Why do we use username aliases on social media?

[Bill Ryan]

This is an Emperor's New Clothes question. :)

I wonder if anyone familiar with the history of social media knows the answer.

Why do posters on forums use anonymous usernames? And how did this start?

We all take it for granted these days, of course. But just consider it all for a moment.

When at a meeting, a social event, a party, or even chatting to someone on a bus or a plane, we introduce ourselves with our real names.

If someone says: "Hi, pleased to meet you, I'm John from New York", we don't reply: "Hi, I'm Galactic Warrior, and I'm certainly not going to tell you anything else."

:)

How did this insanity all start? (And do think about it: I do understand all the personal safety thing, but a lot of this is just nuts. And it is indirectly responsible for a large amount of abuse and toxicity that's prevalent on the net, simply because it's so easy to hide behind a mask.)

If we on Avalon asked members to please post their photos and real names, just as if they'd met someone in person (at least their first names, as they're called by their friends) — who'd be comfortable with that? (Don't worry: we're not actually going to do this! But it's quite an interesting theoretical question.)

[Bob]

I would be comfortable with that - all my betatester members for the last 28 years have all used their real names, we insist as a matter of accountability.

[AriG]

My husband decided to open a social media account (twitter) but due to having to live in the matrix, could not be known to share the strong anti establishment views that he holds. He’s a Director for a major tech company. So he uses a photo of himself in an asbestos abatement suit (helping out at a charity site) along with a pseudonym. Having to earn a salary outside of the alternative world sort of makes it necessary.

[Ratszinger]

I wouldn't be bothered by it. All the names I go by on the net for contact are names, not screen names but names that actually appear on my birth certificate so I'm already out there.

[Satori]

I am operating on the premise that this forum is considered social media. If so, other than having opened a Facebook account about 6 years ago, out of shear curiosity (and which I rarely use), I have no footprint on social media. No Twitter etc... (I cannot even name other types of social media.). I use the avatar (I think that is the correct term) Satori, when I applied to this forum because, in my naivety at that time, I thought it was expected of us to have an avatar and not use our real names. I had come across that word, satori, and I like what it means.

I have always used my real name when I speak out on any subject, for or against, including 9/11. (The official conspiracy theory is a huge pure evil lie.). I have always believed "they" know who we are and it's a false sense of security to think there is any anonymity as to "the man." Any anonymity is as to other average people, so-to-speak, not the state and corporatocracy.

When it comes to communicating with others, I abhor people who hide behind their so-called anonymity to insult and harass others. That demonstrates a complete lack of integrity and is typically the work of cowards and deranged people.

Never say anything behind someone's back, or shielded by the mask of anonymity, that you would not say to their face.

My name is Stevan Douglas Looney. That is no secret.

[Hervé]

I think it started long ago, when authors chose catchy names as their "nom de plume"... like, who the hell remembers who Samuel Langhorne Clemens or François-Marie Arouet were?

[Mike]

Bill I couldn't agree more. I was just recently writing something about that here. We're always looking for ways to improve the forum, and I think that would be *the* way to do it. Would change the total dynamic of the place. The tone and manner in which we addressed other members and the way they addressed us would be quite different if our real names and photos were up...for the better I'm certain!

I've never understood the paranoia about that.

I do understand hang ups and insecurities and stuff like that. Vulnerability. Etc. I totally get that part of it. It's a very human thing to feel. So I get why folks elect not to post pics and names on that level, and I respect it... I just wish they'd find a way to get past it.

I just think all these usernames and avatars need smashing. It's not useful. I find it to be boring, personally.

Yes, it's true, I don't always have a pic of myself up as an "avatar". I mean, currently I have my 8 yr old self(or something like that). But I'm gonna put a relatively recent pic of myself back up(just so I don't look like a hypocrite:))

[Valerie Villars]

As you all know, I went through some heavy duty targeting. I am no longer a member of "productive society" because of it. I have nothing to lose anymore. No job, no house, no child. Those are normal things one wants to protect. I was shocked to discover there are powers or technologies or people out there who know every single thing about you. That was one of the biggest take away's from being targeted. It also took away any fear I had. So, I am rather cavalier about my real identity. I was outed quite well and thoroughly. I realized I had been watched for years. You know, when you have nothing, you have nothing to lose.

I never do social media and can't even really text. My phones a flip so it's a pain in the neck to text, much less do capitals, proper grammar, punctuation, etc. This is the only social media I do.

However, I did have a wake up call with someone I knew from the internet recently. The thing is, this person had gathered personal information on me without my consent. Pretty creepy. However, I realize this can happen anywhere and anytime in today's world, so I just go for it. Here I am. This is my name and this is what I look like.

I had an avatar but a member was triggered by it so I changed it to a photo out of courtesy. If anyone is triggered by my photo, there's not a lot I can do about that.

The world is full of nefarious and underhanded stuff. Best to just be real. Maybe that is one of the only ways to combat it. I get less and less surprised by people and their motives every day.

[Mike]

Well said Val.

I'm sort of a private person. I don't want all my info out there for the world to read. But I regard providing my first name and a picture here as a courtesy, or a show of respect. It's the cyber equivalent of shaking hands almost.

