So how long will it be before we can't use our fake names any longer?
ElectricAye
Posts: 4,561
Personally, I don't like the idea of using a forum if I have to reveal my legal name to the world. For one thing, for anyone who might be interested in scooping my product developments, it allows them to look at the kinds of questions I'm asking - or answering - and perhaps figure out what I'm doing. It allows joeschmoes to collect data on me and, whether it's correct or not, package it and sell it to advertisers, credit agencies, etc. without my having any idea of its contents or accuracy. So when I hear about this trend toward requiring real names and providing "passport" service BS, my blood begins to boil.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/15/technology/hiding-or-using-your-name-online-and-who-decides.html?_r=1&hp
Since when does remaining anonymous necessarily cause people to be uncivil? This forum has lots of people on it who do not use real names and yet it's at least as civilized as any business meeting I've ever attended. I sure hope this forum doesn't succumb to this push by Madison Avenue to hijack the internet for their own greedy purposes.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/15/technology/hiding-or-using-your-name-online-and-who-decides.html?_r=1&hp
Since when does remaining anonymous necessarily cause people to be uncivil? This forum has lots of people on it who do not use real names and yet it's at least as civilized as any business meeting I've ever attended. I sure hope this forum doesn't succumb to this push by Madison Avenue to hijack the internet for their own greedy purposes.
Comments
Regarding Facebook and their successive assaults on members' privacy, I fail to see why they still have a following. 'Sorry: I don't mean to offend anyone here who's on Facebook, but I can't help but to think of its members as chumps.
-Phil
Is "chump" a form of cattle? I'm very worried the herd is going to drive us all over a cliff of some sort someday, providing mass amounts of data that some evil genius or international entity will use to mess up our lives for a while.
Phil, as for that article, it's excellent. Millinocket rocks!
EG my ham CS IS me and as its provided my our lovely GOV ..
I assume I can be it till I stop paying my FCC dues every 10 years..
I'm pleased to say I got to visit East Millinocket on my way to the summit of Mt. Kathadan.
The subject in question (apparently a child), had added a few friends, but after a few days his (my?) Account was blocked because they can not confirm it (because I had the password to my email in Hotmail).
So when I realized, I joined Facebook account and change the password, which was sent to my email.
A few months later, ie, a few days ago I'm not allowed to enter, because they require a phone number to confirm my identity. I have a phone number that is public on my website, but I will not give, for the moment, all that I do not need to go to Facebook.
Interestingly, the individual who opened the account, now known more than 10 people who had sent me invitations years ago, and currently do not even use Facebook.
In short: Facebook robot or anyone can take an email, make a Facebook account and use it for some time, knowing part of your family, friends and relatives, without your consent.
Should not this be punished?
As I see it, one major problem is that Facebook, Google, etc. are corporations, and so their attitude is that "you're free to use our services or not, so suck it up or sayonara." Problem is, they've managed to get their little Facebook and Google bugs on gazillions of websites, so in effect they get to see where you're going as you surf the net. And this new push to eradicate what little is left of your privacy is just another way for them to hijack the internet and make as much money off of you as possible by selling your internet activity to whomever has the cash. We have all this freedom on the internet but it's like the control freak corporations can't stand the thought of all these private personal transactions going on without their making a buck somehow, so they're trying to herd everyone into a couple of cattle chutes where they can tag our ears and brand our rears. It's bad enough that the government can watch you, but at least in theory they need warrants, court orders, etc. and at least the local women's temperance union can't buy all the FBI's data on me and sing about my sins in front of my house. But to have corporations amass information on my every on-line inquiry, then sell that to my neighbor, or my boss, or some jerk who's trying to steal trade secrets, or figure out my business strategy, etc. that's where I start to feel like I'm being led to the slaughterhouse.
It has caused me considerable grief! I was rudely chastised one day by a superior
who grilled me about some things I had posted. They managed to compile a huge amount
of data that I had posted over the last two years. All the information was widely known about
and had been on the web for a long time but still they thought I was lax with sensitive data.
(I was off the net for about 10 weeks while everything was checked out)
Actually I don't use my correct real name, my first name is actually Holiday (I much prefer Holly)
I thought perhaps using "Holly+last" name with no space between would make it harder to find me
on the web but it was of little help.
I think most forums log your ip with each post anyway. (this one does) so people are not really
very anonymous no matter what name they use.
I don't mind that a particular forum administrator knows who I am. Parallax knows who I am and I have no problem with that. But I don't think Parallax can see where I go to when I leave their website. Yet if I didn't make an effort to deal with cookies, etc. Facebook could easily track me wherever I go. I don't think Parallax cares if I have six pregnant teenage daughters, am suffering serious doubts about my conservative ultra-right wing philosophy, or that I want to know how to cure myself of baldness since the Black Panther tattoo on the top of my head is now beginning to show.... Parallax could probably care less about my personal problems, but Facebook, etc. get to watch me pour my heart out on other forums where I weep about my baldness and how I wished I had never signed up with the Black Panthers back in the '60s when I was young and foolish........ and black.
I've changed, you see. Honest I have.
LoL!
Now that was a funny post :-)
Government types seem to be very humorless.... now they probably
will really think you are a hairless former radical turned right wing fanatic. :-)
Gawd I hope so.
Hey, Holly, glad to see you're back!
In addition to that, if you google my name and where I live you will probably find a couple other people with the same name (give or take a few variations in the spelling of the first name) that I would rather not be confused with. One was convicted of criminal acts that nobody would want to be associated with. Another was involved in a news story that resulted in my receiving many phone calls from talk shows (including Larry King's) wanting "me" to be on their show.
Without other verification, names can be faked anyway. I hate to think about it, but I really see this heading toward requiring registration with social security numbers (in the US) or something similar in order to prove identity. That's really the only thing that identifies me uniquely and permanently.
I am who I am until told otherwise.
Frank
And in some cases the stalker will try to find where the person lives and take matters further.
The thing to do is totally ignore the person. Place them in an ignore or kill file. And it is also a good idea to not use your real name.
That is not such a problem on monitored forums where this behavior is not tolerated. But it is elsewhere on forums which are not monitored and "Usenet" where posts are not monitored nor posters banned from posting.
Just remember, do not use for anything illegal, and do not involve any innocent third parties...
http://www.fakenamegenerator.com/
Enjoy.
-Tommy