# Is it cowardly to use pseudonymns? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [June 8, 2009, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-cowardly-to-use-pseudonymns/499157 "2009-06-08T23:07:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-cowardly-to-use-pseudonymns/499157/21 "2009-06-09T00:54:43Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > Because I’m the person who knows and wants to reveal an anonymous person’s identity. If they didn’t want me to decide whether I should put them at risk, then they should have done a better job at protecting their identity or not posted at all. Since they did post, and I did find out, I’d say its not unethical (but also not very nice) for me to out them unless **I** think they would be subject to some sort of draconian retaliation. > > Again, it’s not my job to keep someone else’s secrets. And if you don’t want me to come steal all your stuff, you should buy better locks for your house? You’re blaming the victim for the crime. Note–I have no plans, intent, or desire to steal from **Simplicio** , nor am I threatening to do so. Just paraphrasing his argument. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-cowardly-to-use-pseudonymns/499157/22 "2009-06-09T01:03:03Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > And if you don’t want me to come steal all your stuff, you should buy better locks for your house? You’re blaming the victim for the crime. Except I’m arguing it’s not a crime (or unethical), so there is no “blame”. (using analogies like that should probably be considered a crime though. It makes nothing clearer and just obfuscates what we’re talking about). ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-cowardly-to-use-pseudonymns/499157/23 "2009-06-09T01:08:18Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > Except I’m arguing it’s not a crime (or unethical), so there is no “blame”. > > (using analogies like that should probably be considered a crime though. It makes nothing clearer and just obfuscates what we’re talking about). Seems like a perfectly valid analogy to me. You want to do something the poster obviously does not want you to do, and has, in fact, made at least minimal efforts to prevent you so doing. Why does your desire to out somebody trump their desire to not be outted? ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-cowardly-to-use-pseudonymns/499157/24 "2009-06-09T01:19:49Z")
I think it’s often smart to use pseudonyms. I write erotica, a blog, posts with way TMI, all online. My “online” identity is one that I prefer to keep separate from my professional, office-job-holding life. I use a pseudonym to protect myself to some degree–I do not use a pseudonym to attack other people and tell untruths. Except for fiction, which is an odd combination of truth and untruth, and a debate for another thread. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-cowardly-to-use-pseudonymns/499157/25 "2009-06-09T01:25:51Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > Seems like a perfectly valid analogy to me. You want to do something the poster obviously does not want you to do, and has, in fact, made at least minimal efforts to prevent you so doing. Why does your desire to out somebody trump their desire to not be outted? Doing something someone else doesn’t want me to do isn’t (necessarily) unethical. I probably do something someone else would prefer I not several times a day. Robbing a house is unethical. It carries a whole host of implications that outing a blogger doesn’t (not least of which, it’s illegal). I mean, we’re arguing whether or not outing a blogger without their permission is unethical. Your saying doing something obviously immoral (robbing houses) without the owners permission is unethical. Certainly that’s true, but it hardly means doing anything without permission of everyone involved is also unethical. Your analogy just obfuscates the point by making a meaningless comparison between what we’re arguing about and something unambiguously bad. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-cowardly-to-use-pseudonymns/499157/26 "2009-06-09T01:32:39Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > Doing something someone else doesn’t want me to do isn’t (necessarily) unethical. I probably do something someone else would prefer I not several times a day. Robbing a house is unethical. It carries a whole host of implications that outing a blogger doesn’t (not least of which, it’s illegal). > > I mean, we’re arguing whether or not outing a blogger without their permission is unethical. Your saying doing something obviously immoral (robbing houses) without the owners permission is unethical. Certainly that’s true, but it hardly means doing anything without permission of everyone involved is also unethical. Your analogy just obfuscates the point by making a meaningless comparison between what we’re arguing about and something unambiguously bad. Your right to swing your arm ends where my nose begins. How is it not unethical/bad to take someone’s personal information and publicize it against their will? I see it as no different than taking their property against their will. It is something that belongs to them, and you’re taking it without permission. You’ve offered no justification beyond “I wanna do it”. Maybe I want to fart in elevators. Doesn’t mean it would be a good thing for me to do. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-cowardly-to-use-pseudonymns/499157/27 "2009-06-09T01:44:37Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > Your right to swing your arm ends where my nose begins. If Whelden had punched Publius in the nose, he would face criminal charges. For revealing Publius’s identity, he does not. He apparently does have the legal right to do the latter, but not the former. Your analogy doesn’t hold. > [@](#): > > How is it not unethical/bad to take someone’s personal information and publicize it against their will? I see it as no different than taking their property against their will. In one case your removing physical objects from someones house, in the other case your revealing their authorship of public writings. I do not believe that you do not see a difference between them. > [@](#): > > Maybe I want to fart in elevators. Your analogies are not getting better ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-cowardly-to-use-pseudonymns/499157/28 "2009-06-09T01:45:15Z")
