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Poll: Do you use your real identity on HN?

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Re: Poll: Do you use your real identity on HN?

#261

Post by Suitov »

loteck wrote: post #74
spitx wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I do not think HN frowns on inflammatory speech if worded deftly. If you are inflamed, your speech should be inflammatory. Anything less will be intellectually dishonest.

If you are inflamed, your speech should be inflammatory. No. Being inflammatory is by definition an attempt to cause others to become inflamed. Should those others also then reply with inflammatory speech? Where does it end? Value of the thread drops to zero rapidly. I've appreciated my time on HN specifically because I notice many replies to "inflamed" speech specifically eschew further inflammation and focus on the…

>I've appreciated my time on HN specifically because I notice many replies to "inflamed" speech specifically eschew further inflammation and focus on the mindful discussion. Bravo.

I, too. It's almost like my IRL workplace, but with loads more techie clued-up people. And IRL, I very much enjoy working in a context in which there are very few alpha males, Insanity Wolves and Ayn Rand readers.

Now, personally, I do my best to be avoidant or calmly assertive when someone I meet annoys me, and I mentally file people who throw chest-beating tantrums under "giant baby" and avoid them on the assumption that instability implies unreliability and they wouldn't be pleasant to work with. Fundamental attribution error be damned, one blow-up is one too many for me to feel at ease around someone. So that tells you something about my personal definition of unacceptable behaviour, I suppose.

Re: Poll: Do you use your real identity on HN?

#262

Post by onemorepassword »

I used to, HN was one of the few public places I felt comfortable doing that. And I know my team and people I know are on HN too, so I better behave.

But then I still got slow-banned on that account without any given reason or recourse. That felt uncomfortably asymmetrical, to put my real identity out there and to then be secretly "punished" by an anonymous mod.

Since then I consider any account on HN to be a throwaway. I'm still open to being personally accountable, but only if it works both ways.

Re: Poll: Do you use your real identity on HN?

#264

Post by Kiro »

cupcake-unicorn wrote: post #163
vinhboy wrote: post #154

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I especially like what you said about making your facebook 100% public to rid yourself of the illusion of privacy. I agree. If I am going to put something online, I expect it to be in the public domain. I do however try to keep all my online identities, although all real, separate. For example, I don't link my reddit account on my facebook. It's like having different groups of friends, you don't want to force them to…

Or delete your Facebook, and make an account just for following pages. I did it a year ago and I never looked back.

Deleting Facebook would be like deleting my life. Outrageous suggestion.

Re: Poll: Do you use your real identity on HN?

#265

Post by simonh »

tekromancr wrote: post #215
benrhughes wrote: post #211

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I do a similar thing. As Epictetus said: "When you do anything from a clear judgment that it ought to be done, never shun the being seen to do it, even though the world should make a wrong supposition about it; for, if you don't act right, shun the action itself; but, if you do, why are you afraid of those who censure you wrongly?"

I don't like that. It sounds too much like the "If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear" argument for privacy invasion.

Sorry, but no. It's absolutely not the same thing at all. There is absolutely no conflict between being entirely public and open with the majority of your online activities, yet standing up for the rights of those who do need privacy, such as children or political activists or possibly women in some situations. We all need and expect privacy in some activities such as banking or voting records, but that's entirely compatible with generally living life in the open. My name is Simon Hibbs and outside perhaps one or two minor and very short lived cases, I have never used any other identity online.

Re: Poll: Do you use your real identity on HN?

#266

Post by darklajid »

I know the poll specifically asks about the real name in the profile, but I want to point out that 'generic usernames' (mine's particularly silly and mostly kept because it's close enough to line noise to be usually available _and_ with me for a good deal more than a decade) don't change the 'real identity' thing in general.

If I wouldn't have my real name in my profile, you'd still be able to figure out who I am in a second. Even if that would _not_ be the case: Given that I am my handle on the internet and keep it everywhere I go, I'd say that this is more useful and even more personal than my 'real name'.

Re: Poll: Do you use your real identity on HN?

#267

Post by onedev »

cupcake-unicorn wrote: post #163
vinhboy wrote: post #154

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I especially like what you said about making your facebook 100% public to rid yourself of the illusion of privacy. I agree. If I am going to put something online, I expect it to be in the public domain. I do however try to keep all my online identities, although all real, separate. For example, I don't link my reddit account on my facebook. It's like having different groups of friends, you don't want to force them to…

Or delete your Facebook, and make an account just for following pages. I did it a year ago and I never looked back.

No thanks, I'll keep mine. It's far too useful.

Re: Poll: Do you use your real identity on HN?

#269

Post by MereInterest »

tekromancr wrote: post #215
benrhughes wrote: post #211

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I do a similar thing. As Epictetus said: "When you do anything from a clear judgment that it ought to be done, never shun the being seen to do it, even though the world should make a wrong supposition about it; for, if you don't act right, shun the action itself; but, if you do, why are you afraid of those who censure you wrongly?"

I don't like that. It sounds too much like the "If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear" argument for privacy invasion.

It sounds as though the difference is voluntary vs. forced removal of privacy. The ideal of being willing and able to show oneself to the whole world, as opposed to being ashamed of each action.

That said, I disagree with the statement. Different social groups have different norms, and those norms should be respected. I tend to make a large number of sexual jokes when around a particular group of friends, but those jokes would not be taken well by other groups of friends. It is not that the jokes are wrong, but simply that they do not work for everyone. To broadcast them to all my various social groups would be mean-spirited, and so I do not.

Re: Poll: Do you use your real identity on HN?

#270

Post by michael_h »

diminoten wrote: post #223
cupcake-unicorn wrote: post #163

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or delete your Facebook, and make an account just for following pages. I did it a year ago and I never looked back.

I'd delete Facebook if it weren't so damn useful...

Honest question: What about facebook do you find useful?

I hate that I have to preface a question as being sincere to ensure that it isn't read as an insult, but here we are.

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