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Looking into anonymity on the Internet is one of my hobbies.
Contents |
Drama
You can be anonymous in order to wreak mischief. Pretend to be an "insider" or someone with a lot of talent or knowledge, and people will start guessing who you are and chattering with each other.
Humility
You can be anonymous because you want to stay out of the spotlight. I like this reasoning best.
Others
- Pseudonymity, which is what most people on the Internet do. But the use of a username is not anonymity. Quite the opposite, in fact-- it makes you easy to identify. The term "anonymity" should not be used for situations like Wikipedia.
- Whistleblower anonymity: the need to protect your identity when you are leaking terrible secrets, an important feature both of good journalism and of the Internet. Crucial to free speech.
- Personal issue anonymity: the need to protect your identity when you are discussing an embarrassing or outrageous topic.
- Collective identity under the guise of Anonymous: a phenomenon entirely new to the Internet.
c.f. John Mullan, Anonymity: A Secret History of English Literature
Is anonymity a bad thing or a good thing?
Both.
In my most widely propagated essay written before the launch of ESK, I advocated for no-holds-barred anonymity, using logic based not on any deep experience but on common sense. However, it's been shown that the Internet often runs contrary to common sense, so I will have to take a few steps back right now.
I didn't write this yet but I will get around to it someday.