Why post anonymously?

First, I participate on a number of different forums, and most prefer you use a pseudonym. Why? Because a forum owner has no way to definitively verify that a poster is who they say they are. For example, if I had a vendetta against you and wanted to make you look bad, I can simply register under your name in order to defame you. Of course, this could leave the forum owner up to potential liability if you decided to sue for defamation of character.

Second, you may not care what people say about you, but what about your children? I have seen posters on this forum sling gossip about other poster’s kids if they don’t like what they say. Suppose that gossip made the rounds at school. Do you really want to put your kids through that?

Third, and most importantly, there are just too many whackos in the world. Do you know how easy it is to get info on people on the internet these days…. to get someone’s address, phone #, spouse name, kids names, place of employment, kids’ school, etc??? Would something you said on a public forum incite someone’s rage enough to do something about it? Hopefully not.

Lastly, wouldn’t you agree that the member of this forum who most frequently engaged in name calling was someone who posted under his full name?

If you read the national trade rags, the problem the Patch has is that they started with a business model to have local reporters/editors, and the direction of their market (millions of non-monetized eyeballs) has taken those editors to instead be message board moderators, not what they were hired for, not what they want to be, and something better suited to trustee volunteers.

The only way to address your concerns about the tone of debate is to lock out those IPs who want to make it personal -- not MAKE IT about personalities. That is counter-productive. You wind up just discussing the discussion, as with this discussion.

Try this for a reason- plenty of people I'm sure ( I speak only for myself) don't want to be dragged into mostly pointless arguments. I have a legitimate reputation in the community as a well known business man and don't give enough of a crap to tarnish it along with the minority of prolific blowhards (hinty hint hint hint) who post their mostly mindless opinions on the patch. The empty can rattles the loudest.

The problem with the Long Valley Patch is that the well was tainted by one person who has done this repeatedly in town online boards to the point of being convicted of it.The Patch let Nedd post here despit his personal attacks, profanity and general disruption, now they finally lock him out, and ghe ios back as "una mattina" posting again. not even denying it.

People will not post under their own names in a cesspool where they are personally attacked by foul-mouthed sociopaths.

Other Patches, I've noticed, are actually coming around.

"Excellent answer to a naive column topic.
And I didn't have to post as "Stacie'sBohr'sExHusband" to make the point.". Ummm...okay....whatever that means, mrwilson.

I don't think my topic is naïve at all. I think it is honest. Which is what I am. Comments such as yours are exactly the point of my blog. Insulting someone behind a moniker to "protect" themselves. To each his own. But thank you for your comment.

I would never want my children dragged into anything, FourScore and I highly doubt that I am a threat to our community. Quite the contrary...my children admire me for my honesty and that is all that they know. If someone challenges them for what their mom stands by, I guarantee they would stand behind me as they have the same values.

And blah, blah, blah...I have a " legitimate reputation in the community" but as a parent and not necessarily as a well known business man. I appreciate where you are coming from for sure and self-preservation is understandable. Whether it is as a parent or a business person. I'm not thinking with dollar signs. But again, I get where you're coming from (sort of).

I like the posting the way it is. If you don;t like what someone posts either ignore them or grow a pair.
Rustycorvair or am I StacieBohr'sNextExHusband? :)

For those of us who are licensed real estate associates/ Brokers, we must, by law, use our full name when blogging. Advertising guidelines with the real estate commission.
Great topic, though, and food for thought!

The point/topic that I am really trying to get to with this blog is that a lot of people, as very perfectly demonstrated above, use pseudonyms so that they can down right insult people while hiding behind a mask.

I am most certainly not arrogant enough to believe that I will agree with everyone or that everyone will agree with me. As a matter of fact, there have been plenty of times where I have had a position and after reading intelligent comments with regard to a topic, my opinion shifts due to intelligent enlightenment.

And to mrwilson and rusty corvair...I take no insult to what you two are saying regarding "StacieBohr'sExHusband, Next ExHusband". If you choose to use a moniker, that is your prerogative but you are cowards who would never dare say that to my face. So thank you for proving my point.

I use my name and I am not afraid some weenie who does not like my expressions is going to do ?? whatever. All these big mouths with little minds that hide in their secret identities, to me they have no credibility. Stand up for your beliefs, like adults. I think Patch could do more to verify I.D.'s if they really care to, for those who do present their full names, to combat mis-use.

