I have found an article today about how before internet, if you were to comment on some article in printed newspaper, you were asked to prove your identity and address to this particulate newspaper redaction before publishing.
The reasoning for that was the fact that the newspaper was responsible for any information (or disinformation) published in it, including readers comments or opinions (which were treated as such ), and could and would stand before Court for any disinformation or slander.
I also learn that the right for free speech comes only together with the name and identity, to express your opinions you have to be a person.
Well it makes sense to me, there is no responsibility taken (donāt get me wrong, you might feel responsible, but it is just not the same as real responsibility taken) in anonymous comments and opinions.
But still, comment sections and forums influence, let as say, global consciousness; it is enormous task that was historically done by people with names, and is now put at the disposal of ā¦ i donāt know, subconscious āghostsā that live in all of us.
It is now similar to talking in your head to your self, you can say what ever you feel you wanna say in that particular moment, but this time you are actually shaping the realty.
I donāt know, it is hard to describe the horror i see in it, and possible consequences.
People have been exercising their right to anonymous/pseudonymous free speech for hundreds of years thanks to affordable access to the printing press.
This phenomenon predates the internet.
This is the supposed opinion of the writer you read. This is not how many philosophers and thinkers would frame this idea. You donāt gain freedom by giving up some other freedom or using your identity as collateral; inalienable rights are not granted by another man or a governing body, etc.
Much of what you just wrote sounds like a classic dystopian novel.
I donāt know, i think it is related to public media, not personal agenda. You can wright books and what not and be anonymous.
Actually, the article was related to on-line newspaper comment sections, not forums or youtube comment sections.
I was just wondering after that if people would debate differently on forums under their real names.
A huge part of using the internet is learning the ability to filter out bullshit, I like to think most of us are significantly smarter for having unlimited access to information in our pocket because weāve grown up with it and can filter out the bullshit. Nan on the other hand canāt use the computer without breaking it. The people who are unable to filter out bullshit get removed from the system pretty quickly, the rest of us undoubtedly take in some amount of bias or lies as truth but nonetheless are much better off due to the sheer volume of information we consume. Itās up to you to figure out what to listen to
Plus if you get your news from newspapers thatās way more likely to be biased than an anonymous forum online, regardless any type of media large enough will be paid to form a narrative and people are easily led, everybodyās got an agenda. You can listen to peopleās opinions but again, itās on you to form your own
i really feel like the age of anonymity online was much more so pre-facebook. facebook really ushered in this era of sort of, an online identity linked to your real identity. i think that is an internet most people are familiar with. in any case the prompt for a āusernameā in and of itself encourages a made up name, as opposed to your real name. and there are some forums and things online, certain film or photography websites where people are encouraged to use real names. as you say thereās more accountability there, but it can be good too for networking and things like that. more and more over the years iāve used names attributed to my actual self, i guess for promotional purposes or to string together a common thread. its good to be accountable and take on some of that responsibility, and sort of, keep your actions online in check
Circumstances make people do evil staff, it is a well known fact. There was an experiment actually with involving regular people. Prisoners and guards. Did not end up very well. .
If you really believe that by using a handle rather than your real name affords you any anonymity unless you take lots of precautions (even then it is debatable) then you are mistaken Iām afraid.
If a third party wants to find out who you really are in most cases it is shockingly simple.