I would never expect anyone to share their last name (tho I do salute everyone that does) ..but setting that and pictures of ourselves aside, I think providing a first name at least would be a nice start. I can't imagine what the harm might be in doing that.

[Patient]

We know that government agencies and the larger corporations can find out everything about us, but the average person who does not possess the tech knowledge will have a harder time.

There are average people out there that get their purpose in life by causing harm to others.

Also, if you are applying for a job or even a mortgage/loan, people will search the internet to find out more about you. If a potential employer was to read about some of the things that I have written about myself here in Avalon, their view of me could be greatly affected by that.

Sure, they should not judge me based on something that might have been written by another person who just so happens to have the same name as me - but many people will.

...and it depends on the forum itself. Some forums might be in line with a person's career and other's are not.

[Orph]

When at a meeting, a social event, a party, or even chatting to someone on a bus or a plane, we introduce ourselves with our real names.

Actually, I don't. I don't talk much, and I've always kept to myself. If we were to meet somewhere as total strangers, the most you'll get out of me is a simple "hi", and maybe a few yes and no's. I don't like people asking me personal questions. That's just the way I am.

Since Avalon is open to the public, I'll just keep my anonymity. If there were a way to have a separate avatar for us in the members only forum, perhaps I would use my real name and picture.

[Gemma13]

I don’t use social media very much – a few family chats and a few postings on the Facebook Community Group I work with.

When I signed up years ago it was to have intimate conversations/sharings with like minded people on personal/spiritual/metaphysical topics. I was happy with the anonymity, and still am; especially after seeing the awful effects of doxxing that some people have had to endure.

Having said that, I do support transparency. I wish we lived in a world where avatars only existed in fiction. But while we live in a world where sociopaths, narcissists and frauds will do anything to cruelly exploit others for their own self-serving gains and pleasure, I’m afraid I have to side with the protective value of avatars.

. . . unless it became illegal to use an avatar . . . then there would be tremendous power in transparency because the playing field would be levelled. And no more sock puppets, shills, stalkers . . . you name it.

[Bill Ryan]

Interestingly, this was Coast to Coast AM last night. (I've not heard the show: just read this synopsis.)


https://coasttocoastam.com/show/2019/04/20





Abby Ellin (https://www.abbyellin.com/) is an award-winning journalist and a regular contributor to the Health, Style, Business and Education sections of the New York Times. She joined guest host Ian Punnett to discuss her story of being engaged to someone with a fabricated identity and how intelligent and savvy people are deceived by duplicitious and narcissistic predators, and how some people use lies and deceit to gain the upper hand over their victims.

[TomKat]

If we on Avalon asked members to please post their photos and real names, just as if they'd met someone in person (at least their first names, as they're called by their friends) — who'd be comfortable with that? (Don't worry: we're not actually going to do this! But it's quite an interesting theoretical question.)

The internet is forever. I will never post my real name anywhere for public viewing. Unless you wish to be a public figure, to do so is naive. The world is becoming less and less tolerant of individuality and diversity of opinion. I was naive in the early 90s but thankfully my name is common enough and it's buried in usenet databases that are seldom read or searched anymore. If someone wants to know about me, they'll have to get off their ass and talk to me, or hire a private investigator to follow me around.

Better questions: Why do people cooperate with technocrats who are getting rich setting up a surveillance society and an ultimate Hell on Earth? Why are they too lazy to go to an ATM and pay with cash? Why do they want everything about themselves available to the public? Why do they trust organized criminals in govt to protect them? Why are they too disinterested to read 1984, Brave New World and any history of the Soviet Union or Nazi Germany?

[Denise/Dizi]

LONG POST ALERT...

Hello, My name is Denise, (Username Diziblueyez, or "Dizi") That photo over there <---- is actually me, and it's fairly current..

I made my username because everyone else was using false names. Not going to lie? I followed the herd on this one.. The option came up to create my account and it said "User name".. I saw that everyone else used a name that was not their own, and I thought "ok, be creative"... But it is kind of ridiculous in my opinion. Half the time I don't even know if I am speaking to a man or a woman , for a truth website, this seems contradictory to me..

I suppose this is really the only site where I DON'T use my real name. Or a nickname that my friends and family have actually called me my entire life. But when I come online, I want my friends and family to be able to find me. Even if this site is for serious topics? I Still see my connections here to be social, and the members, my friends.. So I do like to use my real name, I think it shows I am a real person, with real feelings and thoughts.. And I am there, to be accountable for what I say. If someone decides they want to lash out, that girl in the photo is whose feelings will be hurt.. It adds a bit of accountability to interactions in my opinion.. And respect for one another.

I thought at one point, friendships were actually discouraged here.. I didn't have a clue what the site was all about, or really how it was defined, as it was so many things to me.. I had to muddle through.. I like that you're hitting on something so basic yet so profound, thank you for that.. The topic means a lot to me..

I came here to live, learn, grow, fall down and dust off and try again, and I celebrate that journey because I am living who I am, the last thing I want to do is hide behind fake images, that wouldn't truly represent why I am here....

