Rush on Anonymity

[Duncan Frissell <frissell@panix.com>]

Rush Limbaugh opined that most of the BS on the Nets would disappear if Net
IDs could be easily traced.  (He was observing not advocating.)

I know this isn't correct.  Most of those who post do so under their own or
easily traceable identities.  Most of what is posted is "as legal as church
on a Sunday" in any case.  Many posters are judgment proof student types as
well.  

The net is the equivalent of barroom conversation or other casual
conversation between individuals.  The only difference is more people can
overhear.  In addition, speakers are likely to get a bit more rambunctious
because they are not in the physical presence of others and so are less
likely to be intimidated in monkey-troop fashion.  No deference need be
given to those higher on the pecking order because those primitive
responses are keyed to physical presence.

The Net is an approximation of a stream of consciousness since many posters
don't think before they post.  That's not illegal, however.  If the Fibbies
knew who posted the Friendly Fire message about TWA 800 (how many megabytes
of such messages have there actually been?), it would make no difference
since such claims are legal. 

The Net is just what you get when communications barriers and physical
intimidation are reduced.  It isn't even very "nasty, brutish, and short."
I've posted controversial opinions for years and have hardly been flamed
once.  All those reporters who get on the Nets and immediately get flamed
must either be hanging out in the wrong places or be pretty stupid in the
way they say things.  

DCF