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Politics : Sharks in the Septic Tank -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Lane3 who wrote (30893)	10/4/2001 4:22:27 PM
From: Neocon	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 82486

The situation is not analogous to meeting prospective in- laws. The situation is analogous to entering an unknown, somewhat disreputable part of the city. I would either not give my name, or would only give my first name, if I were uneasy in that case. I don't know who I will encounter on the threads, there is not even the degree of vetting one expects in meeting mutual acquaintances at a friend's house. Additionally, some of them are likely to be hackers, and the less they have to work with, the better. Anyway, in my case, my wife asked me to use an alias, and it seemed a reasonable request. Many of my pals, like JLA, Ish, and brees, know my identity, because we have e- mailed. If there were any reason, I would trust you enough, of course. But it is not for general publication........

To: Lane3 who wrote (30893)	10/4/2001 4:28:46 PM
From: cosmicforce	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 82486

<. If your daughter came home from college with a beaux who you discovered was using an alias> Or the beaux is in show business. That in of itself would be reason for concern. ;) I think there are new rules in cyberspace. I don't want it to become an extension of 3D. Why should it? If you want to authenticate someone's existence on the Internet, it is possible to do so with relatively high probability. You'd be foolish to engage in a contract with someone who goes by 'cosmicforce' on SI. If you found that you wanted to know who I was for some legitimate reason or engage in business transactions, I could document my true identity to your satisfaction and give you independent references in several states. I, however, feel that I'm free to say whatever comes to mind without too much fear of reprisal (direct or indirect) because I'm relatively anonymous. If I abused it, the FBI could track me down quickly. They know my IP address, my carrier and the mode of communication. I don't misuse my anonymity. If SI made me post my real name, I'd simply stop posting. That would be a loss of some ideas that, IMHO, might reduce the breadth of opinion here. I don't think there should be a presumption of wrong-doing just because someone doesn't want to broadcast their identity. I could imagine a 1000 reasons why you, Karen, may actually posting under an alias - in fact, I'd suggest that there are more reasons to be here as an alias than to be here as yourself. Would I think badly of you for it if at some later date that Karen Holt was someone you made up, or that the story of your on-screen moniker was pure BS? Or that of X, or Poet, or Solon, or Coug, Neo, ConstantReader, Choosie or any other figure here? Not one iota.

To: Lane3 who wrote (30893)	10/6/2001 5:42:00 AM
From: Solon	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 82486

The point is that people who use aliases are, all other things being equal, generally assumed to be less reputable than those who don't. For good reason I don't accept that rationale. I don't believe X, Poet, E, or CF to be less reputable than Kholt or CH or others. There is no way for anyone to know whether KH is a real name--and what if it was? How does the willingness to expose and forego ones privacy relate to how credible one is? An internet person is not trying to FOOL anyone through an alias--they are trying to exercise their constitutional rights alongside of their intelligence and their integrity...Their right to privacy. There is nothing disreputable about expressing caution, self-respect, and prudence.