Or, what I think about it. - Anthony Citrano

I would rather everyone be anonymous than no one. - jeneane sessum

Gerard: as I said in the other thread this would be impossible to enforce so I wouldn't worry about it too much. - Robert Scoble

I commented on your blog: I think anonymity is both a horrible thing and a great tool, it depends on how it's used. In some countries complete anonymity is needed, otherwise they would be put to death or jail. I find its far more respectable when someone puts a real name and face to their opinion, though it isnt always needed. - Colby Olson

Robert: I just think it's interesting that you want to abolish anonymity, that in itself is an odd thing to say, I suppose. Perhaps you could explain your reasoning? - Colby Olson

Robert I think we all realize it would not be enforceable but what I'm going after is the idea behind it - that *were it enforceable*, it would be a good thing. To me, the underlying idea that anonymous speech is a bad thing and should be eliminated is rather authoritarian and terrifying. - Anthony Citrano

Colby: everything that I have seen negative on the Internet is due to anonymity. Can you link to one positive thing? Mini Microsoft but even that would be much better if the guy who wrote it would sign his name. - Robert Scoble

Anthony: well, I don't see it as a good thing. I have freedom of speech already and would die to defend that. Anonymity is for cowards. - Robert Scoble

Robert, speaking out on the internet against oppressive governments is not a bad thing. And as I have stated previously, many revolutions start in anonymity. Again, rules of absolutism don't allow for both sides. Anonymity is a tool and it can be used for good and bad. - Tim Finucane

Kind of a night of drastic comments from the Scobleizer, huh?? Everything negative on the internet is due to anonymity. Yikes thats a whole new round of overstatement. I love following you Robert and agree way more often than not but that's silly. - Cody Heitschmidt

tim: what revolution started with anonymity? Certainly NOT the American one. - Robert Scoble

It most definitely did start with secret meetings. The crown didn't know identities until after things got under way. - Tim Finucane

Robert: You just spawned numerous blog posts and threads with that one. I agree with you up to a point. One of the two that I have blocked on FF was determined to be a troll and supposedly anon. However, there are many countries that speaking up and signing on the dotted line will get both your head and hand chopped off. - Mathew A. Koeneker

Cody is right. I did overstate that and I am sorry about that. - Robert Scoble

The Internet is and should be about choice. You should be able to choose your level of anonymity. It is not one shoe fits all. - Jauder Ho

Robert... i would follow you into the fire.. and here is why we all follow you: Your are passionate. Sometimes it gets in your way because you overstate things but then you admit you are wrong. A guy with 30,000 followers could be big headed enough not to admit something he said wasn't quite right. It's cool that a little guy in Ks can make a contrary statement at you and not just get blocked and you roll over him. Now admit you were wrong on the rule against anonymity too. lol just kidding. - Cody Heitschmidt

Robert -- There is legitimate reason for anon speech, especially on the internet. What I think you really want is a "Personal Global Internet Filter" that allows the removal of the ugliest side-effects. Even looking to the American revolution, pen names and aliases were used countless times by the likes of Thomas Jefferson, et al. There is a legitimate purpose to it... the statement that no revolution was started by anonymous is a bit of a stretch. - Mark Philpot

There are a ton of reasons for a person to use a pseudonym on the internet. Especially when you look at people in other countries who can only speak by being "nameless". I even have reasons for using a name that isn't my real name. - Candace

Don't admit you were wrong on the rule unless you believe it... until you believe ! hehe lol Great freaking discussion who started this whole mess with the rule comment? - Cody Heitschmidt

I believe it was started by Robert's response to Laura Fitton's question: "What one "rule" would you make about the Internet?" - Tim Finucane

i'm sorry he's wrong or right depending i've been batting this question lately and i use the internet not to shield who i am but to get people to talk to me who wouldn't do to disability. and if i ever meet any net folks in RL my hope is that they will be over it quicker due to knowing I'm capable and cool to begin with - Cecil Sandus

To all those under pseudonyms: Why? Are you truly in fear of reprisal? @Dtrizzle a link to your blog profile quickly reveals you. @Corvida do you have a reason? - Mathew A. Koeneker

@Robert Scoble (scobleizer): What's so negative about my blog? Well, other than the fact that I don't apply myself. Sorry, there've been too many firings and too many "we won't hire you" situations because of uptight control freaks in power who can't stand employees who have their own minds. Anyone who really desires it can find out who MiniMage is, but I feel the better for not broadcasting my real name, and so do my parents. - MiniMage TKDteacher of FF from NoiseRiver

well said Mage - Cecil Sandus

One rule for the internet is that all data is equal. The second rule is that there are no other rules. I think Scoble's idea of not anonymity is becoming more a reality with people's lives becoming intertwined with their online identity. I would like to preserve anonymity for whistle blowers, etc. Anonymity is a tool that can be used or abused. - Erik Weese

