I Won't Expose Who I Am Online

You can't live your life without risk. Most of us are happy to walk on the street and happy to drive a car. There are risks, but we think we understand the risk and that the benefits of taking that risk are significant.

The same thing applies online.
There are legitimate reasons why some people want and need to not use their own names.

On Ryze, 93% of people use their proper name. On LinkedIn close to 100% use a real name. This builds trust into the network. Pretending to use a real name, which is actually false, would be to betray that trust. Using a false photograph betrays trust. People don't do that, because they understand the need to build a reputation of reliability online.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• live your life
• walk on the street
• drive a car
• we think
• own names
• proper name
• real name
• builds trust
• betray that trust
• false photograph
• betrays trust
• build a reputation

[MiG2880]

I would be interested to hear your thoughts on malware such as Atdmt, which is actually part of Windows Live Messenger.

The function of Atdmt is to collect information from your computer while you're browsing in order to advertise to one's particular tastes. E.g. I was looking for gas fires for sale the other day and a minute later an advert for British gas was on the side of my screen.

I find that utterly intrusive and one has to wonder if advertising is their only agenda...?

[johnsveitch]

Hello @MiG2880

I think that this sort of malware detract from trust on the Internet and does Microsoft and Yahoo and anyone else who uses such tactics a disservice. I don't use Live Messenger and I didn't install the Yahoo toolbar, so I don't have too much experience of this problem. I do use chat quite a lot but I use Skype for that.

[julien314]

hello