Cyber titans Facebook and Google are pushing to ban anonymity online or at least on their domain. They reportedly feel using real identities foster better communication for it makes people act "nicer."
Many turn into extreme bullies online, hiding behind their anonymity. But is this safer for us or more dangerous? Yes, giving real identities may make folks more polite for they are held accountable when everyone knows who each other is but this can also be a two-edged sword.
Indeed, there is a flip side to this honesty. Putting your real identity out there in cyberspace is permanent and available for anyone with a little smarts and resources to find.
Moreover, Facebook and Google will have a permanent record of you and your history, which can come back to haunt you.
If you blog or write for online sites, using your real name and locations can be dangerous for there are a bunch of extremists and fanatics lurking behind computer screens, who may take what you write personally.
So what do you thing: should Google and Facebook force us to use our real identities or is it our right to remain anonymous if we choose to?
No comments:
Post a Comment