Pseudonyms mean nothing. People do find out who you are. I spent two days in a courtroom reading my blog entries aloud that were posted under a pseudonym. If you don't want people to read what you write, buy a pen and a blank journal and stick it under your mattress. - Trish R

MiniMage many many more people have been hired for their blogs than fired for them and I can't think of an instance where someone who was fired wasn't behaving stupidly. We have a whole chapter in our book about that. - Robert Scoble

yes Dtrizzle that makes sense to me and Trish as for your idea it's an oldie but a goodie... - Cecil Sandus

corvida isn't anonymous. I have talked with her on the phone. Minimicrosoft is pretty anonymous but I know at least one person who knows who he is. - Robert Scoble

Dtrizzle - The bit on your educational background while perfect for a resume can provide an easy way to start skip-tracing you. Not that I am. Just one of the little tricks I learned where tech meets accounting. - Mathew A. Koeneker

it is amazing the conversations that can start with a simple word or two. I am at a wedding with people who have left Iran to get the freedom of speech so understand well the problems with using your real name. One guy here was in Iranian prisons for years. He is not afraid to stand up in public against injustice. - Robert Scoble

@Robert Scoble (scobleizer): Do you remember the Chronicle of Higher Education article where someone talked about being on an interview committee? These EDUCATED folks attitudes were explained thus, "Several committee members expressed concern that a blogger who joined our staff might air departmental dirty laundry (real or imagined) on the cyber clothesline for the world to see. Past good behavior is no guarantee against future lapses of professional decorum." http://chronicle.com/jobs... Maybe you have it better than you think? I've been fussed at for posting to my department's dadgummed listserv! - MiniMage TKDteacher of FF from NoiseRiver

Scoble I think he was referring to the fact that I don't use my real name online at all. As for the person who asked why, because I don't want people Googling me. I like to keep my personal life separate from my online life. Same person, different interactions and I don't want them overlapping in any way, shape, or form. - Corvida

@Corvida - Why keep yourself so fragmented? Then you have to remember who you with whom. I am with Robert for the most part on this one. You instantly gain more respect from me if your are proud enough of your name to attribute ALL of your actions whether in the VW or RW to it. You are an American are you not? Unless, you have a TS like my folks then who or what are you hiding from. Telling me that it is just a personal choice is a cop out. @Dtrizzle gives some valid rationale for his decision. - Mathew A. Koeneker

There are certain place on the net that you NEED anonymity !! Take a look at some Forums that ONLY focus on vulnerability disclosures. Each and every one of them is only known by a handle. Chances that you actually associate a handle w/ real name /face is near impossible. - Peter Dawson

I could argue the same. Most in my situation do take that approach. My disease is just that a disease. It is what it is. Like I commented earlier there can be valid reasons; I just wanted to hear Corvida's rationale both from a personal interest as she is just another human being as well as from the pov of the well known blogger. - Mathew A. Koeneker

Interesting convo. I actually talked to Mark Hopkins about this. He brought his anon handle into his identity. I've kept mine apart. I don't agree with no one being anonymous; I happily existed online for years and can still write about personal issues and my children without compromising their (or my) privacy. - Cyndy

I vote for anonymity. If you are anonymous and threatening though, realize that I also support using every tracking method possible to make a community safer. People can not yell "FIRE" in a crowded room. I can not call my neighbor a "RAPIST" just because I feel like it. Regulated Free Speech is ok. Unregulated free speech is not, just as I can not go around town physically hitting anyone I want to ("Freedom of Action"). - Mitchell Tsai

The vast majority of my college friends (Harvard 1982-89, age 40-50) are still petrified of Facebook due to Corvida's concerns - and I have mostly techy friends. There are discussions on our alumni boards (on & off Facebook) about all the potential career dangers. About 30-40% of my college friends are on LinkedIn because they understand resumes & how you can control the presentation of your resume. Google (and Archive.org, Twitter, and any future databases) are ammmmaaaazingly powerful resources. I tried to keep a low internet profile from 1996-2007 for just this reason. - Mitchell Tsai

P.S. I've spoken with Corvida on the phone also. We were going to visit Georgia Tech together, but plans didn't work out (and my college friend who's a professor there turned out to be out-of-town also). Bummer. - Mitchell Tsai