1234...I am completely realistic. That is why I say what I mean and I mean what I say. My intent never has been and never will be to hurt anyone. It's called an opinion. And one of the greatest gifts I could give to my children is letting them know that they have a voice to use so long as they do it in an appropriate manner. How is that remotely hurtful? Sit down and shut up is unrealistic. Say something but hide while you're doing it is unrealistic. Be who you are and own it...now that's realistic.

I appreciate your comments and your take, 123, and Four. That is precisely why I do not post hurtful things. I post an opinion and if others don't like it, I really don't care. I am extremely cautious in my words so I need not worry. I know exactly who you are talking about with regard to the stupid law suits. There is nothing that I would write that would lead to that and there is nothing that I would write that I am ashamed of. I guarantee that people would not write half of the garbage that they do if they used their real name and the topics would actually stay on topic rather than turn into a slew of disgusting insults. It's not a matter of "putting yourself out there"...it is a matter, under moniker, of saying things that you would never say if you had the guts to use your real name and then, potentially, setting yourself up for the wrath of others. That's just my opinion and you don't have to agree with it. And in the Facebook, Twitter and Instagram world....my little comments on something such as this is the least of my concerns and for that of my children.

To each Patch poster -- why do you participate?

-- to learn from people who know more about the town and community?
-- to exchange opinions on local and national issues?
-- to share insight you may have from community involvement?
-- to build or rebuild a political career?
-- to promote your business?
-- to become locally famous and make friends with your brilliant insights?

Some of these may require you use your real name. Others don't and if your reason for being here doesn't require putting your name out there, then why risk the personal attacks and grief that some here have seen from political nuts who make everything personal? While it is a "moderated" board, it isn't an agressively moderated board and isn't set up for handling flame wars. The Patch guys in charge of slapping and shooting board trolls are also charged with churning out five newspieces a day in their three town area, or whatever.

Stacie, putting your name out there is fine and sweet if you are just going to post platitudes like "everyone should be nice". But if you ever start taking stances on controversial issues, YOU may enjoy your new found notoriety, but possibly others in your life WON'T, whether they tell you so or not.

Stacie, I attended an info session on Internet Safety several years ago at LVMS given by MC Prosecutor's Office. Their advice was to be very careful about the info you give on-line, it was surprising how quickly the officer was able to get info out of member of the audience. You have told a lot of people who you don't know (and could live anywhere in the country) a lot of private info about yourself and your family, your divorce, you have a daughter in HS, you have younger ones, Raiders, they needed tutoring, you have a family member who committed suicide, etc (and thats what I just remember off the top of my head.) You gave your last name so its easy enough for some wacko to look up your address and phone. you gave your picture. You seem like a nice person but just saying, be careful.

Stacie Bohr """"""but you are cowards who would never dare say that to my face."""""

On many professional internet boards this would be considered an immediate violation of Terms of Service and result in your lockout. And if you tried to sneak back result in legal action. Calling people cowards, with the remedy for their pride being a future physical confrontation, is exactly what online communities fear. You have just proven that, rather than "real names" being the antidote for that, they can -- as it just did -- be the catalyst.

Taunting customers for the way they use the service, or "guessing" their names "aka", is simply bad bsuienss and drives people away from boards.

Posting under your real name is not noble and does not show integrity in most cases. It is always ignorant of the internet, often dangerous and the act of a lonely ditz, not some upstanding citizen.

Summation: Fools rush in.

Well...you have all most certainly given me food for thought and I thank you for that. And wow, Claire...you have one heck of a memory!

Stacie, I'm glad to see you are treating this as something to learn from. Google "Stacie Bohr Long Valley." The first page returned are Patch posts, plus your 876 phone number and a comcast email address.

Be safe. The better advice on the Patch should be NO ONE should be able to claim they are an actual local person. If the local stalker decided to join as some slight variation on your Patch screen name and post 50 messages being a Holocaust denier ar a white power racist, THAT is what people would see when they google your name and hometown.
Understand -- people in Long Valley know all this because of ONE person who has been repeatedly dragged into court for this stuff.

When you post under a pseudonymn people do not bring to your arguments any personal bag and baggage. And I believe going back to the Federalist Papers, where the name Publius was used, it is a venerable American tradition. So free speech means free speech you are willing to have attributed to you and free speech intended to foster discussion, not a battle of personalities. My problem with Patch is it has become way to personal, but that's the price of freedom.

I agree. Everyone should use their own names.

