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[GungHo]

I'd rather not have to explain to people why I always thought it wasn't fair when I went to detention for writing "Heywood Jablome" on the inside of my book covers.

 

[surly]

I would say privacy is important, while anonymity less so. If that makes sense.

It does. The other problem is, how do you know if someone is using their real name anyway?

I run a small DJ forum and I use my real name on there. Most of the members know my real full name and where I live, plus a lot of them have added me on Facebook and we all know each other's names/locations. On there though, it's like a small group of friends as the site is a drop in the ocean compared to a place like this. Plus, I'm in charge of the site, so I can see IP addresses, sign up email addresses, I can ban people etc. so it's a bit different.

 

[Thunder Monkey]

It wouldn't bother me.

I'd go from Thunder Monkey to one of the few white Tyrone's.

I doubt my style of posting would change much.

 

[Emitan]

Nope.

I have a bunch of GAFers as Facebook friends though.

 

[CREMSteve]

This is something I thought about a while ago and the experiment YouTube are currently running reminded me of it.

I've always thought that it lends the discussion a bit more credibility and often results in a more worthwhile conversation if people are posting under their own names instead of an alias. It's easy to act differently than you usually would and in some ways you can construct a different personality for yourself, saying different things and even having different opinions.

I was interested and surprised by how many people chose to take part and use a photograph of themselves as their avatar and I think that has been a big success. I don't see why it would be that much different if we all called each other by our real names.

So, would you be interested in posting under your own name if it was mandatory on NeoGAF?

My real name is Steve, so.... sure.

 

[Ephemeris]

I'd have to delete all my posts relating to my job lol

 

[Emitan]

Wait, just first name? That's not so bad.

 

[Pandaman]

People already know my real name here.

the concern is not that people here would know our names, it's that people in real life would be able to more easily track your habits for their own purposes.

 

[ashrafazlan]

Already using mine, but then that's the beauty of living halfway across the world and being my own boss.

I would probably be in a lot of trouble otherwise

 

[Plywood]

<---- Plylonius Woodrow

 

[Harry_Tequila]

So you are cool with your neogaf comments showing up for years to come when people/jobs google you? Honestly?

The difference is that using photo avatars can be changed retroactively and do not easily show up in google.

I wouldn't mind. I'm not ashamed of anything I post and I'm not ashamed of being here in the first place.

Out of curiosity, what are people concerned that companies will see if they were to start combing through your post history? Why would they care? :-S

 

[Impeccable]

I wouldn't care, I gave up trolling and having unreasonable confrontation on the internet years ago. I am just me now.

 

[Vermillion]

At this point it doesnt matter, you guys all have naked pics of me anyway. :|

Wait, explain?

 

[Plywood]

Wait, explain?

He's pretending he's Rosie Jones.

 

[Moral Panic]

Would hate to. People change, but the internet doesn't necessarily show that. If you used to have a controversial opinion expressed it and then later changed your mind, the past would still be there shaming you. Life is hard enough without having a searchable record of everything you have ever said.

 

[akira28]

Hell no. Maybe the post-Myspace generation has been conditioned into this, but early adopters never intended to be so closely followed and tracked and to have some sort of virtual "personhood" complete with liabilities and responsibilities. I don't go around the internet so that I'll have to answer for anything I've done, after I log off, or clock in for work in the morning.

If I was a public persona, sure. If my trade and my work benefited from having open relations and a public identity online, sure. But nothing's stopping people from doing that. I don't think 'real names' should even become a thing. The undisclosed option, chosen only by those who know why they're doing it, is what I'd prefer it to be.

 

[abusori]

Out of curiosity, what are people concerned that companies will see if they were to start combing through your post history? Why would they care? :-S

Ah, the good ol' "you wouldn't mind if you didn't have something to hide" argument. Very original.

 

[Musha_Soturi]

No.

My name is too uncommon - in fact I am the only person in the world with my name. A few gaffers who've been to the meet ups know it as they're now friends on facebook too, but I wouldn't feel comfortable with putting it up for thousands of strangers to see. Although detective-Gaf could probably figure it out if they wanted to, but there's no need, I'm no one.