Assume ANYTHING you e-mail, post on the Internet, or say on a phone is recorded somewhere and scanned for verbal/textual keywords. My first company is now partially owned by the C... and we process information to find ter...... Over 10 years ago (1992-98), I attended academic data-mining conferences where people from the phone company presented the algorithms they were using to scan 100s of millions of phone calls at once. Back in the pre-Google pre-Facebook days that was a lot of data, very fast, and it was a massive database challenge when 1 TB cost > $10 million. - Mitchell Tsai

“regulated free speech”, Mitchell? Can you be serious? - Anthony Citrano

Yep. - Mitchell Tsai

well i think the concept is absurd, myself. but i'm out. also, why post 5-6 messages in a row instead of 1? it's messy and inelegant. - Anthony Citrano

Paragraph marks in a comment would work too. I don't like how everything runs together in one comment... - Mitchell Tsai

@Robert people tend to act differently online than they do in real-life, anonymous or not. They perceive a disconnect between their online profile and life. Makes people be more direct, confrontational, and sometimes hostile. They don't feel bound by the same social rules (have respect for each other). - Alexander van Elsas

I can fully understand that some wish to be anonymous on the web. But thinking that the things you do online are disconnected from your offline life is stupid. I am not anonymous online and I am aware that my interactions are always visible. - Alexander van Elsas

Resurrected because of this: http://friendfeed.com/rww... - Anthony Citrano

I'll just add here that I don't agree that we should chop off our whole arm but if someone can point the finger and label me negatively knowing full well that I am public and not hiding behind a fake avatar, I should be able to see who is doing the labeling and so should the community since the insult was brought to the community's attention by the hiding labeler/harasser. We should take anonymity away from those who abuse it while hurting others online or in communites. Obviously some don't feel bound to any social rules and so they abuse the TOS and get off on it. Some of you may remember a time when Imus got on his high horse and insulted a whole race of women basketball players by calling them "Nappy Headed Hoes". The good news was he was a public figure and he wasn't hiding behind a computer so he was dealt with quickly. Once the damage is done it is hurtful and damaging to the person/s and the communities and hell yes something should be done about it. These networks should act accordingly, not only when it hurts them, their ratings and their networks. If they were truly concerned about the harassment of their members they would act and expose this creep without needing a court order my ass. It's these very networks who harbor these assholes while pissing on your leg and telling you it's raining. - Jeunelle Foster

Even aside from my opinion that the Imus thing was a bunch of BS from a clueless Outrage Nation, I disagree that providers ought strip away anonymity every time someone's feelings get hurt. - Anthony Citrano

My rule would be no obnoxious bloggers. - Cristo

There are good (edit: adequate) legal processes for handling truly abusive cases. - LogEx

This is a long thread and I may have missed it in a later response, but what about people finding you in person through the internet? I play WoW and my guild leader was stalked by someone who knew only her first name, state, and profession. He called her and flew to her area to find her. This is just a simple case of a nut job, but the internet is full of them. When you bring other countries, with less freedom into the mix things just get messier. - Heather

The thing is, he never defined his terms either. Is creating a bogus account and logging in through a proxy for a one-time flame the same as using a long-term pseudonym for mostly constructive purposes? I think not. There are so many good and valid reasons for not living completely transparently. - LogEx

@Anthony it's your opinion that you found the Imus thing BS and I'm not talking about when people's feelings get hurt, I disagree in cases where someone can get physically hurt, here is an example. Blogcatalog was in heat a few months ago when some of these members who I see as negative while hiding behind fake persona, fake avatars, hiding their Ip addresses and whois information took it upon themselves to harass, threaten and expose another member who they clearly disliked by arguing with her in every discussion she entered but took it even further by exposing her street address, telephone number and email address of the person who they hated in a heated public discussion. This action resulted in vicious hate mail, threatening telephone calls and physical threats that were made to her, her family and her two young children. It was later brought to the attention of the Owners of Blogcatalog and they then made revisions to their TOS that specifically made it clear that this form of harassment will not be tolerated and that any BC member who participates in this form of online harassment will loose their BC account and be kicked out. The person who was harassed and threatened is working closely with the law to protect her family and children and she is no longer a member of BlogCatalog. The laws will be changed in the future and yau'll better get ready for it. - Jeunelle Foster

WOW. I was trying to figure out why I had this pop up from a year ago. I still pretty much side with The Scoblezier with a few exceptions. If you are blogging, chatting, or even surfing on-line....odds are pretty good that a determined individual or govt entity can find you out. You may think that you are "anon" but in reality you are not at all. Plus, I have a lot less respect for folks esp in this country that are unwillling to put their real names in their posts. - Mathew A. Koeneker

I didn't feel like cutting and pasting so sorry. But if you think that your on-life persona is somehow sacred and secure from your real life identity then you have some harsh realities to wake up to. This is the information age people. - Mathew A. Koeneker