> [@The\_Second\_Stone](#): > > For someone to use a pseudonym or even less than a fully distinguishable name to cast aspersion and then try to avoid social consequences by pretending he or she didn’t strikes me as cowardly. If think if you are going to fling an insult, or out someone, you should fling the insult and then not deny that it was about a specific person and an insult. For example, when the OP DSeid used the word asshole in a context that insinuated that it applied to me, then denied he did so, then got the mods to say that is kosher her at the SDMB (because it apparently is, and no, I didn’t report the OP because it might make one of the mods “less than really happy”) the whole thing speaks of cowardliness. You either mean it or you don’t. Dissembling about it is the behavior of a jerk. You already have an [open thread to discuss your subsequent brawl](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=520365) with **DSeid** and your complaints about Moderator actions in that regard. **DSeid** opened this thread to discuss your earlier accusations of cowardice in anonymity that preceded that brawl. Stick to that topic, here, and leave discussions of your subsequent conflict out of this thread. The two topics can be discussed independently and I will not put up with having this thread hijacked because you need to keep airing your grievances. **DSeid** , you will be so kind as to decline to respond to any further comments that do not directly bear on your OP. Let’s not keep spreading the aggravation. [/Moderating] ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-cowardly-to-use-pseudonymns/499157/29 "2009-06-09T01:58:13Z")
When I started posting, I wasn’t sure how the internet was going to work (back in those balmy days), but I thought a pseudonym might be protection for my privacy. Sure enough, at one point early in my moderating days on the SDMB, we had a [del]nut-case[/del] impassioned poster who threatened to come after me, to use physical violence against me for my political opinions. This [del]jerk[/del] individual lived in Chicago. I was very glad for the protection that my username gave me; I have no idea what might have happened if I my name had been known – it would then have been fairly simple to find my address. I don’t think it’s “cowardice,” I think it’s a reasonable precaution for privacy in an age when everyone and everything is blasted across Facebook or twitter or whatever. Er, wait, sorry, I don’t know what I’m saying. I don’t use a pseudonym. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-cowardly-to-use-pseudonymns/499157/30 "2009-06-09T02:01:00Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > If Whelden had punched Publius in the nose, he would face criminal charges. For revealing Publius’s identity, he does not. He apparently does have the legal right to do the latter, but not the former. Your analogy doesn’t hold. The analogy boils down to you wish to harm someone else in a non-consensual manner. You have not, to this point, disputed the notion that outting someone does them harm. Yet, you claim it is perfectly ok to inflict that harm because you want to do it. That’s blaming the victim for your actions, anyway you slice it ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-cowardly-to-use-pseudonymns/499157/31 "2009-06-09T02:01:54Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > Your right to swing your arm ends where my nose begins. How is it not unethical/bad to take someone’s personal information and publicize it against their will? I see it as no different than taking their property against their will. It is something that belongs to them, and you’re taking it without permission. You’ve offered no justification beyond “I wanna do it”. Maybe I want to fart in elevators. Doesn’t mean it would be a good thing for me to do. I always wonder this… All these folks that love/want to reveal ALL the private information about someone else…how often are THEY WILLING to reveal all THEIR info for the world to see? hmmm? ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-cowardly-to-use-pseudonymns/499157/32 "2009-06-09T02:03:33Z")
Would you appreciate someone taking information that you considered private making it public? The basic principal of ethics is the same in many cultures: do not do to others that which you would not have them do unto you. Yes, there are exceptions, as noted, someone presenting a false face in order to deceive deserves to be unmasked, but that is not what we are talking about. This is about using unmasking as a kick in the nuts. The rule isn’t written that in playground fights you do not do that, but everyone knows that when you do it you declare that you couldn’t win a fair fight. This is about Whelan making it known that if you “bite my ankles” then I won’t fight back on the merits of your point, I’ll just kick you in the nuts too, and trying to scare off future criticisms. It is cowardly. And again, the concept that a post is less worthy because its author used a pseudonym, or that using a pseudonym means that you’d be embarrassed by your postings (as Whelan claims), or that it voids you of the right to point out that Doc Doofus is a conspiracy nut, is just wrong. **Tom** , sure. I can do that. But you call that a “brawl”? Oops. I’m responding to your post that does not directly bear on the op. I’ll shush now. And thanks for the link! ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-cowardly-to-use-pseudonymns/499157/33 "2009-06-09T02:04:18Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > . > > Again, it’s not my job to keep someone else’s secrets. Its not your job to go outa your way to reveal them either. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-cowardly-to-use-pseudonymns/499157/34 "2009-06-09T02:12:26Z")