Stacie, I have to agree with you. I’ve used aliases in the past when posting to the Daily Record to protect against wackos. Back then, the DR allowed anyone to post and drew a large audience. There were some very nasty posts from time to time, but the paper’s moderators kept on top of it. Since registering with the Patch, I’ve used only my real identity. I take posts from people with real names more seriously than from anonymous people. If you have something to say, then say it. Something about being cloaked behind an alias seems to encourage middle-school level turrets in some people.

Arrogant, self-serving ridiculous blog. It's free speech, get off your high horse.

Beg to differ: you arrogantly began by defining pseudonym; you also inferred that your "ideals" are loftier than others'. Trying to impress those same ideals on the thread is ultimately self-serving. For someone who doesn't like name-calling, you were pretty quick with calling the anons cowards. (BTW, it's spelled cowardice.) The pseudonym debate is belabored ad nauseum on every thread---drop it! We are going to use whatever names we choose, which does not make our comments any less relevant than "real-namers." And how do you know those are real names? Because they say so, or they look like real names? There's probably a lot more people who contribute intelligently to the Patch who wouldn't under their own name--a good thing. Just like people who are not good at public speaking but have something to say. And the best reasons are privacy and safety, as stated by several people above. I don't know or trust strangers, why would I make my personal information readily available? Ever hear of cyber-stalkers?! I do own my points and when I comment that IS my voice--the name should make no difference.

Why don't you leave Stacie alone...she's admitting she sees others points of views on the subject and the fact is, it's true that people using monikers do insult others on here more. I completely understand why people use pseudonyms for all the reasons listed above but Stacie makes a valid point that people are more likely to name call and sometimes be down right cruel when they are under these pseudonyms. Not always of course, but defiantely more likely. So use one or don't use one, but the name calling and insults on here are out of control.

i respect the fact that Stacie has listened and perhaps even changed her mind on the topic. Darn rare.

The reality is, ad hominem "to the man" personal attacks are impossible on a board where pseudonums are mandated.

And if a forum insists on "real" ids, you don't have the problem of "pseudonymed" people taking shots at "real" people that they wouldn't get away with in an even playing field.

The problem is when they allow mixed groups, pseudonymed and real. IMO, the Patch is irresponsible for letting posters "claim" real local names. They have no way of checking whether it is true or not, and any spirited debate inevitably boils down to people either attacking a "real" person in an ad hominem fashion, or a "real" person falsely guessing/accusing a pseudoynmed person of being real person X or Y.

Imagine if opinions stated could only be discussed on their merit rather than adopting the cloak of "authority" through a claimed political or official role?

Also, let's dispel with the "halo" of courageous people posting under their "real" names. Some are doing it with no agenda, or a straightforward one like promoting their local business. But too many others are doing it with dangerous naivete of the consequences of opinions on their internet, are politicians or aspiring politicians acting with a marketing motive, or are flat out narcisissts/sociopaths seeking to fill some personal psychological void or forward a grudge.

Thank you Sue and mrwilson. I was being a hypocrite and again, my apologies to those who I have offended. I will be more aware of "practicing what I preach".

There are real risks in posting online, thus justifying at least some degree of anonymity. The real issue is not anonymity, but bad behavior.

The calls to ban anonymity have more to do with wanting to discredit the poster rather go through the intellectually honest process of debating the content of the message - i.e. Mr. Wilson's point about ad hominems. It's either that or the naive belief that bad behavior can be eliminated by restricting the liberty of those who already regulate their conduct to fit within societal norms.

The proper course of action is to warn those who become abusive and ban them when they fail to heed the warning.

I commend the author of this blog/op-ed for stepping away from her previous inflammatory comments and for being honest above all else.

Funny, I am constantly being asked why I *don't* have a pseudonym. It surprises me how many people seem uncomfortable with the fact that I have not assumed a pseudonym for the purpose of showing that I am married to my husband.

Huh?

The Patch is a local forum and unfortunately old school politics reign supreme in most of the small towns in NJ. If you comment with your real name you run the risk of having building permits denied, property taxes reassessed, your street being plowed last, tickets for your sidewalk being cracked, etc,etc. The town fathers and mothers can become quite spiteful when criticized.

