Although Lemmy’s userbase is quite large,it still is small enough that I do often see the same people in comment sections. It feels though, that I should recognise more names, because I can only remember around 5 individual ones.
Although Lemmy’s userbase is quite large,it still is small enough that I do often see the same people in comment sections. It feels though, that I should recognise more names, because I can only remember around 5 individual ones.
This is an interesting way of thinking about things. I would have probably agreed entirely with this when I was a kid on the early Internet, experimenting, making mistakes, and figuring out who I was and what sort of person I wanted to strive to be.
Now, as a middle-aged old fart who has used the same screenname everywhere online for decades, I generally prefer to fully consider everything I say, whether online or in real life, and contribute things I truly mean to put out there as myself. I also prefer to have a real life, job, family and friends, etc. compatible with the weirdass person I genuinely am everywhere, which includes my online work, activities, opinions, shitposts, etc.
For example, I got so active in subcultural projects and stuff from my online life over the years that things from it built up into legitimate features of my real-life portfolios and resumes and get talked about in job interviews, so I simply don’t pursue work at places which would have a problem with finding that stuff out about me. Similarly, my universal screenname and weird online stuff were in my profile on the dating app where I met the person to whom I’m now happily married, and that person enjoys and even helps me do my weird online bullshit while being the greatest real-life partner I could ever ask for.
It’s all come together in a rather comfy way for me, and I ultimately find it a much more freeing way to live than trying to do the secret-identity thing.
As a social activist and tech worker, my interests bleed into hacking, security, and doing the right thing. During my work with BLM, one of my aliases was targeted by right wing trolls. Easy to dissolve and make a new one. I worked with activists who have had their children targeted, their neighbors targeted, even their jobs threatened.
My friends and family, wife and children do not deserve any backlash for my comments.
These are good points, and a lot of people may find that sort of separation useful.
Personally I’m also an activist involved with hacker culture, independent journalism, and weird art and comedy stuff, but I’ve come to a point where I don’t really feel much need to separate that from the rest of my life; the mundane me is hacker me, activist me, etc. I’m also pretty confident that if I said or did something stupid enough to involve backlash from anyone whose opinion matters to me, not only would I probably have earned the criticism but my wife would be first in line to tell me I’m being an ass.
This is a security risk though, fyi, someone could pics together all the info and exploit it.
If everyone in my real life already knows what I’m like online and vice versa, what’s to exploit?
They can exploit you , one example: “Firefly it’s me your (known family member) I’m stuck at school (known school, place of work, etc) but lost my phone, can you send $50 to (scammer address) to pay back this nice person helping me get home please?” is the weakest variation.
Joke’s on them, I’m no good for money even when it’s legit. 💸