Is being anonymous on ATS the right thing? I dont think so.

Originally posted by GypsK
I never use my real name on the net and never will. These days privacy is a rare thing so whatever is left of it, I like to keep.

Imagine going to a job interview and behind your back they google your name and find you come to ats and you have a "strange" interest in .... ufo, paranormal studies.... maybe you claim to be an alien or have contact with one, etc etc... do you think you'll get the job?
It happens, companies search for their employees and potential future employees on facebook and netlog....

I'd like to stay anonymous on ats and on any related website I visit.

That is true, people are searched thoroughly these days. And rightly so. But if you have a belief are you afraid for it to be known?

I think that if you state something, you need to be able to be present and account for it someday. Its ludicrous people can state they are "Aliens" but dont want people to know. Its attention seeking on the net. People obsess and create online identities that are no good for them. They become intertwined with RL.

Originally posted by MrRed

Originally posted by Keron

How can people outside of the community read any of this an say "Well they seem like decent members of society"

I argree with your above coment, not so sure about giving my pay pal account or address or anyting more personal though.Ii just find that "THEY" have to many records of us already, just form our IP addy's not to mention all the airmiles, reward points ect ect..

I sure hope i did the quote thing right, as I said earlier I have never posted before so I ask for forgivness if this shows up wrong.

edit on 19-10-2010 by Keron because: obviously i did it wrong i ment to quote Mr RED

reply to post by MrRed


It's true that some do create 'fake' personalities, but not all of us do.

Even most of my relatives don't know of most of my online interests. It doesn't take much to be labled 'crazy' in the offline world and I rather share my interest with others who share the same. Not with an employer who thinks I have a loose wire in my head

reply to post by MrRed


I think that it is important to have a place like Abovetopsecret where people can talk about fringe topics anonymously. In the future, even though free speech is important, it may begin to be stifled, especially in social contexts. It is important to have a place to throw all ideas around so that they can be criticized, and having a real way to identify posters might make them much less likely to post.

There is NO real reason to hide. Unless you are a paid disinfo agent, a government official trying to blend in, a person seeking to disrupt or someone without honest intentions. NO one is forced to be here. If you are not supposed to be here then don't be. BUT stop hiding as your voice does not carry the weight of a person willing to stand up and fight, face exposed to the world.

Umm.. heh ..

The reverse can be said of you as well (hypothetically of course) by trying to instill a need for real names, and a fee, as the "premise" for wetwork operations with certain "agencies" of the illustrious, and deceitful government(s) we have to deal with on a daily bases.

The oldest rule in the book, is "never give out information willingly, "especially" your name .. (thats why we have what used to be called "handles" in the olden days)

There is not one stitch of real information of myself, that even google can pull up, and it is the best way to defend against identity hijackers, intelligence agencies, and just plain cranks that populate this world we live in..

What you propose is a "rose colored glasses" view of the physical world we live in.. My experience (and prior knowledge/experience of cyberpunk capacities) prevents me from ever doing such a thing, it would be better that I just go ahead and empty my account, throw away all my material goods, and place a nice neat .45 hole between my eyes then ignore my experience with technological engineering, applications, and social engineering skills..

In fact I would rather insure that "nobody" can know another on the Internet, by using random rotating false IP assignments per connection, using full dark at 2048 bit depth encryption as a "minimum" ,and refusing to allow translations of the database information by any other party but the owner of the information (that would be the one that placed it there from outside the server site)

One thing wrong with the Internet itself, is that "there is not enough built in protection for the end user, that have "no-back doors" of any kind (most software programmers still try to put a back door in the program they are designing , for which I have fired a many for doing it, all the while whining how "it was taught to them" by the instructors/professors)

The net needs to become totally dark (100%) for everyones protection, and what you propose is more divulgence of personal information, because from your POV, this would make your position more "credible?"

Not from the standing of the history of abusive practices by humanity, could I ever agree to that POV, simply because it allows too much information to rest within the hands of one individual (there is always a top in any site, as there are in any business dealing), and information is power, fore which power always corrupts those that handle it..

In ATS, I find the credibility, is based upon the references one gives, more then the need for valid ID purposes (the less I know about someone on the net, the better I feel about it)

In closing.

Your concept would cause more harm, then good to the existence of this site, or any site for that matter (as history has shown this to be the case more often then naught)

Originally posted by MrRed
Right, some of you ATS members are now going to throw one of your famous tantrums and throw your teddy in the corner.

But to me this is an interesting topic for discussion. Discussion for the serious debater, not the immature.

Stop throwing pebbles at the short tempered trolls, there are a million ways you could have phrased your message.

...It would also stop a small few of the moderators from branding people without due course or for having an opinion that differs from theirs.

