So... basically the same risks you face each time you use your name in real life?



I agree that people should be able to speak freely and without censorship but I don't think they should be able to do it anonymously.



EDIT: also, and this is for all of you in this thread, before someone starts complaining about my attitude ; Don't take what I say personally, I'm not attacking you. I just enjoy a good debate and I like to challenge people to stand up for what they believe in. If you do that (stand up and defend your beliefs and opinions), then +respect for you. ^_^

Everyone here hit the nail right on the head. Seriously, if you think about it for more than two seconds you'd realize that the risks outwiegh(sp?) the advantages a thousand to one.

Yes, except you can't know if you are talking to an ex-con, a pedophile, or a law-abiding citizen.
Edit: and there is no way to really protect yourself from such people.

It's not either Full anonymity or Complete lack of anonymity. No, extremes are never good, there is always a middle road which can be taken.

In this case it would probably be that a real identity was required to sign up for web services for security and legal reasons but it would not be revealed to anyone unless there is an issue. Such as if someone was spreading illegal material on a board (copyrighted material, pormography on a board for underage people), then it would be possible to take legal actions against that person.

It's not perfect, but it's (in my opinion) much better than either full anonymity or complete lack of anonymity. This would also be good in the fight against piracy and child pormography.

The ones pushing for a lack of privacy are amongst the first abusers of that lack. from personalized marketing to your house(facebook boys big money reason, politeness is a lie) to the governments wanting to easily know who says what(for your safety of course). no matter what when someone says something like this is needed for your own good. they really mean for THEIR own good.

Are you aruing for or against anonymity ?



*becomes creeped out and paranoid* She had a link to facebook or something right ? If not damn I need to be more paranoid about posting.


Not you. I am talking about punishment because if I act out of line, then the mods can ban me. Same goes for other forums. Punishment = consequence of my actions.

Ah, my apologies then. It's getting a bit late here in Iceland and it's difficult to read AND understand what people are posting here when you're half-asleep.

That could be a good idea, but you have to remember that if a site were hacked then it could very possible be leaked. For example, if this forum did that, and got hacked, then your personal info could be leaked to the real world. Now, with it as it is at the moment, no personal info has to be shared unless you want to share it. While I agree that it may cut down on piracy and child pormography, a good set of rules does the same.

People have used Facebook and the like to actually stalk individuals they find attractive, to prey on people posting they are on vacation, and rob their homes, get pissed at them and assault them.
We bear the responsibility and make the descision for what, how,and where we release personal information.
There is a difference between sharing between close personal friends, and the entire world. People cannot be trusted.
Which is why online vendors ask you to create accounts, make passwords, transactions are encrypted, etc. Personal security.

My website is linked on my profile, and its url is my first name and the first letter of my last name. I'm guessing thats how he found me. However, I also use the same email for my facebook as I do for the forum, so I guess you could find me on the friend finder. My facebook page has no personal info to track me by, though.

yes but if someone hacks a forum you visit and steals all the user information, what would he do with it? Most hackers today just sell the info to advertising companies.

Your identity wouldn't be revealed to the whole world, even if the hackers would post it online, no one would bother linking real names with usernames on forums. :shrug:


You are absolutely correct, but I still think that full anonymity online is too dangerous. Which is why I wrote that bit above about taking the middle road ^

No problem. Its getting late here in the UK too.


Couldnt you be screwed with FB anyway ? All it would take is one friend "I hope they are happy on holiday, wish I was in spain for 2 weeks" or some other stupid [censored].


Oh thats less creepy. And now the entire forum knows

Against. That Zuckerwhoever, is an idiot.

People are just scared that they would have a name behind their posts.

I don't care to be honest. If there is an end to anonymity, so be it. If not, so be it.

Fraud will happen either way. It may actually make some internet communities more under control if there were no anonymity.

He could put it online where people who you've insulted online would be able to track you down. For example, if someone were to call someone else a [censored] [censored] [censored], and that person were personally offended, they could use the info leaked by the hacker to track the person who made them mad.

I must've misunderstood you; I thought you said that you would have to give your info to the forums you were signing up on, so you would be linking personal info to your username. Did I read that correctly, or did I fail at comprehension?

That is correct, but the info would be encrypted and only available to admins.

I'm already friends on facebook with a bunch of people I know only online - so far I've not been stalked, raep'd, or had my identity stolen

Or maybe the stalker is just that skilled you havent noticed them You know, like the difference between a good ninja and a bad one.

Unless a group like LulzSec gets ahold of said info, then you're just screwed. Making it even easier for people like that is just asking for trouble.

Well if a website is hacked and brought down then the hackers would probably be able to get personal info of all of the users if they so choose, and odds are they would. I mean, lulzsec put out all of the passwords and usernames, they (and other hackers) would have a ball if you had to put in personal info in to sign up on a website what they hacked.
Edit: Ninja'd by Riverstyx.

TOR is the Internet, it's nothing more than routing your requests in a way that cannot be traced back to you. So long as TOR exists, anonymity can. So if you are in favor of ending anonymity TOR can no longer exist. (not meaning to make this a slippery slope, but this does naturally follow) Without services like TOR, then people will die or be harmed for their beliefs or lifestyle. Twitter was used to anonymously coordinate attacks in Libya. On the lesser side: ideas can be scoffed because of their source, hurting free trade of information. Without anonymity, a lot of what makes the Internet great goes away.


Yup, instead of those crimes taking place on the Internet, people will just look up where you really live and do them in person (which already happens, but to a much lesser degree). Not to mention how much easier it'll make going from a cyberstalker to a real-life stalker.


Not everywhere (job-related stuff, e-commerce, etc), but the story in the OP is about complete obliteration of anonymity. Some places need to be 100% anonymous. Not to mention when some places aren't anonymous, it could lead to dire consequences. Say I have some fetish or something. If there was no anonymity, then I could lose my job because of my lifestyle. Obviously no one is stupid enough to link their real identity to their fetishes, but we see lifestyle choices having a direct impact on people due to using their real identity online in Facebook all the time. Can you even count the number of people that have lost their jobs because of Facebook anymore? Is there any way to even begin to calculate how many people DIDN'T get a job or premotion because of Facebook?


If you were anonymous as well then they wouldn't be able to spread rumors about you


Doesn't even have to do with being a dike all the time. It can be sixual assult because you posted "hot pics", stalking (not necessarily physical), or maybe they don't like the idea of doing something or another, especially in their state/county.

yeah what I was trying to say was that I know what TOR is and I also know that TOR is pretty much irrelevant in this discussion because you can't really do anything about anonymity on TOR. Actually you can't really do anything about anything on TOR, it's pretty much above all forms of restrictions and laws

No, no they dont. I have been to that site twice. At first I thought it was jsut trolls arguing with eachother, but then I saw things I didnt want to see, ever. If that person wasnt anonymous I garuntee that [censored] wouldnt happen.

So no, places should never be 100% anonymous ever, it will just end up with [censored] up [censored] that people should be shot for posting, and them only posting ebcuase they are anonymous.
I disagree completely with you on that. Your anonoymous now. Thats enough, no more, no less.

You have a point, I do hate it when I get sixually assaulted by a bunch of random chicks after I post hot pictures of me on Facebook. :nope:

Implying men don't find you equally irresistible.