Poll: Randi Zuckerberg: Anonymity Online 'Has To Go Away'. Opinions ?

[Jodah]

If you want proof that it will never happen look at what happened with the whole World of Warcraft real names on forums. Nobody will use a product like that.

 

[FalloutJack]

What, you're trying to make me choose a side? I'm taking a third option. Jack says that both sides can go fuck themselves, Facebook AND the organizations. Neither of you are on my happy list, so don't expect any sympathy from me.

 

[JET1971]

snip.

These were all commited by someone they knew in the real world, not from some anonymous stranger on the internet. Myspace and FB empowers the bullies because of the lack of anonyminity of the victim.

You saved me the effort of citing these, and other, tragic cases of children killing themselves as a result of bullying that included cyber bullying. Thanks.

No worries. they prove that bullying starts offline and is a real issue.

Yeah, stop cyberbullying by making everyone put out their personal info, real bright idea there.
Wouldn't this just increase real bullying, thus making the problem worse?

If anonymity was limited on the Internet, then both of victims and the perpetrators of cyber bullying would be more identifiable. This means that the myriad instances of bullying that occur daily would be traceable and easily reported to law enforcement. I could see this as a way to vastly diminish the current wave of cyber bullying, and reduce the harm it is causing to countless children.

Actualy Cyber Bullying starts offline. It starts in the schools and playgrounds where children are forced to be around each other. Todays bullies are no different than the ones from 30 or so years ago that i dealt with. then as now the people that were there to prevent it did/do nothing at all. If it gets to the point that law enforcement needs to be involved it has gone too far by a factor of 1,000. teachers are the first line of defense, then administration at school, next is parents, and last is law enforcment. If the teachers do not see that kid is scared of the other kid and any other signs then there is a serious failure. to not act upon the signs is pure negligence.

Laws forcing everyone to use a real name online would just make it that much easier for a bully to find and harrass the victim. this is why we have the term Cyber-bully. Think about how many forums and other websites you go to based on your interests such as here at the Escapist. Imagine someone or some social group at school is bullying you and insulting you for your interests. now imagine coming here and making a good valid comment on a thread about a game you played and those bullies then start insulting you for it because instead of being Fleischer you had to use your full real name. The bullies Do NOT care that they use real names. infact most perps want the victim to know who it is most of the time anyway.

Yes having real names for perps online will help law enforcement, but by the time law enforcement is required the damage is already done because the victims real name was used online. the ability to be anonymous online would allow a victim of bullying to enjoy something without the bullies tracking them down at every website they go to. the smallest amount of joy a victim of bullying can have could be the differance between life and suicide.

*edit
Why does victims of crimes that are potentialy embarrasing be noted as anonymous at times? Because of bullies and the fear of them.

Why do the people who are not bullying someone use nicknames they create online?
Because they may get harrassed offline for some site they visit.

I can go on and on but as a victim of bullying when I was in school I value my online anonymous ability and the fact that I know that a bully cannot track me down and use my preferance in porn or the fact that I am a 40 year old gamer to insult me. and yes I left those bullies behind 25 to 30 years ago.

 

[hotsauceman]

If there is one thing i hate more then bullies(and i mean HATE) its people trying to take away peoples rights on the internet. The internet is dangerous in some cases(info and stuff. Remembers blizzards idea with real names?) and anonymity is required. Besides bullying will not stop. Bullies get away with it because they have power. Even with laws it is bad that people still kill themselves over it. I cant remember the details but there is a recent case in which a mother bullied someone to death. It wont stop. Bullying will never stop unless we change society in which it is considered not "Being just highschool"