I do use my real name in messages, all the time. I think it is just polite. And I want to know truly, the people I speak to.. as people.. Typing your conversations is cold enough as it is.. Adding my personal identity is really all I can do to personalize the interactions I have here.

I am not "Whistle blowing" so I don't have any reason to hide. I may change my user name to Denise if I can add (Dizi) at the end, I have grown fond of the nickname given to me, by my new friends and family here.. because that means people liked me enough to even give my username a nickname.. How do we change our username?

The ACTUAL TOPIC QUESTION lol.. (You said to put some serious thought into it...)

I don't know what started the "User name" trend? Especially on a site like this. Here we are "Vetting people" demanding proof, yet we don't even truly know who we are even talking to.. It seems rather silly we do that.. It almost seemed like that alone would start some conflict lol.. Perhaps openly, as one community, of individuals, not characters, we can move forward .. not just a site full of masks, but a united community proud to stand aside one another without barriers.. There is no shame in trying to develop, and expand in any way. As that is what we are all doing here together, only masked. May as well celebrate each other for the people we truly are, if your able to..

Meeting the Avalon members that I did recently, was profound in many ways.. Getting to know them as live people, with feelings, emotions, names, personalities.. It was wonderful.. Addressing them by usernames now, almost seems ridiculous.. For fun I almost wanna make my name something absolutely RIDICULOUS to say , Like "Fluffy Bunny Apple Juice" so they too, can see how ridiculous it is to call me anything other than who I am... Either Denise or Dizi , but either one is fine by me...

I understand why some feel they need to hide their identity for certain purposes, but I hope the rest? Come out and say hello as themselves.

[Constance]

How do we change our username?



Hi Denise:waving:

Have you seen our FAQ (http://projectavalon.net/FAQs.htm#31)?




The moderators will be pleased to do that for you, and it only takes a second. Just send a PM to all or any of the mods asking for your username to be changed.

[Daozen]

We use aliases because people can be brutal with doxing and outing people's personal info and past.

See the first reply to this OP here, which was edited by a mod and must be staff approved. I can't believe mods let this go.

http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?106681-Contactee-Looking-For-Support--Major-Story-Here-

http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?106681-Contactee-Looking-For-Support--Major-Story-Here-&p=1286715&viewfull=1#post1286715

[ThePythonicCow]

Why do posters on forums use anonymous usernames? And how did this start?

We all take it for granted these days, of course. But just consider it all for a moment.

When at a meeting, a social event, a party, or even chatting to someone on a bus or a plane, we introduce ourselves with our real names.

If someone says: "Hi, pleased to meet you, I'm John from New York", we don't reply: "Hi, I'm Galactic Warrior, and I'm certainly not going to tell you anything else."

:)

Consider this:

I'm Paul from North Texas. (That would not identify me at all.)
I'm ThePythonicCow from planet Earth. (That uniquely identifies me on the Internet, and has since 2001.)

That's why I chose an unusual forum name, and continue to use it across dozens of forums. It makes me far less anonymous, not more so.

[pigsy2400]

My Avalon ID is based off an AI in the "Deus Ex" computer game universe as is the profile pic.

I think what we have to remember is that there are people that are going to troll that are going to want to hide behind a username etc and remain anon. What we have to remember is that I suppose it only applies to those people that decide to troll when people like this are discussing why.

There are others that are interesting in some alternative / fringe topics that quite simply cannot let that be known in their professional careers for fear of ridicule etc. I can think of one "ufologist" that would fit that category for example.

In terms of the field of Ufology and fringe areas of interest like that, I believe that remaining anon is important. I don't want to sound all tinfoil here and I never would have thought that the IC keeps an eye on forums and discussion threads until I and others came across them doing just that. Would you knowingly and wittingly give your Identity to an alphabet agency on a plate?

I didn't use to care.. now I do and hell no!

Oh....and most places ask you to create a nickname in the sign-up process, so its your fault Bill ;)

[Praxis]

This is an Emperor's New Clothes question. :)

I wonder if anyone familiar with the history of social media knows the answer.

Why do posters on forums use anonymous usernames? And how did this start?

We all take it for granted these days, of course. But just consider it all for a moment.

When at a meeting, a social event, a party, or even chatting to someone on a bus or a plane, we introduce ourselves with our real names.

If someone says: "Hi, pleased to meet you, I'm John from New York", we don't reply: "Hi, I'm Galactic Warrior, and I'm certainly not going to tell you anything else."

:)

How did this insanity all start? (And do think about it: I do understand all the personal safety thing, but a lot of this is just nuts. And it is indirectly responsible for a large amount of abuse and toxicity that's prevalent on the net, simply because it's so easy to hide behind a mask.)

If we on Avalon asked members to please post their photos and real names, just as if they'd met someone in person (at least their first names, as they're called by their friends) — who'd be comfortable with that? (Don't worry: we're not actually going to do this! But it's quite an interesting theoretical question.)

Bill most kids actually have a gaming handle they go by, think like long haul truckers and ham radio people have a handle on the radio, instead of their real name when gaming. I do and it is generally the persona I use when online.

