Online Anonymity...

[ProDH]

I don't think I ever push a thread to start but this one has been boiling for some time.
As many know or may not know, there is a serious push by the Facebook creaters to end online anonymous posting on the web altogether. Personally I think this is a kickass way to go. It seems that every single outlet for people to voice an opinion on is littered with negative and spiteful rhetoric over EVERYTHING. And I do mean everything. No one is safe, no one is immune to the garbage and it sucks that this push has to even be a concern.
I'm not stating that people are not entitiled to an opinion, hell that's what I proudly serve for, to be able to have that freedom. What I mean is the "keyboard courage, keyboard assassins, etc..." (add your own colorful title!) people that blast things on topics they would normally not be caught in public saying, but online, portray courage, strength an malice at others they don't know personally. This also strikes at those that have harrased and taunted teens into killing themselves over crap that grown freaking adults posing as 16yr old idiots, posted about them. It's sad really and this has been an ongoing push for a few years at least.

I'd like to get some opinions on what other think. Do you think posting the real names of posters would calm the posts down, knowing they would know who it is? Invasion of privacy? Freedom to be a jackass, protected by anonymity? It would change the face of some other website boards that's for sure! I can think of one right now that if this would/will pass, can change the whole way they spew innaccurate, hateful things about Pros and everyone else in BBing.

Rant over...next!

-DH

[Quadriceps]

Agreed. I've always thought that if you wouldn't say something to somebody in real life, you shouldn't say it to them online either.

Edit: Post 4

[RedSkull]

Sounds more like an invasion of privacy and something not to benefit us (just another way to track everything we do) rather than sparing feelings imo.

[Quadriceps]

Sounds more like an invasion of privacy and something not to benefit us (just another way to track everything we do) rather than sparing feelings imo.

Yeah I think I misread the OP. I like having the right to browse the web anonymously, although I still think what I wrote earlier.

[ProDH]

Browse away, no harm in that guys. The topic is "posting" and the acts an actions/verbage that have inspired the crackdown on them. I know people who can track the IPs of anyone anyway, so nothing you can really hide. Yes, you can get a ghost IP and roam that way, but like everything, there is an ultimate end of the line somewhere. It's a matter time, and who wants to spend their lives on the run in cyberspace?

-DH

[mct]

any kind of government interference in the way protected speech is conveyed is a mistake. i think time has shown that identity has no bearing on activity. a moron is a moron. randi zuckerberg, the pusher of this facebook initiative, is a billionaire fool who stepped outside of reality.

it is a very slippery slope from removal of anonymous speech to invasion of privacy.... annnnnnd it is already happening.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-31921_3-20...snooping-bill/

[mentalflex]

Browse away, no harm in that guys. The topic is "posting" and the acts an actions/verbage that have inspired the crackdown on them. I know people who can track the IPs of anyone anyway, so nothing you can really hide. Yes, you can get a ghost IP and roam that way, but like everything, there is an ultimate end of the line somewhere. It's a matter time, and who wants to spend their lives on the run in cyberspace?

I do agree with the idea of ridding the net of the keyboard heroes. I know that it is very easy to ping an IP address and locate a person, even if the transmission of data is "masked." If you can't say something to someone and be able to stand behind it as yourself then you are simply a coward who gets their jollies from eliciting a response through a personal attack without having any sense of accountability for their actions. Personally, if I argue a point it is because I believe in it and stand behind my position and have no problem letting someone know who I am. I'm sure that is anonymous posting was nixed you would see a lot less garbage in forums, comments sections of articles and blogs.

Dave, JW, have you ever made your way up to Fort Meade, MD?

-Kris

[ProDH]

any kind of government interference in the way protected speech is conveyed is a mistake. i think time has shown that identity has no bearing on activity. a moron is a moron. randi zuckerberg, the pusher of this facebook initiative, is a billionaire fool who stepped outside of reality.

it is a very slippery slope from removal of anonymous speech to invasion of privacy.... annnnnnd it is already happening.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-31921_3-20...snooping-bill/

Great article and thanks for sharing that. It points out protecting the children was the biggest push, but I can see where others have issue with it. Yes, a douchebag is a douchebag is a moron. I get that. But to paint the picture, would we rather have the guy next door building and plotting to blow up your loved ones and you know them (on a visual basis only), or be able to voice their intent online and be "protected" from invasion of privacy? If you're a criminal, no form of initiative will deter you. But if you're the keyboard stroking, assassination plot against the President, Facebooking R-tard, that believes they have the right to do such things is protected under freedom of speech for invasion of privacy...this bill is for them. I think the ever evolving data world is lacking the policing it should have had when this all started in these dudes basements, years ago. Abuse of priveledge is abuse of power to be unaccountable for the actions that led to this sort of legislation.

