Anonymous on the Internet

There are a number of good reasons that a person must be anonymous on the internet. People must protect their families and their livelihoods. If being open and putting one’s name and photo out there puts their jobs in jeopardy, then they will have to blog under a pseudonym or just not blog. That’s completely understandable.

People who work in areas that have to be careful because it would be easy for others to make trouble for them like lawyers, teachers and that kind of thing. Or possibly gays or people who enjoy “alternative lifestyles” because they feel that they are always under attack by society or their physical wellbeing could be at risk.

But, there are also lots of people who want to remain anonymous for much more nefarious reasons. Such as people who spread rumors about others. Internet trolls. People who engage in hate speech. Or maybe they are blogging about their illegal activities or illicit affairs. These people I don’t really support and are, to be quite honest, the anonymous people I encounter most often on the net. Especially the trolls.

No I did NOT say that anyone who is anon on the net is a troll so fuck you. Unless you ARE a troll and in that case I am talking about you so, fuck you.

As it turns out though, there is actually another group of people who prefer to be anonymous on the net for a reason I hadn’t really thought of. They want to be anonymous simply because they don’t want to be held responsible for their words or their actions. What separates them from the racists and trolls that have these same reasons for being anon, is these people aren’t bad people.

They’re not dirt bags. They’re not assholes. They’re not trying to hurt people with their words or actions. Well, they might call people who disagree with them “Nazis,” but in general they aren’t looking to do bad things. But, for whatever reason, or probably “just in case” they want to avoid accountability and responsibility for their words. Which only makes them cowards.
Yeah, can’t really support that either.

Anyway, this week on I’m With Stupid we invited the mysterious Joker into the Stupid Studios and we talked Anonymity on the Internet. It was a very good discussion and when Dana called in, things got down right rowdy! It was a rollicking good time. So, check it out if you get the chance. And then we’d love to hear your feedback too.

Don’t worry, we won’t call you Nazis or launch personal attacks on you just for disagreeing.

Listen to internet radio with Im With Stupid on Blog Talk Radio