Pseudonymity on the Web

One original idea that I have tried hard to study/refine is pseudonymity and its presence

on the web. Pseudonymity is defined as: “a word derived from pseudonym (meaning

„false name‟) and anonymity (meaning unknown or undeclared source‟) describing a state

of disguised identity or the use of a pseudonym,” (meetingwave). Pseudonymity is the

core of culture of the web, it is very vital to the productivity of the web because it

provides a way for individuals to express themselves freely, without

judgement/condemnation from those close to them. Pseudonymity allows individuals to

receive help/ advice on sensitive subjects, freely express their opinions, and freedom to

enjoy what they love to do without worrying about what others say.

Pseudonymity is not a new concept. It was a very popular concept in ancient literature,

for example, the famous name “Mark Twain” was a pseudonym name for Samuel

Clemens. Other examples include the authors of the “Federalists Papers.” Pseudonymity

is an important concept in today's Internet culture for many reasons. One is because it

allows people to consult with others online on sensitive issues like health or abuse. There

are many online forums flooding with individuals under pseudonym names. These

forums cover various topics like: rape, domestic violence, STD‟s, cancer, etc. These

topics are very sensitive and personal. They are also very troubling issues that others

need to talk about. Pseudonymity in these forums allow individuals a safe haven in terms

of giving them privacy as well as an outlet to speak on their problems.

Another reason why Pseudonymity is so important is because it allows others to freely

express their opinions with freedom from condemnation from those they know. For

example, there are many times where we are the minority in a certain social circle, and

our thoughts/beliefs are not heard or are put down because they don‟t conform to those of

others. Many find acceptance and are given opportunities to express themselves with

other individuals online, which they can relate to. They don‟t register or post under their

“ real” identity because of the fear of being ostracized by individuals; who they deal with

on a day-to-day basis and may look down on their beliefs. An employer may be able to

Google your name and notices that you may have a strong stance against one of their

beliefs. It can have an effect on things like a job promotions or new job. With

pseudonyms, these individuals are allowed to essentially “be themselves” without

worrying about what their employees, friends, or even family might say. We all have

different “selves” that we have to be when we are around different people and situations.

It doesn‟t mean we don‟t have a real self, it just that every situation calls us to play a

different role in life. “Persistent pseudonyms aren't ways to hide who you are. They

provide a way to be who you are” (schneier). What Google and Facebook are doing is

crippling not helping our identity and the role the web plays in our lives. Making

everyone be connected with their online profiles, does not produce valuable information

on the web it dilutes it. It makes people hold back their true feelings/ thoughts because

they are too scared or nervous. They know that everything they say will be linked back to

them. Pseudonymity allows there to be discussions where individuals can honestly

express themselves as well as produce quality content.

While there is a lot of good that comes with pseudonymity, there is also some bad (I

don‟t believe the bad outweighs the good though). With pseudonymity there comes what

many people like to call “trolls”. “Internet 'trolling' is the anti-social act of causing of

interpersonal conflict and shock-value controversy online.“ (netforbeginners.) Albeit,

this is an issue among many sites, there are many solutions that can help alleviate or rid

sites of trolls. One solution is to allow people to register under their real “name” but

giving the option to post under another name or identity altogether. Others should not be

able to find out or retrieve the user real information without approval of the user. One

acceptable reason for getting the users information without permission is if they violated

a user term agreement or law. Another solution, (which is in use today), is if there is a

persistent troll on the site is to do the following: take away the trolls ability to post online

( ban them from site, or block IP address).

In essence, I believe there are three key points in the success of pseudonymity on the

web, that is: accountability, quality of content, and having a persistent presence.

Accountability is important because it holds users accountable for their words/ actions

online. I believe one of the main reasons why many “troll” online is because sometimes

they don‟t have anything linking them to what they say. It‟s synonymous to people

looting a store when no one is watching. Surveillance is key. If there is a way where we

can have one main account and we were allowed to have many aliases on these accounts

for different sites, I believe that surveillance on most sites would be possible. Quality of

content and persistence of presence, in my opinion, both go hand in hand. Being

persistent and providing quality content helps establish your identity. This type of

identity allows you to interact in many ways with many others online and still be seen as

a „real‟ individual that others interact with.

In conclusion, I believe that pseudonymity is still an important concept in today's online

culture. I believe it fosters trust and build relationships with individuals who have similar

interests and beliefs. It allows people to separate their personal life from their business

life (since most of the stuff you do online will follow you throughout your life). It also

allows others to freely express their opinions. One disadvantage of having users use a

pseudonym is trolls. But there can be steps taken to negate these.

Sources:

http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2011/08/pseudonymity.html .

http://netforbeginners.about.com/od/netiquetteonlineculture/f/What-Is-Trolling.htm

http://blog.meetingwave.com/pseudonymity-the-tension-between-identity-and-

anonymity-online