I wonder what “Cecil Adams” thinks about using pseudonymns? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-cowardly-to-use-pseudonymns/499157/35 "2009-06-09T02:28:14Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > The analogy boils down to you wish to harm someone else in a non-consensual manner. You have not, to this point, disputed the notion that outting someone does them harm. That something might do harm to someone is different then doing something _to_ cause harm. Punching you in the nose is pretty unambiguously meant to hurt you. Outing someone as the writer of a blog could have ill effects on them, but there are plenty of reasons to do it other then hurting them. Again, the two situations aren’t analgous. And again, I wish we could just discuss the morality/immorality of outing bloggers without having to go into these discussions of nose punching and elevator farting. I really don’t think it adds anything except obfuscation and silly side arguments (to what degree is outing a blogger like elevator farting? we could debate that, but it’s a waste of time). > [@](#): > > Yet, you claim it is perfectly ok to inflict that harm because you want to do it. That’s blaming the victim for your actions, anyway you slice it Saying I’m doing something because I want to do it is “blaming the victim”? I’d say it’s pretty clearly the opposite. > [@billfish](#): > > All these folks that love/want to reveal ALL the private information about someone else…how often are THEY WILLING to reveal all THEIR info for the world to see? hmmm? Umm…one’s name is not exactly ALL your private information. If Publius’s HIV status or sexual history or something unambiguously private had been revealed, then I’d agree that that would be unethical. But one’s name is sort of the opposite of private, it’s entire purpose is to allow other people to identify you. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-cowardly-to-use-pseudonymns/499157/36 "2009-06-09T02:38:43Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > Umm…one’s name is not exactly ALL your private information. If Publius’s HIV status or sexual history or something unambiguously private had been revealed, then I’d agree that that would be unethical. But one’s name is sort of the opposite of private, it’s entire purpose is to allow other people to identify you. Okay. Whats your real full name? Country of origin? Occupation? Name of employer and their address and phone number? Employement History? Please be detailed. Education? Places and contact information please. Your Address? Your phone number? Include cell number as well. SSN please? Political affiliations? Hobbies? Relatives? Their names and addresses? Sex? Sexual Orientation? Frequency? Preferences? Sexual or other diseases? Cronic, temporary, or heriditary? Age? Weight? Blah, Blah, Blah I’ll give you one point for “bravery” for every one answered. Of course, remember if you only just give your full name, there is a chance some crazy person out there could figure out just about everything ELSE, and as you say, its not someone elses job to keep your information secret. I look forward to reading your interesting life history here soon. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-cowardly-to-use-pseudonymns/499157/37 "2009-06-09T02:40:15Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > That something might do harm to someone is different then doing something _to_ cause harm. Punching you in the nose is pretty unambiguously meant to hurt you. Outing someone as the writer of a blog could have ill effects on them, but there are plenty of reasons to do it other then hurting them. Again, the two situations aren’t analgous. And again, I wish we could just discuss the morality/immorality of outing bloggers without having to go into these discussions of nose punching and elevator farting. I really don’t think it adds anything except obfuscation and silly side arguments (to what degree is outing a blogger like elevator farting? we could debate that, but it’s a waste of time). Sounds to me like you just don’t like it when I ask questions you can’t answer. For that matter, you haven’t actually answered many of the questions I’ve raised. Here’s another one: What are reasons to out a blogger other than hurting them? You say there are plenty of them. I’d like to see a list, preferably with a justification other than “I really wanna” for each one. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-cowardly-to-use-pseudonymns/499157/38 "2009-06-09T02:51:05Z")
I think pseudonyms are dangerous. They give the illusion of safety and privacy when they provide neither. I used to think there was safety and privacy online. When I started get telephone calls at work from a guy who went to extraordinary lengths to hunt me down so that he could threaten to rape and kill me, I realized that it was illusion. Now that I freely use my name, I find that I pay attention to what I’m saying to whom, and I assume that anything I say can and will get around. When people think you have something to hide and a reason for hiding, they’ll make a point to figure it out. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-cowardly-to-use-pseudonymns/499157/39 "2009-06-09T03:00:39Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > I think pseudonyms are dangerous. They give the illusion of safety and privacy when they provide neither. > > I used to think there was safety and privacy online. When I started get telephone calls at work from a guy who went to extraordinary lengths to hunt me down so that he could threaten to rape and kill me, I realized that it was illusion. > > Now that I freely use my name, I find that I pay attention to what I’m saying to whom, and I assume that anything I say can and will get around. > > When people think you have something to hide and a reason for hiding, they’ll make a point to figure it out. Your name is J. S. Goddess? ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2009, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-cowardly-to-use-pseudonymns/499157/40 "2009-06-09T03:07:06Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Your name is J. S. Goddess? My name is Julie Carter. It’s my domain name on my website that is linked from my username, and on splinter boards I just use “Julie” or even “Julie Carter” instead. Mine is a username, not a disguise. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-cowardly-to-use-pseudonymns/499157.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-cowardly-to-use-pseudonymns/499157.md?page=3)