Yes, it would be great if people were required to post under their real name. Civility and intelligent discourse might actually find a place on the internet. Unfortunately, we choose to have heated, anonymous arguments based on emotion and petty grievance instead of actual facts and accountability. Once upon a time, the only way to get your voice heard was to sign your name to it. You had to be a real whackjob to say some of the things that people post here and stand behind it, and nobody paid attention to you. Now, you can say whatever you want, under a pseudonym that sounds like a real name even, and people not only listen but line up behind you to support you.

The scary thing is that the people posting here are not from Texas or Montana but our neighbors and friends and colleagues. People we see on a day to day basis, people that we drink coffee with in the morning, that deliver our mail, that we eat lunch with or drive the bus or buy our products; people that we would never say some of these things to their faces. Yet when we have an anonymous forum we suddenly become animals, biting and clawing at each other over something as petty and stupid as a football field or tax levy. These actions are not the sign of a healthy community, but a group of selfish individuals who are more concerned with their own welfare than that of their neighbor. It's shameful.

@Stacie, I enjoyed your column. It isn't just the Patch that is having these issues, even a popular site such as YouTube is struggling with negative anonymous comments. Because of the amount of sarcastic and mean spirited comments that are made each day on their site, they have been trying to get people to switch to using their google plus accounts to post. So this is not a naive topic, it is an actual problem. I would rather not post my identity but if you knew me in person, you would recognize my username. This helps me keep myself in check. Sometimes I want to write mean, sarcastic comments but I always ask myself would I say this in person? Sometimes I write things I regret or somethings come off very badly. So to sum up my comment, communicating online is a struggle.

Here is a point of view on the subject voiced nationally.

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/3036697/ns/msnbc-hardball_with_chris_matthews/vp/51042835/#51042835

I always use a moniker, its like voting behind a curtain, I'd like my opinions to be known but don't want to be attacked by someone personally if I disagree with theirs. Are there people who hide behind monikers and attack other, sure, but those are slightly unhinged people we're really hiding our names from, not the people posting under their real name.

How about just disabling all comments from all articles? Why do these articles need them anyways? I know every single online newspaper website has this with the idea of creating a "community atmosphere" but usually it just ends up being an online peanut gallery on every article. This includes my humble opinion:)

Internet Traffic asks customers to identify themselves as part of new Google initiative.

One of the topics discussed extensively in the hallways at Webfest this year was changes Google is making to its parking program.

Although I don’t have all of the details, the bottom line is that Google is making an effort to better identify who is actually parking domains using its ad feed. This may involve steps to identify people across the various parking companies that use Google.

Today Internet Traffic customers saw what appears to be the first sign of these changes.

The company sent an email to customers asking them to agree to a couple terms and provide detailed contact information.

The terms are basic and are already in all parking companies’ terms: that you won’t click on ads on any of your domains and won’t provide incentives for others to click.

I’m not sure how this will be implemented across the different parking companies, but you can expect to see some of the results of these changes in the coming months. And my understanding is that there are other parts of this initiative that you won’t see.

domainwire.com

To reiterate above....exchanges get fiery, quicker, when people are defending their own real names. This column could not show it better -- Stacie suddenly called people cowards when they criticized her, and in her own penned column bemoaning such behavior! This could be used in an Internet classroom!

If someone call "JohnDoe123" an imbecile, he might laugh and shrug it off and go get ready for his baseball fantasy draft. If they call "John Bagadonuts", his real name" and imbecile in his home town, on a board his friends and kids and family read, Joe goes postal....to defend his "name".

Capiche?

Not hiding, Michael, nor pretending--just exercising my First Amendment rights. I'm not the one who would ostracize or boycott my neighbors because they expressed their opinion on the Patch. I believe that was your "Big Brother" recommendation. Along with this whole silly credit card verification process. Was that too rude or offensive?

Stacie, I seem to recal you wrote about this last summer, so0 I looked back in your blog list. You had this exchange, which hardly points to anonymity being the culprit for a lack of civility:
============================================
stacie bohr
3:42 pm on Saturday, September 8, 2012

KMN...you are an excellent example as to why I wrote this blog. These kinds of comments are so unnecessary. People are very tired of hearing the insults and negativity. It really discredits you and your points and not the other way around. I am fairly certain that you could care less as to what I have to say but, as I said earlier in this thread, you can post what you want but on my blog...it's a shame that you have to try and tarnish the good nature of what it is really about. But the good news is...you haven't.

