Anonymity

[Jamesbrown]

Absolute no need.

If serious racial comments, terrorist communications, death threats or harassment is made online it’s can be traced back.

As is what happened to a old local lad near my parents.

I’ve seen many of his comments as we have mutual friends. He’s always been an internet joker but that time he went too far and got some comeuppance.

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-derbyshire-26634782.amp

Getting a little people’s republic of chinaesque nowadays. Scary what the future may hold.

 

[GreiginFife]

OK, I admit it, my Avatar is not really a photo of me.

Next you will be telling us your name isn't Horace Worblehat. Ook, indeed!

 

[Robster59]

Next you will be telling us your name isn't Horace Worblehat. Ook, indeed!

Ook!?

 

[Banchory Buddha]

More for it than against.

Why?

Employers now (or moreso maybe recruiters) troll social media, there's a reason people remain anonymous on twitter, politics should have nothing to do with your job.

It's a terrible idea,

( Political stuff removed)

 

[Banchory Buddha]

The reasons in favour of anonymity are many and varied but, in my own personal case, a life in the police has meant I prefer to be very careful who I share my personal details with. I do Facebook, but no other social media, and choose my “friends” very carefully.

I know from painful experience that there are people out there who are entirely happy to make my life a misery, simply because I wore a uniform.

Exactly. An "anonymous" username is no more anonymous than what the other person wants to find. Many years ago I was a very regular semi-pro poker player, I frequented over 100 poker forums back in the day, but there was one guy whose skin I got under, he had a habit of harassing many folks and I later learned I was not alone, but what scared me was one day I got this private message, it was from him, it had a graphic of a satellite image of my house being zoomed in on. And that was me "anonymous" to him without the enormous backing of state snooping services to find me.

 

[Pin-seeker]

I’d ban all the whoppers that have football pics as their profile pic on Twitter,the ones that spend all their Time arguing over who the best player is.

 

[Bdill93]

Why?

Employers now (or moreso maybe recruiters) troll social media, there's a reason people remain anonymous on twitter, politics should have nothing to do with your job.

It's a terrible idea,

Its not a terrible idea at all. Why should you be protected if you throw abuse at other people online which, if done in society would result in police action?

The world is changing, we need to keep up.

 

[Bdill93]

By his own admission he doesn't anymore.


I think Swango hit the nail on the head. No need for your identity to be freely available to the public, but it should be logged to be accessed by authorities in cases of serious abuse of another person.

In fairness, on this forum we're quite open. Most of us have our golf clubs in our signatures, and my name is easily found on one of the Fantasy Leagues I'm in for example, plus from those who have met me now, so anonymity is not something I worry about on here.

Some of us even have your phone number

 

[Robster59]

Exactly. An "anonymous" username is no more anonymous than what the other person wants to find. Many years ago I was a very regular semi-pro poker player, I frequented over 100 poker forums back in the day, but there was one guy whose skin I got under, he had a habit of harassing many folks and I later learned I was not alone, but what scared me was one day I got this private message, it was from him, it had a graphic of a satellite image of my house being zoomed in on. And that was me "anonymous" to him without the enormous backing of state snooping services to find me.

Do you think he would be so aggressive if his profile data was freely available to be reported for harassment?

 

[Swango1980]

I’d ban all the whoppers that have football pics as their profile pic on Twitter,the ones that spend all their Time arguing over who the best player is.

Christiano Ronaldo

 

[Banchory Buddha]

Its not a terrible idea at all. Why should you be protected if you throw abuse at other people online which, if done in society would result in police action?

The world is changing, we need to keep up.

You're not anonymous though, that's the point

 

[Banchory Buddha]

Do you think he would be so aggressive if his profile data was freely available to be reported for harassment?

Apparently he was yes, he was at a poker event where he acted precisely like he did online. The point being, you're not anonymous online.

 

[Bdill93]

You're not anonymous though, that's the point

Im not - but I dont need to be. Im boring as hell - the worst I do is comment on a forum during working hours...

 

[Bdill93]

Apparently he was yes, he was at a poker event where he acted precisely like he did online. The point being, you're not anonymous online.

I know 2 people who could go to the lengths that guy did to find someone using IP's etc.. The vast majority of internet users are not tech genius's who can find all this additional info. So yeah.. You are... I could make a new account on here and start arguing with myself - you wouldn't know its me.

 

[Banchory Buddha]

Im not - but I dont need to be. Im boring as hell - the worst I do is comment on a forum during working hours...

"you're" = everybody online.

But how exactly do you think "Bdill93 isn't anonymous?

 

[Bdill93]

"you're" = everybody online.

But how exactly do you think "Bdill93 isn't anonymous?

I literally just said im not anonymous...

 

[Robster59]

I don't confess to being anonymous, but then again, I don't go around insulting people or being abusive to them. I try to use the same mindset I would if I was speaking to someone in person. But there are too many keyboard warriors who, in the majority of instances, would not come close to saying what they do if they met the person face-to-face. And what they say can be damaging, libellous, illegal, and can promote ill feelings. You don't have to show your details on your forum handle, but they should be available so that in the event of illegal activity, they can be traced.

 

[RichA]

Its not a terrible idea at all. Why should you be protected if you throw abuse at other people online which, if done in society would result in police action?

The world is changing, we need to keep up.

The nutters who PM you a photo of your house aren't the problem for the serving or retired cops, prison officers, probation officers, doctors, etc, who frequent these forums under a pseudonym.
If your privacy isn't protected, it's the nutters who remember your name and identify your address and family covertly then act on it that create the issue.
Not everyone is protective of their privacy to allow them to engage in online trolling and abuse.

 

[Jimaroid]

politics should have nothing to do with your job.

Completely disagree and that is nonsense given current events in which a political figure was murdered doing their job.

The concept of character assessment in employment has been has been around a lot longer than the internet has for a start but I digress...

Employers are entitled to screen social media profiles where it is relevant to the job and I wouldn't want to work for an employer not doing it these days to be honest. Social media is not all bad, we only hear about the minority issues and none of the vast positives. In my industry we discover lots of new talent through social networks like Twitter and in the opposite case we do see rejections due to extreme or inappropriate material posted on social networks that do not meet expectations.

 

[Banchory Buddha]

Completely disagree and that is nonsense given current events in which a political figure was murdered doing their job.

Rubbish, social media wasn't carrying a knife, that's the physical world mate.

The concept of character assessment in employment has been has been around a lot longer than the internet has for a start but I digress...

Employers are entitled to screen social media profiles where it is relevant to the job and I wouldn't want to work for an employer not doing it these days to be honest. Social media is not all bad, we only hear about the minority issues and none of the vast positives. In my industry we discover lots of new talent through social networks like Twitter and in the opposite case we do see rejections due to extreme or inappropriate material posted on social networks that do not meet expectations.

Political opinions are not relevant to your job.