I think disclosure of identity would just cause the non-abusive members to shy away from posting at all and we would no longer see/read anything that went 'against the grain'. Which would be very very boring.

Its bad enough having your online identity attacked, let alone using your ACTUAL real world identity online. And broad behavioral changes in communities take time, so initially you'd be exposing people to the same abuse but without the protection of anonymity. Furthermore there is no way at all you could enforce disclosure of true Identity.

I think everyone should be required to use their own name and pay a $1 dollar a year fee (that is [snip] all) to register by credit or debit card through paypal.

Paypal is leaky i will never sign up for it.

Plus it will be harder for banned people to return countless times and cause more havoc.

easy to say until it happens to you, not everyone banned means to cause trouble or are unwelcome here upon returning.

The two conspiracy girls are easy to trace

interesting choice of words..........and this is good because why?

your ideas kind of remind me of those BRAINWASHED people saying "oh yes we had to sacrifice liberty for security..."

There are a lot of downsides to this, however that is the case when trying to bring such things to the mainstream.

I cannot believe how many nonsense short-sighted assumptions you are spouting as fact.

There is NO real reason to hide.

.......
You're perceptions of reality...are incompatible with mine, to say the least.

Unless you are a paid disinfo agent, a government official trying to blend in, a person seeking to disrupt or someone without honest intentions. NO one is forced to be here. If you are not supposed to be here then don't be. BUT stop hiding as your voice does not carry the weight of a person willing to stand up and fight, face exposed to the world.

anything else about me you'd like to control? my hairstyle? my tendency for foul language?

However, with everyone to afraid to speak in person these topics will forever remain something for the movies among the wider population.

you should sell cars, you would be good at it.

Am I wrong to even suggest this?

I can assert with confidence that you are wrong to be asking strangers if something you are doing is wrong, IMHO that is the worst part about the whole vibe of your post...sounds very "do as your told"-ish, not "think for yourself"-ish.

P.L.U.R.I
-B.M

Originally posted by MrRed
Originally posted by Frankidealist35
reply to post by MrRed
Maybe I was hasty in joining this unreal site.

After reading just 3 of your posts all including petty qualms or pointing out one poster or another and saying just about the most dismissive thing you can to someone (calling them crazy), I have had more then my fill thank you.

Bon-Voyage Mr. Red!,
give my regards to Lord Purple & safe traveling!

-B.M

reply to post by B.Morrison


I heard this story.

A government somewhere (not saying which) planned to duplicate peoples online identities and IP's and use them to commit heinous crimes online like theft, frauds, threats and online grooming.

They were said to be targeting government opposition threats and hackers. Who do you think these government opposition threats could be? THATS RIGHT....conspiracy theorists.

So people will believe you did this because you hide anyway.

Believe it or not it will be harder to do if you are willing to display your face and first name. I can imagine stacks of people using real names and faces committing crimes so freely.

This my friend is what will happen to some of you soon. good luck.

Simply put, there's no way I'm gonna put up any real info about me.
It is just none of anybody's business.
Period.

Originally posted by B.Morrison

Originally posted by MrRed
Originally posted by Frankidealist35
reply to post by MrRed
Maybe I was hasty in joining this unreal site.

After reading just 3 of your posts all including petty qualms or pointing out one poster or another and saying just about the most dismissive thing you can to someone (calling them crazy), I have had more then my fill thank you.

Bon-Voyage Mr. Red!,
give my regards to Lord Purple & safe traveling!

-B.M

You matter not one bit to me. Enjoy your internet over their in OZ. they sent all criminals from England to Australia years ago and now you are being treated like one by your own gov. Well done there.

I can't remember I had laughed this much about a thread that is supposed to be serious. So thank you OP.

Well lets:

deny ignorance => expose yourself! => fill in you name, address, debit/creditcardnr => Now lets talk about the real secrets of the world in an openly public forum

ohw wait...

No that's just me being a dumbass

Originally posted by Dumbass
I can't remember I had laughed this much about a thread that is supposed to be serious. So thank you OP.

Well lets:

deny ignorance => expose yourself! => fill in you name, address, debit/creditcardnr => Now lets talk about the real secrets of the world in an openly public forum

ohw wait...

No that's just me being a dumbass

Well written.

User name is apt!

reply to post by MrRed


Well I believe conspiracy and anonymity go hand in hand.

Someone claiming being an alien is no conspiracy imo, I can understand that you want to expose them, so they don't say stuff to get attention. So lets not only ask for a debit-, credit- or social security number but ask everyone of a statement of proven sanity, then we are sure.

