[ghoward]

I agree with you about the value of anonymity.

For me, though, I use my real name everywhere because I don't want to be able to hide behind an anonymous identity, and the reason for that is that it's easier to be like the jerks that were mean to this writer when you're anonymous.

Not being anonymous means that I think more carefully about what I am going to say and try, in every instance, to be nice, even if I disagree.

[jokethrowaway]

That's very interesting.

If you look at 4chan vs Facebook/Twitter, you'll see different behaviours.

4chan is extremly politically incorrect but it's also the only place where you can find what people actually think, without filters. Facebook and Twitter are a collection of echo-chambers of people saying all similar things because they're afraid of being judged by their side or society at large.

I still try to be nice when I'm anonymous but, more importantly, I'm comfortable sharing what I think only when I'm anonymous.

I don't want to link my political views to my name, I don't want my well paying employer to know I'm not as woke as them.

[ghoward]

It is unfortunate that people have to self-censor like this! You shouldn't have to, but that's not your fault.

[esyir]

I feel the opposite though. Anonymity is key, especially if you're not well protected. You can be the nicest guy in the world, but if you ever step out of line once and the wrong person decides that you're his target today, there you go.

[ghoward]

You are absolutely correct.

To be honest, what I do does not work for the vast majority of people, and even though I do it, it does make me nervous.

But one big reason I still do it is that the current culture thinks I am a terrible person anyway, so they are not going to think worse of me.

I have already been the target of collective vitriol once, when I spoke against one particular Open Source project rewriting in Rust.

So I have already weathered such a storm, which means I can do it again if I become someone's new target of the week.

Can everyone do that? I don't think so. So yeah, you are absolutely 100% correct.

(Side note: that experience with Rust has pushed me away from Rust, period. I don't want to be part of a community that does that. I know the Rust maintainers don't like that culture either, so I don't blame them. But it still exists, so Rust doesn't seem like a community that would want me in it.)