Some people love to use Avatars instead of their real photo online, others like to make up Alias names (or their alter egos) and then some just like to stay plain ‘Anonymous’.
You may have heard recently that South Australian Attorney-General Michael Atkinson tried to ban online comments about the South Australian Election unless they were accompanied by the author’s full name and postcode to verify the comment as one from a real person, not a party hack. He’s since had to do a back flip just 24 hours later due to the outrage it caused among bloggers and the like.
I can see why some people like to retain their anonymity such as political bloggers & pollsters, corporate whistleblowers or staff complaining about their company or work conditions or Trolls who go around seeking trouble! Being anonymous allows us to basically view our opinions and battle others without fear of retribution or personal judgement…
I’m glad Attorney General Michael Atkinson did a back flip on this, after all we are in a day and age where you have to be careful what you say online for fear of being sacked or sued which certainly can impede on a person’s freedom of speech.
Being anonymous allows people to post opinions on behalf of themselves, without paranoid or logical concerns about what will happen to them professionally or personally if they speak up on an issue.
What do you think? Do you comment on news sites etc with your real name? Do you think it’s important we are able to remain ‘anonymous’ in public debate if we so choose?
Notes by Curious 
Love the post. I teach KG and I watch kids create nicknames for other kids that just stick with them for ages and ages.
People have been calling me Jam for more than half me life – it’s to the point where the name is really a part of my identity.