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Hi Dazzle. Well , I certainly can't argue with that, and I respect you concerns, but I will debate the general principle. I am an artist and my face and name are all over the internet connected with various galleries and media. If anyone wants to find me it is a click away. I also know many single women artists who are equally exposed in public profile, Anyone can see this stuff, and although modern life has these concerns, they are not especially concerned. It seems different on these forums. Once again I respect your choice, especially on the count of genuine fear, but it seems there are also other reasons for other people....
As a writer, I have the same thing going on. I'm all over the internet and I have some pretty strong opinions. My employer doesn't care (she shares some of those opinions!) and so that's not a problem. In almost 20 years on the internet I've never been hassled or stalked. That said, though, I have a completely anonymous persona that I occasionally use. It's fun to be someone else sometimes
I have the name that appears on my birth certificate and my Social Security card. I have a shortened version of that name which appears on my I.D. and my bills. I have the name that my parents call me. I have the name that one set of grandparents called me, and another that the other set of grandparents called me. I have the name that some friends call me, I have the name that other friends call me. I have the name that my wife calls me. I have the name that I create under. I have the name I use on this forum, I have other names that I use on other forums. And I'm sure that as my life progresses I will accumulate other names.
I typically could care less about the matter all together, whether I use my name or a fake name, it’s still me none-the-less that you are speaking to. Your point of using your real name to fit in to the “real world” or better referred to as society is quite rational when it comes to filling out legal forms and etc. But on here it has no effect whatsoever what name you use except in the cases that people have presented about others trying to find them in real life. This site I use my name and on quite a few others I do as well. On one I use my last name and then there are many others I use just my initials and more that I use a made-up name. In the end unless you are worried about a stalker or such it really doesn’t matter one way or another it really is just a name. And just because we need a name and have to work for money to fit in with society does not define it as the real world. In the end it was a mental formation, a concept from an individual’s mind that many others choose to follow and build upon. Society is not truth.
.......our lives consist of `empty`stuff, just concepts But if you get a letter saying you getting a tax audit, you will pay attention. If the doctor says you have pancreatic cancer, you will pay attention, because darned if these concepts arent .....somehow...even if they shouldnt be....kind of...... real. Concept and emptiness is not-two, or what good would the Four Noble Truths be. There is a lot of old `Beat Zen` to be found online. Dont worry maaaan.......its all in your head.
I use the name Xrayman, because there are some elements of my family that one could easily call "stalker-like", one of them has read my posts to another forum I made about 8 years ago-and then sent me threatening emails quoting things I had wrote. So I choose to be anonomous-I think it's my perogative.
I use the name Xrayman, because there are some elements of my family that one could easily call "stalker-like", one of them has read my posts to another forum I made about 8 years ago-and then sent me threatening emails quoting things I had wrote. So I choose to be anonomous-I think it's my perogative.
Interesting that a user going by the name 'x-ray', which implies transparency, chooses to be anonymous.
.......our lives consist of `empty`stuff, just concepts But if you get a letter saying you getting a tax audit, you will pay attention. If the doctor says you have pancreatic cancer, you will pay attention, because darned if these concepts arent .....somehow...even if they shouldnt be....kind of...... real. Concept and emptiness is not-two, or what good would the Four Noble Truths be. There is a lot of old `Beat Zen` to be found online. Dont worry maaaan.......its all in your head.
Now I`m being trollish......sorry:p
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Also on a side note a tax audit is based upon a belief of society, money, and the like. People came up with these concepts within there minds. Whereas pancreatic cancer would be quite real whether one chose to believe in it or not. . .
<link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5Ckmh%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> I do not feel you are being trollish. We are having a debate, that’s one of the purposes for forums.
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Also on a side note a tax audit is based upon a belief of society, money, and the like. People came up with these concepts within there minds. Whereas pancreatic cancer would be quite real whether one chose to believe in it or not.
How about rectal cancer, could we agree that a tax audit is like rectal surgery?
But seriously. I dont really care if people choose anonymity. It just seems that there is a difference in having your words linked to a life of responsibilty, and an avatar in the aether. It is like the difference between how we behave toward others in our car, vs on foot. And being Sangha I would hope for a certain level of mutual trust.
It just seems that there is a difference in having your words linked to a life of responsibilty, and an avatar in the aether.
Richard, the last Sangha I visited, my real name was up and also a photo of myself BUT, I wrote a lot of silly stuff, what I wouldn't dare say in real life. Even so, there was probably not a lot I could say, what people could care about, and no indication whether I was headed in any decent direction. It would have been much nicer to have been insulted. At least then, some sort of aknowledgement would have taken place. Perhaps this is why people resort to trolling, as individuals are attracted to controversial subject matter like flies.