Kevin Nedd
4:05 pm on Saturday, September 8, 2012

Stacie,

Everything you wrote above is your opinion and quite frankly I could care less what you have to say. I say this not as a means of being disrespectful, but as a matter of fact. I really dont care.

what this entire thread shows is that there are those who will simply not use their true and correct legal names when given the opportunity to be forthright and honest about their views opinions and identities.
and as Smirconish says, you can stand in the town square and say what you will, but we can still 'see your face'.
Here at Patch they protect the privacy of 'registered users' identities , while at the same time in one example of 'Drew Wilcow', Patch knows that this is not the true and correct legal name of 'the user' at the distinct disregard and disadvantage of the privacy of the REAL person Drew Wilcow that lives in Inglewood Caifornia!

Imagine, some one is using an assumed name to comment at Patch ( a nationwide site) using a real persons name who is oblivious as to what is being said in their name because Patch allows it?

Our founding fathers and in particular Ben Franklin, felt it was the right of every American to speak openly and anonymously, especially if they feared repression for their opinions. Therefore they did not consider it a crime or even rude to remain anonymous. In fact they considered it a right!

If you paid attention in your history classes you might recall The the Federalist Papers where authored and distributed only by the pseudonyms “Publius,” who we know now today were actually James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay.

Hundreds of 1st amendment cases have also backed our right to anonymous speech.

Freedom is freedom from rules and regulations created by others who wish to control people besides themselves, and without them saying it directly it appears to me that both Stacie and Steward are not interested in open debate, or freedoms, but instead much more interested in getting their way, because they are convinced their way is the right way, and the rest of us are just wrong!

“They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.”___ Ben Franklin, February 1775
PS. I do believe in freedom, so if Stacie and Steward wish to post under their own names…… I won’t stand in their way!

I, for one, would be a regular contributor to the local dialogue on Patch if the conversation were more civil. When I post a comment, I am guided by some basic regulations: (1) I don't type anything that I would not feel comfortable saying to another person while standing next to them; (2) I never attack the person nor use adjectives or invective to counter a point; (3) to the extent I have a contrary position, I explain why through facts and analysis.

I completely respect the right of others to contribute using their names or using pseudonyms. That said, I have a hard time when someone using a pseudonym levies a personal attack against someone else. It is the verbal equivalent of hiding behind a wall, throwing a stone at someone and then running. I feel badly for those in public service. Even if someone has made a grave error or is completely ill-equipped to be in a position, that person has to subject themselves to anonymous personal attacks against themselves (and family members). Hardly fair - even if the criticism is deserved.

Patch posts many of its articles on Facebook. On the Facebook site, when Patch posts about a police promotion, 100% of the comments are positive because people have to post under their names. On Patch, the comments are decidedly negative and often nasty because of the pseudonym factor.

The great thing about the First Amendment is it permits free speech even without attribution. The downside it is permits a verbal free-for-all.

Todd< some great points,I find it ironic that when mudslinging begins most people slinging dont have the ability to own their opinions,it makes me wonder how some are so inspired and supportive of things that they cant sign their true identities too.

Should the radio station ban the nasty DJ, or should you change the station?

I think Howard Stern and Larry Flint are the pits of society and I don’t listen to him or buy Larry’s magazine. BUT, I would stand in harm’s way and lay my life down to protect their rights to be the pits of society. It is called Freedom. Freedom is not something YOU believe in and think you shape and control. It is plain and simple Freedom to believe in what you want! Control and Freedom are mutually exclusive! You cannot have freedom if you desire controls.

Show we ban Walter Cornkite? No! But oh it is okay to put Larry Flint in Jail!!! Did you people pay attention to the sixties? Where you even around in the sixties?

Oh there's a dirty paper using sex to make a sale
The supreme court was so upset, they sent him off to jail.
Maybe we should help the fiend and take away his fine.
But we're busy reading playboy and the Sunday new York times
And i'm sure it wouldn't interest anybody
Outside of a small circle of friends”___ Phil Ochs

You need to really meditate on Franklin’s quote: ““They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.” Until you actually understand what he said!

Freedom does not occur with government controls.

I think this topic is a double edged sword. I am pro-pseudonym because sometimes people cannot always express their true feelings and opinions because of their job or role in society and fear of retribution. For example, if a government employee were to come on here posting in opposition of one of their government's rulings, they may fear that their protests will be taken personally and their job would be in jeopardy. One may say well then don't post, but we are all entitled to have an opinion on a subject and a pseudonym provides anonymity and protection.