That is why most people my age(33) or younger do it. (at least this is my guess) . Why: We value privacy.

If I were forced to reveal who I am on this site I would probably stop using it. Now, someone who has been paying attention could certainly figure out who I am on here as I have left too much identity. But that at least takes leg work.

Part of why I dont like this Bill is it takes away the Du ceremony(In German, you dont call people with you until you have an official little ceremony where now you can call each other you(du)) that I can choose to have with people.

There are people on here that I have PM with and have given my real name, at least first name. I feel this is a form trust you give someone. So if you know my first name I probably like you.

Finally, it would be irresponsible to force this policy on a website such as this. This should be a safe place for people to share and seek help about intense and extraordinary experiences. Even encouraging people to use their real name would force would be whistleblowers and seekers to make a choice or start off with a pseudo real name just to not stick out for the normality of the board.

I would gladly tell Bill my full name, but as for the rest of yall . . .

[Ratszinger]

If we on Avalon asked members to please post their photos and real names, just as if they'd met someone in person (at least their first names, as they're called by their friends) — who'd be comfortable with that? (Don't worry: we're not actually going to do this! But it's quite an interesting theoretical question.)

The internet is forever. I will never post my real name anywhere for public viewing. Unless you wish to be a public figure, to do so is naive. The world is becoming less and less tolerant of individuality and diversity of opinion. I was naive in the early 90s but thankfully my name is common enough and it's buried in usenet databases that are seldom read or searched anymore. If someone wants to know about me, they'll have to get off their ass and talk to me, or hire a private investigator to follow me around.

Better questions: Why do people cooperate with technocrats who are getting rich setting up a surveillance society and an ultimate Hell on Earth? Why are they too lazy to go to an ATM and pay with cash? Why do they want everything about themselves available to the public? Why do they trust organized criminals in govt to protect them? Why are they too disinterested to read 1984, Brave New World and any history of the Soviet Union or Nazi Germany?

The elitists want it all out there. Imagine you're an 80 year old multi-billionaire and you need a new organ. You have ties to all the data bases and all the people the "Subjects" as they see us and you could be innocent and they could simply have had access to your 23 and me DNA and haplogroup, they had access to your medical file and your blood which they managed to get samples of during a routine biopsy for something routine you had done and then you go in later for a scheduled surgery say for a prostate removal and you wake up to discover they took a kidney 'By Accident' but the truth is they needed your kidney and took it leaving you without it and they knew you were a perfect match for the elite chap that needed your organ.

Think it's unlikely? You know they have so many data bases and so many hackers but they probably financed it all to begin with which means they own it all to do just those very things up to and including killing us to prolong their lives.

[petra]

If someone says: "Hi, pleased to meet you, I'm John from New York", we don't reply: "Hi, I'm Galactic Warrior, and I'm certainly not going to tell you anything else."

How did this insanity all start?

I've been around for a while, and before the internet, I used to run a BBS (Bulletin board system). We had usernames then too, absolutely NO ONE used their real name.

A lot of BBS's started out with fantasy games, and we played stuff like 'Legend of the red dragon'. It was text based. You could have "sex" with other players, get beauty points, et cetera. I think that's probably part of why the nicknames started - because we were using them to log onto BBS's so we could play fantasy RPGs :)

[Franny]

One of the main issues for me was remembering what happened to a friend who went for a job interview and discovered that they had searched for her online and found quite an innocent discussion on some forum about The Law of Attraction. They grilled her about it and other things about her online presence. The bottom line is she didn't get the job mainly due to her 'bizarre' interests in esoteric subjects.

It can be as innocent as UFOs, the LOA, vaccine safety or climate change. Having unpopular non-consensus views can bring unwanted attention and repercussions. This may not present much of an issue for some people in some circumstances, but for others it may be quite problematic. Each must decide for themselves.

I hear the last few years that some employers demand access to a prospective employee's FB account. If the prospects refuse they will not even be considered. The entire FB history can also be purchased for a low fee if one knows where to look.

Some people won't have a FB account because of that and other reasons; why would they want their actual name out there on public forums and social platforms? I think I recall Avalon does social research on prospective members. It has it benefits...

So, many people consider an alias as some protection from those without their best interests at heart.

[Seabreeze]

It is a (small) protection :shielddeflect:.....and important those days in many cases....

why you think they started fb and other so called social medias? It is all to spy and get detailed informations on all of us...to get everybodys profil...... We are mainly made out of glas in the net....:censored:

[Denise/Dizi]

I think that you're ALL right, because there are so many reasons for why we do it.

Sadly, while the internet brings us together, in many ways it forces us to be more isolated than we ever were before.. It makes you ponder if this will be a good thing for our future? Or something else entirely. Just a random thought I was having I thought I would share..

:focus:

[avid]

I have been here for many years, there are those who know my identity, that is my choice. Just read through all of this, and ‘mountain of a molehill’ exudes, some who protest too much, verbosity yet again for really no gain but just diatribe presence - let it go - some of us still want to be anonymous in the public eye - so please respect that, thanks.

[CurEus]

This is an Emperor's New Clothes question. :)

I wonder if anyone familiar with the history of social media knows the answer.

