Secret identities

[Rob Hearn]

Out of interest, why do people conceal their identity on The Sinner?

[amac]

So they can get into abusive arguments, without people knowing they're actually a 5 stone midget from Albania.

[the-ally]

to annoy everyone who wants to know who they are...

i think i've been the subject of the biggest witch hunt lately, and i find it really funny to see all the different guesses as to who I may be!

[Wong]

Sometimes people have to make comments that they'd rather not put their name to. Unfortunately some people abuse the idea and use it to disguise their identity rather than just conceal it. Does that even make sense? I don't care, I've got 18 hours to learn Networking.

[hr]No tree has branches so foolish as to fight among themselves

[exnihilo]

Concealment is surely posting unregistered. Picking a username is not about concealment, it's about using a simple, easy to remember name that you use for email, other groups, etc - often because when you tried to get an email with your name, someone had it already and you didn't want a string of numbers.

[LonelyPilgrim]

Well, I prefer anonymity because while I'm more than happy to get into heated discussions on here, I don't particular want folks I know to come up to me in the street and try to continue them. Or hit me, for that matter.

That said, I don't take it all that seriously, and thanks to the chatroom my identity is slowly being revealed.

[hr]---Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power.--- Abraham Lincoln

[falach]

[s]LonelyPilgrim wrote on 20:25, 17th Jan 2005:

That said, I don't take it all that seriously, and thanks to the chatroom my identity is slowly being revealed.




i know it, but then very few people know who i am!

[Colin]

Pah, if you want to say something, have the guts to put your name to it. I have never seen the logic behind having an 'internet identity'. Your opinions are your own, and you should be willing to stand by them if you want to share them publicly. If you don't want anyone to know how you think, shut the f*ck up.

Yes, posting unreg is useful if you want to ask a question and don't want to be embarrased, but if you feel you have an answer to a question worth giving, why hide your identity?

And don't even get me started on why people are allowed 3 usernames. Why? What possible use is the ability to be schizophrenic online?

[LonelyPilgrim]

Colin, it's not that I am 'afraid' to put my name to what I have to say. Believe me, I've never had a problem with that. What I desire though is to keep discussions online, in a time of my choosing. I do not want people interrupting me throughout the day to comment on something I've said on here. I'm always more than willing to disclose who I am to anyone who wants to e-mail me, provided they understand that I would prefer any discussion to be conducted over e-mail or the Sinner, unless I explicitly say otherwise.

So, in short, not because of fear, but because the selfish desire to uncomplicate my life.

[hr]---Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power.--- Abraham Lincoln

[exnihilo]

I'm in no way shy about who I am - and if I were it wouldn't do me any good, I've been 'outed' too often on here, including today!

Besides, as anyone who knows me will tell you, I have no qualms whatsoever about saying exactly what's on my mind and taking full responsibility for my remarks.

But, as I said, I use the name that I use elsewhere for reasons of simplicity. For what it's worth though, as bare usernames go "Colin" is no more informative than "exnihilo".

[Colin]

OK, first: LonelyPilgrim, please do not take the above rant as aimed at yourself, it was a more general opinion on the culture of having two separate personas - 'online' and 'real life' - which strikes me as silly.

But do you really think that people would seek you out in the street to continue a debate from the Sinner? I doubt that - if only due to the fact that half of the rest of the Sinner hide behind such online personas and probably would not want to reveal their secret identity!! But quite seriously, I very much doubt that a debate on the Sinner is likely to turn into a debate in the street / lecture theatre / anywhere else. The only 'real life' discussions I have ever had with anyone about Sinner content would be with people I was already speaking to socially.

[Midget]

Most people in St Andrews call me Midget. If I used my real name then I'd be more anonymous.

And Colin, as exnihilo says thats hardly revealing who you are there must be quite a few colin's in St As.

[Colin]

[s]exnihilo wrote on 21:49, 17th Jan 2005:
I'm in no way shy about who I am - and if I were it wouldn't do me any good, I've been 'outed' too often on here, including today!

Besides, as anyone who knows me will tell you, I have no qualms whatsoever about saying exactly what's on my mind and taking full responsibility for my remarks.

But, as I said, I use the name that I use elsewhere for reasons of simplicity. For what it's worth though, as bare usernames go "Colin" is no more informative than "exnihilo".