Roll on 2 years, and i'm back to good old stupid names, but at least I try much harder not to come across as an idiot. To be honest I sometimes think I'm probably better shutting up altogether because I don't have that much to say. I already feel out of place in everyday life, and here is much the same. I know it really is a case of becoming more social, but for now the answers aren't so apparent.
How about rectal cancer, could we agree that a tax audit is like rectal surgery?
But seriously. I dont really care if people choose anonymity. It just seems that there is a difference in having your words linked to a life of responsibilty, and an avatar in the aether. It is like the difference between how we behave toward others in our car, vs on foot. And being Sangha I would hope for a certain level of mutual trust.
<link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5Ckmh%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> Aaaah, I see . . . I think that would really come down to the fact that people will be however they feel they need to be. Some shall be someone else online, some shall be their selves, regardless of what we would like, hope, or expect and the same carries over to real life, many people will act differently towards others. I suppose this would be a lesson in attachment, whether to people in general or our own expectations that we place on them. . .
<link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5Ckmh%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> (By the way I like your art work, you have some very nice pieces there. Wouldn’t be a member at conceptart.org by any chance would you? I think you might enjoy it.)
It is a lesson on attachement for sure. But it is also reasonable to expect civil conduct within the Sangha. What is Sangha if it is not based on sincerity and authenticity and trust? This forum is pretty good, sterling in fact, but the sense of fear and mistrust is there with some. So it is. It is also interesting to hear peoples views on the the subject.
Thank you for kind words on the work. I'll check out that site.
How about just for a hoot? All the fear and loathing around privacy and vulnerability is real enough for those imbuing it with meaning - but, what the hey, there's something to be said for harmless practical tomfoolery. Fearlessness and Emptiness are pseudonyms too.
Can I steer away from all the seriousness for a minute?
Hi Richard,
I am very interested in art and always have been and I've checked out some of your stuff and I was genuinely impressed especially with 'The Death of Hiroshige'.
Oh, OK, I found it. I'm not completely helpless.... :rolleyes:
Very nice, Richard. Your landscapes, if I may say, are very 19th Century, and I don't mean that in any way to be a bad thing. I'm thinking of some wonderful 19th Century landscapes in the National Gallery of Art here in Washington that are transcendent. It's the kind of art that isn't much done anymore and not much appreciated, so thanks for doing it!
The Luminism and "sublime" grandeur (grandiosity?) of painters like Church and the Hudson River school is not in fashion in the gallery scene, unless it comes with an ironic wink. Taking inspiration from that (minus the sentimental 19th century narrative) has been a lot of fun and has met with a good critical response.
Yeah, it was mainly the Hudson River school I was thinking of. Sometimes, as you say, overly sentimental (at least by "modern" standards), but sometimes breathtaking.
lol my quick answer is so, when i confess to the forum that i love romance novels, or...that I do fake kung fu naked at night-time, no one will be able to tell my friends hahahhaha, or my friends won't see my name on google, and say omg this guy is weird..
oh and also, some people might not take people seriously or discriminate, depending on what they can derive from your name... lets say my name was "Moehamad bin fazel al-kalifa" people might discriminate... or take what i say about war and stuff into an unobjective context...etc etc
I'm new to online forums and appreciate the sharing and learning I have found. The one thing I do not understand though is the use of pseudonyms, particularly on Buddhist sites. We are real people ( I'm talking in the conventional sense not the absolute....ok) with real lives, why not just be that? This isnt a judgment of those who choose anonymity, I just do not understand the reason.
Maybe some folks could explain the reason? Thank you:)
Because a name is merely a label. My parents chose a label for me, and I have chosen several for myself on the internet. I see no less importance in the names I choose for myself as in the name they chose for me. If anything, I'd say the ones I've chosen are more important.
The internet simply makes it easy to use a name that actually means something to you.
A good book end to this thread. Why use pseudonyms ?...... Because when you say to yourself. "No thanks this place aint for me".....what of your personal info have you left behind?, and who have you left it to?
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federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
edited November 2009
no beginning, no end....who cares about either...?
It's the middle bit that counts......
no beginning, no end....who cares about either...?
It's the middle bit that counts......
ooooh cant leave that unanswered. That middle bit, wise tugboat.....is called paunch, and no matter how many sit ups and crunches you do.... its still there.:D
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federicaSeeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubtModerator
edited November 2009
If God had meant us to do sit-ups, he'd have given us a back with a hinge in it.
If God had meant us to do sit-ups, he'd have given us a back with a hinge in it.
No pain....no pain!
Hi fedrica. yes I'm still here, you were right. That wave of Vibhava Tanha passed, yet do not quite know what I want here? Any suggestions? I thought of an observational thread, about threads....but?
I use a pseudonym because it is an expression of identity that I get to choose, and so allows me to say something about me. It is just one more mode of communication. That you chose your real name also communicates something, but the important thing is that you get to choose what it is you wish to communicate.
