Evan Mott said:
Because one day I decided to stop hiding and take 100% responsibility for what I'm saying.
I prefer to use a handle as I am not into high octane masochism. I basically figure the real identity of someone on The Internet isn't all that hard to figure out if you want to, yet I don't exactly want to make myself easier to identify for anyone who has a rage-gasm over something I say, or say for a company to decide it wants to hold a grudge. Not to mention the general preferance that my real name doesn't wind up in any more bulk mailers or advertising queues than absolutly nessicary.
I mean if it makes you happy, more power to you, but honestly I think one of the reasons why anonimity is an advantage is because why it DOES let people get away with immature stuff, being known doesn't protect one from immature stuff. Basically in a perfect world where someone could make valid points and criticisms without worrying about people jumping down their neck or maybe some company screaming "this guy is costing us money" and going on the warpath, it wouldn't be such a nessicary shield on free speech, as things are now we do not live in that world. To put it bluntly even if your 100% correct about something, if an important person or company chooses to get uppity about it they can do a lot of things to you. This is especially true if your say being critical of them because you rely on them for a service and you are unhappy with the way they are providing it, but have no real alternatives. Or heck, the simple fact that you can be brought to court for slander or libel, and even if you win your looking at a massive amount of harassment due to having to go to court and take the time to make your case. Being potentially reimbursed financially for the time spent and legal fees if you win in no way compensates for the sheer annoyance of having to do it all, and that's something a lot of big companies and such rely on... it doesn't matter if your right or not, they can harass you into silence.
I admit I'm getting into issues that go well beyond the scope of The Escapist, I'm just saying that your doing more than "taking responsibility for what you say". More power to you, but while it won't happen today or tomorrow, I can virtually guarantee you will regret it if you ever decide to get involved in something more major than general posting.