Why do posters on forums use anonymous usernames? And how did this start?

We all take it for granted these days, of course. But just consider it all for a moment.

When at a meeting, a social event, a party, or even chatting to someone on a bus or a plane, we introduce ourselves with our real names.

If someone says: "Hi, pleased to meet you, I'm John from New York", we don't reply: "Hi, I'm Galactic Warrior, and I'm certainly not going to tell you anything else."

:)

How did this insanity all start? (And do think about it: I do understand all the personal safety thing, but a lot of this is just nuts. And it is indirectly responsible for a large amount of abuse and toxicity that's prevalent on the net, simply because it's so easy to hide behind a mask.)

If we on Avalon asked members to please post their photos and real names, just as if they'd met someone in person (at least their first names, as they're called by their friends) — who'd be comfortable with that? (Don't worry: we're not actually going to do this! But it's quite an interesting theoretical question.)

Bill most kids actually have a gaming handle they go by, think like long haul truckers and ham radio people have a handle on the radio, instead of their real name when gaming. I do and it is generally the persona I use when online.

That is why most people my age(33) or younger do it. (at least this is my guess) . Why: We value privacy.

If I were forced to reveal who I am on this site I would probably stop using it. Now, someone who has been paying attention could certainly figure out who I am on here as I have left too much identity. But that at least takes leg work.

Part of why I dont like this Bill is it takes away the Du ceremony(In German, you dont call people with you until you have an official little ceremony where now you can call each other you(du)) that I can choose to have with people.

There are people on here that I have PM with and have given my real name, at least first name. I feel this is a form trust you give someone. So if you know my first name I probably like you.

Finally, it would be irresponsible to force this policy on a website such as this. This should be a safe place for people to share and seek help about intense and extraordinary experiences. Even encouraging people to use their real name would force would be whistleblowers and seekers to make a choice or start off with a pseudo real name just to not stick out for the normality of the board.

I would gladly tell Bill my full name, but as for the rest of yall . . .

Praxis is correct the "gaming community" has also used what we call a Nik ( Nickname) which is now referred to as a "gamer tag"....this is an extension of a "Nik" being used in older BBS boards and is a throwback to CB users especially truckers had a "Handle" which were call signs in army days.

What I find to be amusing is how actual corporate social media and some governments are now requiring REAL VERIFIED ID to set up some user and internet accounts.....if we were all "paid users" admin would know who we actually are or pretending to be....through billing information.

This begs the question..do we all take off our masks and expose ourselves to our loving community?....and also make ourselves vulnerable to some of those who pop in here for a short time for nefarious and selfish reasons? I'll tell you my real name Bill but I am NOT Doxxing myself and having Corey Goode's Mafia of Deranged Sycophants and Handlers visit me at home or at work.....if an alphabet soup agency wants to know who I am.....they already do!

A conundrum!

[Bob]

@CurEus -


This begs the question..do we all take off our masks and expose ourselves to our loving community?....and also make ourselves vulnerable to some of those who pop in here for a short time for nefarious and selfish reasons? I'll tell you my real name Bill but I am NOT Doxxing myself and having Corey Goode's Mafia of Deranged Sycophants and Handlers visit me at home or at work.....if an alphabet soup agency wants to know who I am.....they already do!

well I will tell you, for the last 28 years I have had EXACTLY that, deranged psychopaths at my home and work. One learns to deal with it, not let them even when they steal your real identity, to take them to task, and not let them abuse you, or harm you or your family. In other words, the psychopath is dealt with, period. No more hiding behind some mask - if one is to be honest with identity and honest with the world, one doesn't need to hide - as you've said, the alphabet soupers absolutely know who one is - one is deluding oneself it seems to be saying they are going to hide.

If one's boss is a prick too, then one maybe doesn't need to be working with such organizations as they no doubt have something to hide - hiding means one has a secret or 10, and that puts stress on the psyche, the body. Keeping secrets then is not open light policy, and we have the reason for Snowden's and Assanges revealing the darkness to those who also want to "hide" (with an excuse well little secrets are fine, its the big ones you see...) the justifications don't work, one has to deal with the psychopaths - they have a secret - they want your life, they want to attack you behind your back with impunity, covertly or overtly.. Stopping the hiding, then allows for truth that can be verified it seems to me.

[Strat]

I've been around for a while, and before the internet, I used to run a BBS (Bulletin board system). We had usernames then too, absolutely NO ONE used their real name.

A lot of BBS's started out with fantasy games, and we played stuff like 'Legend of the red dragon'. It was text based. You could have "sex" with other players, get beauty points, et cetera. I think that's probably part of why the nicknames started - because we were using them to log onto BBS's so we could play fantasy RPGs :)

What I was thinking. Also I remember when I used to play online games your name would always be taken, so you'd have to make up something. Also the early internet/computer/virus/sex appeal/whatever was a big thing in the 90s. A la:
Rn2cf_wJ4f4

Definitely needed a cool name. 'Dave' or whatever just doesn't cut it when your going up against 'MaximumOverdrive'.

