the mental image binners puts up for him 😆

Most posts I comment on are aligned to folks I’d be happy to ride alongside, I think the personality comes through here well enough.

I don’t post on any other site, only Garmins Forum but thats for help.

Would use my real name no bother. My opinions are the same here as they are offline(I have them until someone changes my mind about them). I haven’t met anyone face to face here, but I have met loads from another forum, and generally, I find people to be much the same.

Nobody’d have any problems finding out who I am anyway. I don’t think it’s the illusion of anonymity- I think it’s the genuine distance between people and the poisonous idea that the internet isn’t “real”. So people are happy to say things that they’d never say in person. Not from fear of retribution, just because you wouldn’t be able to avoid the fact that you’re acting like a ****.

I’m usually less tolerant of idiot postings on Fb than on here, especially when it involves stuff like ‘chemtrails’ and ‘HAARP’ on certain cloud appreciation pages.
Possibly because the great majority of people on here are far too intelligent to spout such rubbish.

I post as me, if you have to make a point online behind a persona or behave in a manner differnt to how you would be talking to someone face to face then you really should question your own inner self as you may have a few issues. Easy enough for folks to find who I am, hell a lot know me and ride with me in the real world. I think those that think its just the tinterweb it and can post any old thing with impunity again need to look to themselves, all communication has the ability to elicit an emotional response from a reader, I’m sure we are all guilty of being mischievous munchkins at times for a bit of a wind up, but some folks do truly seem to strive to be as vile as possible to everyone they can. Its also worth noting that a few years ago when I having a very rough time I received an email from the hora chap (he had tracked my email down) to offer an impartial ear and to make sure I wasn’t about to do anything foolish and of a permanent nature. So from that alone I would say that, for me the Internet, or at least the very little bit of it I inhabit is full of strange people with different opinions, but the whole its still full of humanity, so I dont think it would be that different at all to answer the ops question

Whilst I use a pseudonym, I always assume that anything I post in public, well, represents me in public. Anything I wouldn’t want ‘leaking’ doesn’t get posted. One day my mum might read this, or a future employer.

+1, pretty sure that it isn’t difficult to trace me from this username either. I use it for just about everything (except where it’s already taken dammit)!

id probably call people bawbags less frequently

Same as Couger.

I have come close to typing hairyscary in various name boxes though. Maybe I will become hairyscary over time and not Matt Smith!

“The internet isn’t real”

Sadly a true concept for many. Just broken off all contact with a friend of over 20yrs because she made some unacceptable comments about me on FB that, had it been said to my face would have earned her a pint over the head.

had it been said to my face would have earned her a pint over the head.

You would really pour a pint on somebody or is this just your internet persona talking from behind the safety of their keyboard.

like Facebook. and there are some enormously heated ‘debates’ in the comments there, you see people firing off at full tilt under theiir real names, racism, homophobia, sexism, verbal abuse, cruelty, etc etc..people stand with pride behind pretty much anything. They will defend the indefensible.

Bit like the real world. People were more polite, considerate and respectful when everyone carried a sword.

CiF seems to be full of complete nutters, every thread descends into a completely polarised argument. The mobile phone ones are the best. If it’s an article about Apple the same 20 people post that the Guardian is paid by Apple to promote their products and vice-versa if it’s an Android / Samsung article. Quite funny in a rather sad sort of way.