-DH

[ProDH]

I do agree with the idea of ridding the net of the keyboard heroes. I know that it is very easy to ping an IP address and locate a person, even if the transmission of data is "masked." If you can't say something to someone and be able to stand behind it as yourself then you are simply a coward who gets their jollies from eliciting a response through a personal attack without having any sense of accountability for their actions. Personally, if I argue a point it is because I believe in it and stand behind my position and have no problem letting someone know who I am. I'm sure that is anonymous posting was nixed you would see a lot less garbage in forums, comments sections of articles and blogs.

Dave, JW, have you ever made your way up to Fort Meade, MD?

-Kris

No, why what's going on there? It's on the east coast where I will be in a few years for retirement(Massachusetts), so maybe I can check it out!

-DH

[mentalflex]

No, why what's going on there? It's on the east coast where I will be in a few years for retirement(Massachusetts), so maybe I can check it out!

I'm based out of Fort Meade so was just seeing if there was any chance you would be coming through the region. Fort Meade definitely has some interesting stuff going on...

[SAHD]

As a condition of my employment as a Police Officer I cannot go online on face book and the like under a real name or post pictures. On here things are OK as long as I don't print my name and show pics that can identify me. I still don't speak shit on the web even if I can't be easily identified. I am not tempted to either.

I think that making me put up my real name would not change what I post but rather prevent me from posting.

Fools will post no matter if they are identified or not.

[ProDH]

SAHD-
Good point and you should be protected from identity, no issue there. You have a job to do and that warrants your legitimate protection.

Mentalflex-
Well I get some time for R&R when I get back and part of that is headin up to Mass to chill. I can get out to do some driving, maybe head out there. Maybe!

On a slightly off-topic scale...
I'm kind of thinking someone would end up doing like Jay and Silent Bob did at the end of their movie when they paid all those online dudes a visit and gave them the smackdown! It was funny, come one you know it was!

-DH

[BigLar]

I like the idea, but it will only keep honest people honest. No disrespect, but I have to laugh when people say they can track down anyone by source IP. That's how it works on TV, but not in the real world. Put it this way, if the mods were to ban me by IP, they could not keep me off this board. I break into computer systems for a living and I am very good at what I do. However, there are many a lot better than me. If I wanted the credit card number of members on this forum, I could have it. Heck, TrueProtein would even get the blame. If I can do that, don't you think I can hide my IP? Maybe even make it look like I'm coming from Skip's house.

To make matters worse, Cloud services and IPv6 will bring on it's own set of vulnerabilities. You are going to see things get a lot worse before they get better. Technology has to catch up. I'm looking forward to it.... it's gonna be fun!

[mentalflex]

I like the idea, but it will only keep honest people honest. No disrespect, but I have to laugh when people say they can track down anyone by source IP. That's how it works on TV, but not in the real world. Put it this way, if the mods were to ban me by IP, they could not keep me off this board. I break into computer systems for a living and I am very good at what I do. However, there are many a lot better than me. If I wanted the credit card number of members on this forum, I could have it. Heck, TrueProtein would even get the blame. If I can do that, don't you think I can hide my IP? Maybe even make it look like I'm coming from Skip's house.

To make matters worse, Cloud services and IPv6 will bring on it's own set of vulnerabilities. You are going to see things get a lot worse before they get better. Technology has to catch up. I'm looking forward to it.... it's gonna be fun!

I'm not saying that I personally can, but quite a few people I work with can track people very easily (this goes beyond just using IP address). They do this for the military using some pretty advanced tech stuff. I don't see individuals implementing this kind of stuff but the technology is there. I only write the contracts, I don't use the stuff, so you probably have greater insight into the technical details available to the general consumer.

[BigLar]

I am very familiar with the techniques and technology used. I can guarantee you the technology is not there yet. If the technology is there, why do most attackers of networks go uncaught? Tracking the average user is easy, but tracking someone who really knows Internet routing, knows how to hide inside an encrypted tunnel and knows how TCP/IP works is a different story. Sure, if someone is on the FBI or military's radar and they continue what they're doing, they'll eventually be caught.

Again, requiring Internet posters to use their real name will keep honest people honest. It will not get rid of Internet bullies. I'm sure the military isn't going to get involved in tracking down forum board phonies. They have their hands full fighting cyber wars... and I'm not kidding. The FBI has their hands full tracking down pedophiles and hackers.

Just last week we had to bring the FBI into a new client. Their hosted website was rooted and the attacker got CC numbers, Social Security numbers, addresses, patient health information, etc. They were owned, big time. The attacker got away with it too. He's probably already sold off all the information and moved on to the next.