However, sometimes people think they are smarter than they actually are and attempt to call out a poster by name and in these instances I am against the pseudonym. For instance, I have a friend who was called out by name on a board for postings. However, the individual posting was not my friend and the person who called them out was incorrect as to the identity of the poster, which the poster did identify at the time. My friend has an uncommon name and it got back to he/she and he/she had to go through a whole process of having the posts deleted because they do work in the public sector and were worried about being falsely accused of such comments and opinions and fearing retribution.

Same anon posters with the same excuses for not adding their true and correct legal names while at the same time 'Una's' comment was REMOVED for having revealed 4squares real name? As 4square remained silent on Una;s comment?
How special...

Look, there are plenty of places on the Internet you can go and have flame wars and controversial conversations in an anonymous forum. Why can't we have one place where people have civilized discourse about local concerns using their real names? Patch had the opportunity to be a town hall on the web, a place where local news was reported and neighbors could get together and discuss it as a community. Where people could post their ideas and frustrations online and local officials might actually see it and do something about it. Instead, we have allowed it to sink to the same level as the rest of the Internet; a cesspool of angry, hate filled comments posted by anonymous users, some of whom post under real sounding names, some of whom use the names of others. The only way to restore some type of legitimacy and decorum around here is to wipe the whole thing clean, delete every user account, and make people sign in with their real names, verified by the moderators using either credit cards or some other form of ID. Until then, you have no idea who you're talking to and you cannot take any post seriously. The trolls and spammers will continue to infest this forum like bedbugs, and there is nothing that can be done about it until we burn the mattress and steam the curtains. People having legitimate discourse will be buried in the muck or simply stay away from the forums altogether, leaving the Patch to be nothing but a group of monkeys throwing their filth at each other.

Remember folks, there is no first amendment right to post invective or anything else on Patch and that is why the site and it's readers would be better served if people were forced to sign in with Facebook.

Well...my little "ridiculous, naïve, self-serving blog" as referenced above has certainly turned into a fairly hearty debate now hasn't it. I'm glad, actually. And not with any self-serving motivation behind it as I am sure someone will try to "call me out" on. It's interesting to see the dialogue and that is precisely why I wrote it and asked for feedback.

You are 100% correct, Gobsmacked. I was being smug. I still stand behind the fact that I look at pseudonyms in a different light, though. Never said nor do I think I am all that and a bag of chips. If that's what you get out of my blog or comments, that is your problem.

So not patting myself on the back, Liberty. What exactly have I gained here except a better understanding of people's motivation on how they choose to represent themselves? The fact of the matter is that I was told I'm naïve, to get off of my "high horse", this blog is pretty much a waste of time, etc....but there are still over 100 comments on my ignorant blog. That tells me that people have actually thought about it too and wish to share their position. That's all...nothing else. I have gained nothing except insight and a new respect for those who use monikers and why they do. Yay me!

Okay, Gobsmacked. I will definitely give that some thought. I'm not even sure what it means but will mull it over.

If I had to write again, BillBalls...I probably wouldn't have written it at all if I had the insight that has been provided through this thread. Having a better understanding of why people choose to use monikers vs. my thinking that they are/were hiding under a veil is ignorant and I was being self-righteous in thinking that because I use my "real" name is better. I have owned that fully. Whether I choose to use my real name or not, I will not insult people (which I have done in the past) but one thing that is for damn sure, I will still never not defend myself when being insulted or "accused" of false motivations in my words or when people choose to twist my words into something they were never intended to be. Great question!

Stacie, you have shown a lot of character on this thread and I admire you and I think you are a good person and it was informative for a lot of people.

Sock Puppets are quick easy and fun to make as a Patch alter ego!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOmlkeLuEZg

Stacie, I write an occasional blog for Patch and am a frequent poster. I don't believe there is a good reason not to use your own name. There are excuses but not reasons. Studies have shown that when people assume they can't be identified their behavior becomes worse. Not everyone of course but enough to show human behavior at it's worse.

Thank you, Dan. While I am glad I wrote the blog...it has been exhausting...truly emotionally exhausting (no pity party folks....just reality so don't jump on me). I believe in honesty and now, I fully understand while people choose monikers in an effort to preserve their privacy and to save themselves from "cyber-stalkers". But in an effort to have a dialogue about it, I was trashed. I'm no better than anyone and never pretended to be. It was an observation that I made and wrote about, but you can't even do that. I'm no victim...I give as good as I get but I am hardly a mean spirited person. These forums make me think the worse of people. And I'm sure someone will let me know that I'm included in the "worse" category.