[petra]

Also I remember when I used to play online games your name would always be taken, so you'd have to make up something. Also the early internet/computer/virus/sex appeal/whatever was a big thing in the 90s.

Definitely needed a cool name. 'Dave' or whatever just doesn't cut it when your going up against 'MaximumOverdrive'.

I really liked Hackers movie. I named my BBS after a location in the movie.
My name is the same as the lead female character too.
Don't you dare tell anyone what my name is lol. If they want to know my name, they'll just have to ask me, or figure it out the hard way ;)

PS: CrashOverride not MaximumOverdrive lol. And DADE.... not Dave! Ha ha ha

[ClearWater]

I resonate with a lot of the comments on both sides of this discussion. The only thing I have to add (sorry if someone already mentioned this and I overlooked it) is that our 'real' names are also aliases. The name I go by here more clearly represents who I am than my given name does.

[jebrenham]

How do you pronounce "Hervé"?


[ "air" + ve(locity (https://www.thefreedictionary.com/velocity)) or ve(hicle British (https://www.thefreedictionary.com/vehicle))]

[syrwong]

Your real name is the name your friends are accustomed to and one you respond to. After long enough, any alias you use becomes your real name. I did not think it mattered what name I used when I joined Avalon, so instead of spending time to think out a good alias, I used my real name. Apparently I was right, after so many years, I have not been bugged or hacked, and no ET located me and stood by my bed.

[MorningFox]

It's an interesting point, Bill. You're so right about the anonymity being the cause of most toxicity and abuse online.

[Strat]

PS: CrashOverride not MaximumOverdrive lol. And DADE.... not Dave! Ha ha ha

I blame the Mandela effect (joking).

[DSKlausler]

If we on Avalon asked members to please post their photos and real names, just as if they'd met someone in person (at least their first names, as they're called by their friends) — who'd be comfortable with that? (Don't worry: we're not actually going to do this! But it's quite an interesting theoretical question.)

The internet is forever. I will never post my real name anywhere for public viewing. Unless you wish to be a public figure, to do so is naive. The world is becoming less and less tolerant of individuality and diversity of opinion. I was naive in the early 90s but thankfully my name is common enough and it's buried in usenet databases that are seldom read or searched anymore. If someone wants to know about me, they'll have to get off their ass and talk to me, or hire a private investigator to follow me around.

Better questions: Why do people cooperate with technocrats who are getting rich setting up a surveillance society and an ultimate Hell on Earth? Why are they too lazy to go to an ATM and pay with cash? Why do they want everything about themselves available to the public? Why do they trust organized criminals in govt to protect them? Why are they too disinterested to read 1984, Brave New World and any history of the Soviet Union or Nazi Germany?

Right there with ya... I so wish that I had never implemented my current UserName.
I am actually shocked that so many Users would make it even EASIER to be surveilled by the average low-level predator (which is quite broad).

[petra]

Your real name is the name your friends are accustomed to and one you respond to. After long enough, any alias you use becomes your real name.

Back in BBS days, a guy I dated tried to insist I call him by his handle. I just couldn't do it, I felt too foolish. After a while I began calling him [Real Name][Handle][Real Name] behind his back, and that actually caught on. He wasn't pleased ha ha

I've changed my 'official name that I go by' twice throughout my life time. The first time I just changed the spelling but the pronunciation stayed the same, and the second time I shortened it. The name I go by now is what my parents always used to call me, and so it feels more 'official' :)

[Smell the Roses]

I chose my UserName in 2013, because I had used it in a Ron Paul forum (the now defunct Daily Paul) during the 2012 election hoopla, and it seemed easy to use it again. I suppose levels of anonymity may represent levels of desired responsibility. Those who use legal names and personal photos are taking a higher level of responsibility in my eyes. Another endeavor I have where I use my real name has led to people expecting me to solve various problems and provide some kind of example for living. I didn't want to be a leader there and just started the whole thing on a whim; but then it took on a life of its own. I'm not really comfortable with this, because it takes time away from my family. I can barely keep up with my job and family and decided a while ago not to take on anything new, because I needed to fulfill the commitments I already had. I publicly announced that I was stepping back from that endeavor a couple of years ago, and others are carrying it on. To be blunt, I don't feel like I have a huge amount of responsibility here. If I were not here, everything would carry on pretty much the same way that it is now. I am happy being a small cog here, so I hope that will continue to be an option.

[Anchor]

I choose to hide behind an alias because if my work colleagues found out about what I do online I would probably loose my job! I work for a financial institution.

My actual name is John but that is sufficiently common that I don't mind using it.

There is probably enough on this forum to pin me down in RL if someone really wanted to do it, but I am guessing those people who make those kind of connections will be on my side and wont dox me.

[James]

I prefer to avoid the notoriety ;)

Aside from the obvious, there’s a sublime art of portraying the aspects of our psyche the world rarely sees (though we wish it did!) The aspects concealed by the overbearing, or the stamps we’ve already been tattooed by, that we feel define us more than our regular actions.

[Maia Gabrial]

Using real names and faces makes it easy for psychic attacks and tracking, even possible harassments.... No one wants that, Bill.