This is interesting. It keeps going back and forth between people who defend pseudonyms on the basis of "whats in a name?", and people who are saying there personal safety is on the line if this same meaningless name is revealed. This is because behind the talk of emptiness, behind our real names, there is vulnerability and accountability. Its simple.
My real name is out there and very easy to find. In fact, a determined person could probably find my home address without much trouble. In 15 years of being rude, crude and socially unacceptable on the internet, I've never had any problems from weirdos. I use a "handle" when I go to shark-infested waters and my real name (or close to my real name) all other times.
And I married late in life to a wonderful man and I love being "Mrs. Cogan"
Ive completely reversed on this issue since the opening post, and will only now use a pseudonym (too late here). It is not that there is regret about anything said....whatever. It is that real-life connections and relationships rarely happen online. If there is a connection that leads to further direct contact, then sharing real ID is fine, but without that, no.
This is interesting. It keeps going back and forth between people who defend pseudonyms on the basis of "whats in a name?", and people who are saying there personal safety is on the line if this same meaningless name is revealed. This is because behind the talk of emptiness, behind our real names, there is vulnerability and accountability. Its simple.
you're right.
there are a lot of good ways to overcome the brazenness that anonymity empowers one with.
an excellent way for us to do this is to try not to do anything we wouldnt do if our teachers were watching. or your grandma.
Mine is part of my Dharma name, and now also part of my 'real' name. It's weird in the UK - you can call yourself by any name you like , except if you want a driving licence or pretty much anything to do with money or is 'official'. It costs money to have a Deed Poll change of name b - for all the notarised copies you need.
Defamation:
I understand that whilst useful for anonimity, a pseudonym on a web forum is no protection from prosecution for defamation. The courts can demand your real name and details from the forum owner.
The unique aspect of the web is that the libel can be deemed to have been 'published' in any country which has access to the site, so an aggrieved person may choose the country ( or countries) in which to prosecute the person defaming him.
Usually, however, it seems that a forum will simply be asked to delete the offending post. If it comes to it, web owners can't point to the disclaimers published for members to escape prosecution as the 'publisher' of the defamation.
There have already been some successful prosecutions, where a member has defamed a 'real' person. I'm not sure if a member can be prosecuted for defamation by another member, especially if no pseudonym is used.
There's actually a pretty practical reason that people use pseudonyms on internet sites. Software engineers in the early 90's wanted to conserve space in their database tables, so giving people 10-20 characters as a unique identifier was, in their judgment, a better option than something like 100 characters. The method stuck, and became de facto. Personally, my veil is very thin, and one could track me down from numerous forums I have participated in. For that reason, I try not to offend, much.
Your experience is the opposite of mine. I've made hundreds of real-life connections via the Internet.
Me too. Some of my closest day-to-day friends now are people I met online years ago. And we all used pseudonyms when we first met, too--now we all have each others' full contact info behind the scenes.
I don't use pseudonyms for protection from people I don't know. I do it to keep acquaintances and business associates from googling my name and finding my forum or mailing list postings about personal pursuits. I'm not ashamed of anything I'm discussing, but it's none of their business--if I wanted them involved I would tell them directly.
Comments
Palzang
As a writer, I have the same thing going on. I'm all over the internet and I have some pretty strong opinions. My employer doesn't care (she shares some of those opinions!) and so that's not a problem. In almost 20 years on the internet I've never been hassled or stalked. That said, though, I have a completely anonymous persona that I occasionally use. It's fun to be someone else sometimes
Now I`m being trollish......sorry:p
<link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5Ckmh%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> Indeed, I feel we have all agreed upon this fact. However, that is only remotely relevant in the face that one chooses to live within and take part of society. If one did not there would be no need for a name at all? Besides I don’t think your argument would carry over to web based identities. I could be wrong but, it seems unlikely that the tax auditor will be looking for me on web forums.
<o></o>
Also on a side note a tax audit is based upon a belief of society, money, and the like. People came up with these concepts within there minds. Whereas pancreatic cancer would be quite real whether one chose to believe in it or not. . .
<link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5Ckmh%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> I do not feel you are being trollish. We are having a debate, that’s one of the purposes for forums.
Darn, you stole my joke! :mad:
Palzang
But seriously. I dont really care if people choose anonymity. It just seems that there is a difference in having your words linked to a life of responsibilty, and an avatar in the aether. It is like the difference between how we behave toward others in our car, vs on foot. And being Sangha I would hope for a certain level of mutual trust.
Richard, the last Sangha I visited, my real name was up and also a photo of myself BUT, I wrote a lot of silly stuff, what I wouldn't dare say in real life. Even so, there was probably not a lot I could say, what people could care about, and no indication whether I was headed in any decent direction. It would have been much nicer to have been insulted. At least then, some sort of aknowledgement would have taken place. Perhaps this is why people resort to trolling, as individuals are attracted to controversial subject matter like flies.