Wow... 135+ comments? I'm glad you popped that blister...It gave everyone food for thought...

I feel standing behind my real name as a Patch Blogger, I have a responsibility to make sure what is in print has been researched thoroughly. Once, I 'm satisfied with my fact finding I add my own personal perspective. I don't think people using a pseudonym have this kind of commitment. There is no skin in the game and no reputation at stake for them. However, piecing together information from various public resources and putting them together in one place can be upsetting to some because it is provocative and not always a flattering picture. I realize this and I am always prepared to show my resources. My recent blogs have challenged others to question how genuine our leadership is in keeping their promises, and their integrity in fulfilling their position to those that voted them into office or are giving them their paycheck. I do feel these people should be accountable to us. Did they make decisions on our behalf or was it self interest or sway from a special interest group? I feel confident presenting this information because I know I have the facts behind my arguments and I am ready for a good debate. But I find that those who use a pseudonym sometimes have comments as fake as there names. They are not looking for an honest debate but a reaction and it is just a game.

Every single comment, good and bad, is very much appreciated. I do not blog so everyone can agree, I blog because of something I'm curious about, believe in or question. The kindness completely outweighs the negativity in this blog and even those who were angry with my blog showed tremendous kindness once the onion was pealed down or once my myopic layers were pealed down. Thank you!

For the Record – I used to post on a financial forum under my real name. I was critical of a stock and its performance and wrote about it being a bad investment. My posts got the attention of another poster who totally disagreed with me and believed that company was the next Microsoft (it wasn’t) . A flaming was started between us

Long story short, she (yes it was a she) stated cyber-stalking not on me but also my family. She wrote e-mails to them telling them what an a$$ I was, she went so far as to write an e-mail to my employer telling them I was stealing from them, and then the coup de grâce, the B-itch sent the university my son was attending a series of e-mails falsely portraying him the head of a cheating ring.

Long story short. It cost me over $10K in legal fees to find out who she was, and stop her defaming actions, and as bad luck would have it, she doesn't have two sticks to rub together, so my chance of a financial recovery from her are nil.

Pretending to Be Someone Else Online?
Are you the ultimate Catfish? Have you mastered the art of multiple online identities? Have others fallen in love with your Internet alter-egos? Are you an expert at leading a double life?

If so, we want to share your story with the world. Chosen participants will receive a generous stipend. Please include a phone number and preferred email that we may reach you at.

•Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
•Please, no phone calls about this job!
•Please do not contact job poster about other services, products or commercial interests.
Posting ID: 3685876079
Posted: 2013-03-16, 8:16PM EDT
Edited: 2013-03-16, 8:16PM EDT

BB? mixing apples/oranges @ your cyber fruit stand again I see?
'Internet chats in real-time “is a huge priority for the FBI” that, although in the works, was halted by last year’s presidential election. Now with the 2012 race out of the picture — and the country’s most transparent president ever elected for another round — the FBI aims to iron out a deal that will let Internet companies like Google tap into their data to watch what’s happening on the Web in instances where waiting five minutes just won’t do. Weissman even hinted at being able to intercept messages sent over entirely different sites'.By the years’ end, the attorney says the FBI hopes to be able to snoop on conversations that occur over the Web by gaining access to up-to-the-second feeds
http://leaksource.wordpress.com/2013/03/28/fbi-to-monitor-online-chats-in-real-time-by-2014/
Game On Sock Puppets.

Oh grow up, Stacie. If you don't like it, don't participate.

I'm ready to be slammed on the head but I can handle it....how do you guys know if someone changes their moniker to a new moniker? I understand people may write in a certain way but how do you know for sure? Just curious.

Holy crap. Scary...but good to know. Thank you, Drew. I will forever be known as Sasha Fierce from this point forward! I always wanted a more exotic name anyway! And it really kind of stinks that you can't be you without being scared. But really, thank you, Drew! Lots of things will change In my "public" world. That has truly been enlightening.

Interesting to hear how this went....

Plainfield Trustee Wants Names of 'Anonymous Cyberbullies'
Garrett Peck filed a petition for discovery seeking the account information and IP addresses for Plainfield Patch users, saying they hurt his election prospects.

http://plainfield.patch.com/articles/plainfield-trustee-wants-names-of-internet-commentersgarrettpecktimronjidzny