Beside, it's fun to use pseudonyms.... If anyone's interested in pursuing a real friendship, they can take it safely outside the forum.

I prefer the anonymity myself. So, if anyone hates what I've said on the forum, they can attack the pseudonym and not the real me....

[Anka]

This is an Emperor's New Clothes question. :)

I wonder if anyone familiar with the history of social media knows the answer.

Why do posters on forums use anonymous usernames? And how did this start?

We all take it for granted these days, of course. But just consider it all for a moment.

When at a meeting, a social event, a party, or even chatting to someone on a bus or a plane, we introduce ourselves with our real names.

If someone says: "Hi, pleased to meet you, I'm John from New York", we don't reply: "Hi, I'm Galactic Warrior, and I'm certainly not going to tell you anything else."

:)

How did this insanity all start? (And do think about it: I do understand all the personal safety thing, but a lot of this is just nuts. And it is indirectly responsible for a large amount of abuse and toxicity that's prevalent on the net, simply because it's so easy to hide behind a mask.)

If we on Avalon asked members to please post their photos and real names, just as if they'd met someone in person (at least their first names, as they're called by their friends) — who'd be comfortable with that? (Don't worry: we're not actually going to do this! But it's quite an interesting theoretical question.)

I apologize but this "has reached me" in such a way that, I am almost "forced" to write, this being extremely seriously fun.:heart:

For a quick answer, we can only read the last sentence of the post.

If I said that this is the first forum I write on, some would say "yes right…". I chose to use almost my own name, Anca, precisely because what I am transmitting is really from me.
I also "met" avatar names that express the idea of beauty and well-being (that convey the wave of goodness right from the "beginning" of the name). I have nothing against avatar names, but I'm still learning to adapt to the character that it is “ behind” any kind of name, and for that I always gather written words and reactions, which I put on a shelf for later, to really understand the person, not the name.

I know it's hard, and sometimes it's hard work for me, to be able to prove that I'm a good person too, so somehow, "the thing" goes both ways.

Then, others intervene to say something about other avatars, and when I haven't even started to adapt to them, I have to explain that I don't care what is said about others, I need time and understanding to gather and complete my faith for them, and for that, of course I say over and over again: "I don't need to know you just to appreciate you in the first place. It's something about my own love for people.":heart:

Some people always say, "Yeah, but there's a crazy world out there!" I'm not saying it's not, but I feel ready to "be hurt", it's a risk I take at a "normal" level, not happy, just satisfied with all the values I hold.
I don't like gossip, and many times, for this in my life, I was put "outside the ring" (I often excluded myself) and to the question "why?", I have extremely many answers that define the same thing. "When I walk into a store, I don't need to know the owner's name, what his turnover or income is, what his story is and what kind of life he leads." I just want to buy something and if I know the store owner, I'm happy to I tell her my need, being ready to pay for it too :)

You can skip the "paragraph below"...

When I moved here to the country, I had some old neighbors (they died a few years ago) and even from the first days, the neighbor (I didn't know his name), was entered on our property right next to us saying "I brought you some nuts ":) then I was somewhat intrigued and I said civilized:" Thanks for the nuts! But please, don't enter my garden anymore, that's my privacy, and besides that I have my own nuts .. "
One morning we woke up with another lady in the house (I didn't have a locked door because there was no need in such a secluded area) ... she had brought some news about the community, and my husband asked. " Ma'am, I'm dressed in pajamas, do you please, let me change into other clothes in the first place? "
…then came the "man responsible for reading the electricity meter" arguing with my husband, without any introduction, that the meter is broken, and even if my husband explains that we just moved and we will buy another,he doesn't stop :)
At one point we had to warn him: "You sit there in my house and you quarrel with me out of the blue, and I, the owner, sit outside my house trying to calm you down. Is that normal?"

After the neighbors died, now, sometimes, I feel the one "bringing some nuts" out of pure goodwill for people :flower:, and it often seems like an increasingly difficult task, people no longer trusting anyone at all.
Also, the people around us and neighbors, are often amazed at our goodwill, and even if we do good things in a way they have never met before, they are still distrustful, saying a quick "thank you" almost impersonal for all our effort, and leave us.

We have friends for over 30 years, whom life has transformed them so bad that no matter what we do and no matter how much heart my husband and I would give, they still can't let go of the mask..and it is somewhat sad.
I know what it's like in the "real world" where so many times, known people have hurt me, but I don't know what it's like in the "online world", because I've only met special people, being ready to offer anything about me and anything for them, I may have been lucky to meet more real and beautiful people here :heart:, than those who have been around us with so many masks.

Regardless of anyone's avatar name, I am a seeker and a researcher of real human nature, the original and good one, in a world truly "as it is", I dare to believe that most of us are good people.
I know that maybe, many times I really scared people with my kindness, and I understood perfectly their " need for protection " in a such world, and I know that some may even express the image of their spirit in even better avatar names than true names.

But I will never exclude meeting a person who would introduce himself :blushing:: "I'm the Galactic Warrior!" and that kills me right now, from so much laughter…thank you!:heart:

Seriously and almost personally, I think the "problem" comes from the basis of people's reality and experience with each other in this society. I don't know exactly where it came from, but I guess, maybe also from the wounded hearts of people.:heart:

:focus:

I'm sorry, it's just that the idea made me think.