Roll on 2 years, and i'm back to good old stupid names, but at least I try much harder not to come across as an idiot. To be honest I sometimes think I'm probably better shutting up altogether because I don't have that much to say. I already feel out of place in everyday life, and here is much the same. I know it really is a case of becoming more social, but for now the answers aren't so apparent.
stuck..
<link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5Ckmh%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> Aaaah, I see . . . I think that would really come down to the fact that people will be however they feel they need to be. Some shall be someone else online, some shall be their selves, regardless of what we would like, hope, or expect and the same carries over to real life, many people will act differently towards others. I suppose this would be a lesson in attachment, whether to people in general or our own expectations that we place on them. . .
<link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5Ckmh%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtml1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="156"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--><style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} </style> <![endif]--> (By the way I like your art work, you have some very nice pieces there. Wouldn’t be a member at conceptart.org by any chance would you? I think you might enjoy it.)
Thank you for kind words on the work. I'll check out that site.
Hi Richard,
I am very interested in art and always have been and I've checked out some of your stuff and I was genuinely impressed especially with 'The Death of Hiroshige'.
Jason
Palzang
Very nice, Richard. Your landscapes, if I may say, are very 19th Century, and I don't mean that in any way to be a bad thing. I'm thinking of some wonderful 19th Century landscapes in the National Gallery of Art here in Washington that are transcendent. It's the kind of art that isn't much done anymore and not much appreciated, so thanks for doing it!
Palzang
The Luminism and "sublime" grandeur (grandiosity?) of painters like Church and the Hudson River school is not in fashion in the gallery scene, unless it comes with an ironic wink. Taking inspiration from that (minus the sentimental 19th century narrative) has been a lot of fun and has met with a good critical response.
Palzang
oh and also, some people might not take people seriously or discriminate, depending on what they can derive from your name... lets say my name was "Moehamad bin fazel al-kalifa" people might discriminate... or take what i say about war and stuff into an unobjective context...etc etc
Because a name is merely a label. My parents chose a label for me, and I have chosen several for myself on the internet. I see no less importance in the names I choose for myself as in the name they chose for me. If anything, I'd say the ones I've chosen are more important.
The internet simply makes it easy to use a name that actually means something to you.
It's the middle bit that counts......
No pain....no pain!
"No pain..no pain" is a good one.
My real name is out there and very easy to find. In fact, a determined person could probably find my home address without much trouble. In 15 years of being rude, crude and socially unacceptable on the internet, I've never had any problems from weirdos. I use a "handle" when I go to shark-infested waters and my real name (or close to my real name) all other times.
And I married late in life to a wonderful man and I love being "Mrs. Cogan"
Yes. I use a pseudonym for that reason, and also my place of employment requires certain levels of security so it's just a given for me *shrugs*
there are a lot of good ways to overcome the brazenness that anonymity empowers one with.
an excellent way for us to do this is to try not to do anything we wouldnt do if our teachers were watching. or your grandma.
Defamation:
I understand that whilst useful for anonimity, a pseudonym on a web forum is no protection from prosecution for defamation. The courts can demand your real name and details from the forum owner.
The unique aspect of the web is that the libel can be deemed to have been 'published' in any country which has access to the site, so an aggrieved person may choose the country ( or countries) in which to prosecute the person defaming him.
Usually, however, it seems that a forum will simply be asked to delete the offending post. If it comes to it, web owners can't point to the disclaimers published for members to escape prosecution as the 'publisher' of the defamation.
There have already been some successful prosecutions, where a member has defamed a 'real' person. I'm not sure if a member can be prosecuted for defamation by another member, especially if no pseudonym is used.
Here's more if anyone is interested, This explanation is for the UK - which could easily be the country chosen for prosecution even though the website owner may be in the USA:
http://www.website-law.co.uk/blog/defamation/dealing-with-defamatory-posts-on-your-website-forum-or-blog/
http://blogswork.wordpress.com/2007/10/20/test-case-on-web-forum-libel/
Ooooh. No, I will resist. I will resist. I WILL resist.
It's no good......out it comes:
Fivebells enjoys entering sheep!!
Damn, that one just slipped out.
That avatar of yours just stares out at me and speaks to me of rural England, rollling farmland, sheep and..........................wolves?
LOL
brian
Palzang
Me too. Some of my closest day-to-day friends now are people I met online years ago. And we all used pseudonyms when we first met, too--now we all have each others' full contact info behind the scenes.
I don't use pseudonyms for protection from people I don't know. I do it to keep acquaintances and business associates from googling my name and finding my forum or mailing list postings about personal pursuits. I'm not ashamed of anything I'm discussing, but it's none of their business--if I wanted them involved I would tell them directly.
Mike
brian