I’m thinking about how emails ended up becoming. Where our first email addresses were so wacky, and slowly we just wanted out real names.

    • Emotional_Series7814
      link
      fedilink
      6
      edit-2
      1 year ago

      Doxxers.

      I say I like apples. Someone else thinks I’m literally Satan for that and need to die in a fire for promoting the apple agenda. They have more work to do under my current username if they want to get my home address and beat me up, or send a SWAT team after me. Just giving out my real name makes it a lot easier.

      I’m a nobody, but I’m a nobody who likes to say things on the internet sometimes, and other nobodies can be crazy sometimes. Or sadists who don’t think I deserve to die in a fire but sure think it would be funny and want to see me post about the attempted arson.

    • SlowNPC
      link
      fedilink
      4
      edit-2
      1 year ago

      I can think of several reasons off the top of my head.

      Perhaps you want to discuss things your boss doesn’t want employees talking about (teachers discussing drugs/alcohol/nsfw stuff or anyone trash-talking their employer).

      Perhaps you want to discuss things your family/friends don’t approve of (closeted LGBT, political opinions, drugs/nsfw, mental health, even stuff like motorcycles).

      Perhaps you want to discuss controversial topics and reduce the chance of having some lunatic send you death threats.

    • HellsadvocateOP
      link
      fedilink
      31 year ago

      I… I’m not sure? I feel like it does introduce a bit of bias. The anonymity helps to add some blindness on upvoting comments. For example, I doubt a girl with their name intact would post openly about how to go about having an abortion in a red state.

      • density
        link
        fedilink
        11 year ago

        people who post on social media with female sounding names are also subject to regular, random abuse from strangers, especially if they become even a tiny bit prominent.