Peace,
Anca

[palehorse]

We know that government agencies and the larger corporations can find out everything about us, but the average person who does not possess the tech knowledge will have a harder time.

There are average people out there that get their purpose in life by causing harm to others.

Also, if you are applying for a job or even a mortgage/loan, people will search the internet to find out more about you. If a potential employer was to read about some of the things that I have written about myself here in Avalon, their view of me could be greatly affected by that.

Sure, they should not judge me based on something that might have been written by another person who just so happens to have the same name as me - but many people will.

...and it depends on the forum itself. Some forums might be in line with a person's career and other's are not.

That's "WHY" I avoid to use real name on internet, some people may not agree, but we can't make everybody happy! ;D

Personal data from people from many many countries are available in the black market, how do you think the scam bags impersonate someone that looks so real and authentic? Everything is for sale on the dark web, KYC data from exchanges, credit cards from all operators, paypal accounts, eBay, Amazon, servers, anything name it, they have.
When I have to register myself with some company and they ask to fill out the KYC bullsh1t form, 99% of the cases I close the tab, unless it is case of life or death I will provide my personal data otherwise I give a middle finger for them.

Remarks 1: I am not against provide my personal data to any company, I am against their policies that are very weak and unsafe, they can't keep customer data safe, why should I trust them?

Remarks 2: If you do not believe me in what I am saying, you can browse the Tor network or some IRC channel available on `UnderNet` network or `Rizon` network, of course there many private networks available in all countries, the surface we know and call internet is just a tiny thing of what it really is.

Bottom line, internet is not safe as many think it is, disable your java script to start with and do not click random links or execute anything that you do not know the origin, if you do not want to become a zombie bot spreading and hosting nasty things and probably get the feds knocking your door.

That's why I use an avatar, because I do not trust the internet. I do not know when this thing of using avatars started, but I guess when someone is behind a proxy, or an avatar or a mask, this person do not want to disclosure who they really are. simply like that.

[Sue (Ayt)]

In the days of early internet, females users were rare. (I would guess maybe 10-15 male users to 1 female?) So using a female name, or even a female-sounding username, often resulted in lots of unwanted intrusions, sometimes quite vulgar.

Actually, this happens still. My sister was just telling me this the other day, how she joined a simple Scrabble game website solely because she loves the game, and she receives many "Hey baby" type PM's/emails, along with the obvious fishing attempts from the types looking for love-lorn women to entice for $$. She sadly was trying to decide if she should just delete the whole thing. She is still somewhat tech-naive, so I immediately suggested that she change her username to a gender neutral or even a male name. I am not sure if males have this same problem, but my guess is no, at least not to the extent of females?

My solution, back then, was to go gender-neutral with my username. (thus ayt) And I played a game of being extremely careful with every post, as to never alluding to a gender at all. It was kind of a FUN experiment. I learned (sadly) that my posts seemed to be taken more seriously, as people always assumed I was male! Sometimes, after a while posting, I would drop a gender indicator into a post. It was so funny, as I would would get many shocked responses, like, "What??? You are a girl???" Yet I never had previously indicated that I was either!

Now in a real-life situation, all this would obviously be out in the open, and any subtle difference in male/female interactions is the invisible norm. But preventing any pre-judging gender-wise in purely written communications was rather eye-opening for me.
Anyway, just thought I'd throw in an answer that males may have never considered.

[Ratszinger]

I'd love to be real in every way but m ID has been stolen five times that I can document. Two times they filed tax returns pretending to be us causing us to have to use a special code they give us each year so they know for sure it's us and not the pretender paying the taxes! They lead me to believe they just added extra numbers to the pretenders and go ahead and let them file taking their money or refunding I don't know but it appears they gave us each unique last four digits so they can discern us!??

Here recently someone filed unemployment benefits in my name using my SS number in states I never worked in and each one of those accounts had $40,000 bucks in them to withdraw from! There is some major funny biz going on in the US banking industry! Literally the day after Experian Identity works contacted me to inform me they were covering my wife and myself free of charge for two years due to a breach in their own security I got debit cards in the mail from CO, AR and IL only one of which I ever worked in and that was in the 80's!

[Bill Ryan]

Thought for the day. :)

Aren't usernames a little like facemasks?

[palehorse]

Very good point, I would say it looks more like a hazmat suit :dancing:

[Agape]

Thought for the day. :)

Aren't usernames a little like facemasks?

Aren’t all names like a facemasks ?

Name is a kindergarten version of self, or any later version of self.

Naming is to shaming like sharing is to caring 😀


Most cultures do allow people using and identifying themselves with multiple names in their life time.
In many cultures of the world, nicknames are accepted as social norm ( here in India in particular ).

Every name has a frequency to it that has an expiry date. The bearer may discover that they did not expire with it :)

Our true Being is nameless, belongs to no one in this world, we came here to make our connection.

The reason why you are here with us are your intelligence, energy and accomplishments
( not because they did not call you Jane)



🙏🍵🙏