Again, my rant was not aimed at specific previous posters. Although on your last point - "Colin" is actually what people I speak to call me. It being my name. Do people actually call you "exnihilo"? How do you even pronounce that? Anyway, the only reason why I have "Colin" not "Colin Snodgrass" is that I couldn't be bothered typing out the whole thing. And when I first signed up, the Sinner was still a very small community. I believe that it is fairly widely known who I am, at least amoungst those that know me and are likely to speak to me beyond these boards.

Fair point on having such a name as "exnihilo" for simplicity if you spend a lot of time on various boards / chatrooms etc, where I suppose world-wide there is a reasonable odds that your name is not unique, but I always regarded the Sinner as an extension of real St Andrews. I.e. part of a small community of students and useful really as an extension of real life in the town, not as some internet alternative reality. Nowadays I use it primarily to keep in contact with people since I have graduated and am in St Andrews less often.

Anyway. Shall stop there before I go off on the same sort of points I first made.

[steerpike]

[s]Rob Hearn wrote on 19:22, 17th Jan 2005:
Out of interest, why do people conceal their identity on The Sinner?




Half the fun for me has to be the working out who everyone is - it's something that's unique to an online messageboard thats based on such a small town community.
and anyway itd be so boring if everyone kept to their real names - check out some of the weird and wonderful choices on the full list of sinner accounts. a lot of the more funy ones havent even been used - how many registered Sinners actually use their accounts?

[johness]

I saw a sinner in person this evening and it really freaked me out. He is so much taller (and more attractive) in person than I'd imagined. Didn't get up the courage to speak to him though, boo hiss me.
>edited cause my grammer was dreadful.

[hr]today, I heart Dogs Die In Hot Cars. Loads.

[Pender Native]

[s]Colin wrote on 22:17, 17th Jan 2005:
Anyway, the only reason why I have "Colin" not "Colin Snodgrass" is that I couldn't be bothered typing out the whole thing.


Daddy! Which kind of ruins the point I was going to make which was that using my real name would be pointless, as no one I know socially (except, as I have just discovered, my academic father) uses the Sinner. I know Ollie, I vaguely know David Bean and Bonnie, having been in Melville with them and I met Cain, Wong and Greebo at the societies fair - although now I can't remember which is which. That's all. What can I say, my boyfriend's seriously depressed, I'm looking after him so I don't have much of a social life. And I don't have an internet life either - the Sinner's the only forum I visit. And Caroline Kuchmeister is such a mouthful.

[Colin]

[s]Pender Native wrote on 23:52, 17th Jan 2005:
And Caroline Kuchmeister is such a mouthful.


Ah ha! And I am well chuffed that I figured out which kid you were before I read the last line!! Go me!

[Cain]

[s]Pender Native wrote on 23:52, 17th Jan 2005:
and I met Cain, Wong and Greebo at the societies fair - although now I can't remember which is which.


in the nicest possible sense i don't remember which one you were either, but i'm sure i enjoyed meeting you.

my secret identity isn't really as it's a nickname from school that continued down here. Even my brother calls me Cain instead of using my first name.

even if people wouldn't recognise me in the street i like to think that they still "know" me and that over the 2 years that i've been on the sinner i've developed some sort of reputation that has led people work out what sort of a person i am.

I like being able to link the sinner and real life as it has introduced me to lots of people that i ordinarily wouldn't have had anything to do with.

[hr]
I hold an element of surprise

[LonelyPilgrim]

Alright alright... how about I just don't use my real name online, full stop. None of my e-mail accounts are made out in my real name either. Though as I said, I will tell any individual who asks.

[hr]---Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power.--- Abraham Lincoln

[Pender Native]

[s]Cain wrote on 00:06, 18th Jan 2005:


in the nicest possible sense i don't remember which one you were either, but i'm sure i enjoyed meeting you.


Dinna fash, I didn't tell you who I was, I was having too much fun making you guess but then you got distracted.

my secret identity isn't really as it's a nickname from school that continued down here. Even my brother calls me Cain instead of using my first name.


What did you do to get yourself nicknames after one of the baddies in the bible?


[hr]
I like to listen to a man who likes to talk. Whoops! Sawdust and Treacle, put that in your herring and smoke it!