I was already amazed that so many knowledge or truth seekers so easily connected to CIAbook, uhm Facebook and twitter their stuff around. The whole history of finding and hiding truth (They don't need to know that we know they know) of the "enemy" (who ever that is in the certain conspiracy) is just gone by statements of this. It shows the hyping of conspiracy movement in full motion. It is they only way to stop the search for thruth it will beclouded by the entertaining truth. But eey, it was expected, the guy they call pesident calls theorizers terrorist, the theorizers themselves ask for exposion, it is a damn great world we live in today.

With no due respect, and I mean all the offence possible when I say this, but that is a really dumb idea. If you have to be ID'd to use this site, I think--nay, guarantee--that it will become a ghost town.

Their is no such thing as anonymity just like there is no such thing as IT security.
If you are on the net, they know exactly who you are. Doesn't matter if you are
using a different name or not. How do you think they catch computer hackers?
(eventually). IPS are just as hackable as the any other place. Oh yes, you could
use someone elses IP address (clone IP's) however those that do just can't stay
off the net for long because they are internet junkies. There is that thing with
MAC addresses too, however hardware is hardware and have chips that can
be re-programmed as well if it's compatible.

reply to post by MrRed


I never said i was worth more than someone who had a job. I just prefer not to use my labour to pay for war.
I do not grow apples, but i do grow just about every other vegetable. I also have olives and several kinds of nut tree.

I use a friends computer, though i have an old laptop running windows 98 which can pick up wifi.

The governments, certainly the U.S are trying to make the homegrowing of vegetables illegal, even though it cuts down on the need for state support. Or should that be because it cut's down on the need for state support?

I cannot get a job, thats how i ended up growing vegetables, when i discovered i could survive just fine outside the system i decided to stay out. Some of my friends have taken up veg farming BECAUSE it's being made illegal.
I educate people like you so that they can stay out of the system, thats how we destroy it.

I Have a home, or dwelling, several in fact, a Renault mastervan, a Renault Sierra and Mercedes 307/308/and 410s which all run on veg oil.
I do own my own land though. but only to stop the ptb from taking it off me.

We are all from the planet earth that's our home.

I am educated to degree level.
English literature
Business studies and economics (Btec)
Cultural studies reading History (B.A hons)

When i did work, i worked for the same company for 15 years, i had a total of two days off in that time.
One because i had been arrested(self defence found not guilty) and the second because i was ill.

Yes i am male but it was you who brought up the sex question a few posts above this.

I still work for money i buy and sell second hand things. Recent buys include an italjet/indian 50cc vintage motorcycle and a collar for one of my dogs, a fake dolce and Gabbanna.

What do you do which gives YOUR life meaning?

reply to post by MrRed


It's an interesting thread, Mr Red.

Perhaps another reason people like to remain anonymous is because there is a fantasy role-playing aspect of being an ATS member. It is akin to having a secret double life.

I would hazard a guess that even the best brains on ATS enjoy creating and nurturing their (often mysterious) online persona's. And, for me anyway, some of the magic of this site would be lost if we were all suddenly thrust into the real world.

Also, the fact that we are anonymous means that only our egos are open to attack.

I admit that I am not too excited about your idea.
It is not so much about a fear of having done
"something wrong" and having that discovered.

I have been on ATS three seperate times since
2003; when people in general were much more
polite and alot less vindictive.

I left the first time after someone became upset
after a disagreement and used spyware. While
I have no problem with a web site seeing my IP
adress and so forth, an average web user has
no need and no right.

If I can limit "Joe Smuck" from any info they do
not need to see then I will.

Also these days you always hear about some
pinhead in accounting who took their work home
for the weekend and left their info on the train.
That and the proverbial hacker getting account
info is to important to me for just some casual
entertanment like ATS.

I no longer have any highly classified job to
worry about and most of my friends know my
thoughts on politics so I believe I offended them
long ago. I have no worries there.

I do wish there was a way to increase the
caliber of discourse on ATS to where it once
was. I do know that I have found myself
succumbing to that which I hate; the bickering,
vitriolic argueing that goes nowhere and proves
nothing.

I am just as guilty.

First off, I don't even need to read this to know you're a government agent or at least a full supporter. You said "some of YOU ATSers", if you were a real ATSer ......you would know that we are like a tight family on here, who yes, sometimes bicker.....but we refer to ATSer as US or WE. This is OUR place. Secondly, you want us to reveal ourselves for your stupid database, NO CHANCE! This is OUR way to keep you scared.

reply to post by MrRed


Something about this thread does not seem right to me. After reading the entire OP it seems that I am correct with my first assumption. As soon as I read the title, my gut feeling is going overtime. With all the new changes to ATS and then this thread just simply pops up by a new user and goes straight to the front page after a handful of replies, coincedence right. Testing the water maybe?