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.
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.
Why wouldn’t you use your real name?
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.
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.
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.
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.