By Suzann Dodd, ContributorMORE THAN one person has gained an advanced degree by writing about the "Dynamics of Anonymity". It's an intriguing topic.
Imagine being able to recreate yourself in any image you desire. Imagine interacting with others in that persona.
In the early days of telnetting I used the name 'Worf'. This signified I was male. As over eighty five percent of those involved in telnetting to remote bulletin board were white males, I hid in the safety of being considered 'one of us'.
To be a female meant one would be 'hit' on. Now you might wonder about the logic of a guy in New York City 'hitting' on someone in Jamaica. I don't know the answer. I once asked but the guy disconnected without responding.
But being 'hit' on is the least of one's worries. For you, as any sentient being, would like your views given just as much weight as anyone else's. You don't like to post something which you think is logical and correct and have it batted away as a butterfly belch.
So, you pretend you're a white American male and if you post nonsense, people will fight to make sense of it.
Most chat rooms are filled with the life deprived. Their real world exists in that chat room. They have their enemies, whom they cultivate and provoke, and you'll be surprised how many people will attack you or another just to start a 'flame war'.
FLAME WAR
A 'flame war' is the type of thing people die about in this country. No one in the real world would say things to you that they do on the Internet. But anonymity allows us to adopt a make-believe persona.
If you respond to this garbage, their day is made. If you don't, they'll keep up until they get tired. But the key feature is that the argument becomes the argument.
Never believe anyone is who they say they are. Pederests pretend to be children, and the infamous 'Cherry' scandal on is still leaving a bad taste in many local mouths.
Create a persona and see what happens. You might get a thesis out of it.
Suzann Dodd is a writer and an attorney
