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kleinbl00 · 2591 days ago · link · · parent · post: These failed apps uncovered a hidden rule of the web: anonymity kinda ruins social media
These discussions always divide the online world into two camps: "real name" and "anonymous" without ever mentioning "pseudonymous." It's ridiculous - pseudonyms have been used to build clout and reputation without impinging on "real life" since the ancient Greeks. You don't switch costumes at the Masque. Since online networks were a thing, people have generally been using an alias (or a small handful of aliases) and sticking with it. Even over on Reddit - there's a large contingency for whom that alias doesn't matter but as soon as you have a single high-ranking post, you're sticking with it. Yet the tech press always sees things in terms of "real name" or "total anonymity" and harps about how total anonymity doesn't work. no shit.