Pseudonyms, Real Names, and Authenticity: Oh My!
Spoiler: I'm not fan of real name policies and I'm gonna tell you why.
I’ve been involved in online communities for a pretty long time now. At least twenty years. There is not a single time when I thought using my real name was a good idea. I wasn’t hiding anything or doing anything nefarious. Basically, I like the creativity of usernames. I’m currently PigeonDreadful (a reference to the term penny dreadful, obvs.) on all social media, even at work. Previously, I have been 5days, That_Pidge (a reference to the 1960’s classic tv show, That Girl), and TheLivingEnd (quoting John Waters’ guest appearance on The Simpsons). I feel like all these names tell you a bit about me. I like pigeons, I’m a bit kitschy, and I like Victorian things. 5days is a little mysterious but it’s also quite boring. I’ll tell you if you ask, though.
When I use the same fake name- or pseudonym- across multiple platforms and communities, I build an identity related to that pseudonym. It serves the same social purpose as my real name. I would not want to reveal anything too private or do any harm using PigeonDreadful and the same goes for past incarnations of my online self. When real names are required, I think, “Fine. I’ll do it.” but I almost feel less like myself because I’m used to being a pigeon on the internet. It feels weird and boring and lacks anything personal. Legally personal, sure, but nothing about Me.
Real name policies can be useful for certain communities, for sure. Maybe your group is for specific people and it’s important for everyone to know exactly who they are talking to. That’s fair. I’m not saying it’s useless but I am saying it doesn’t necessarily change user behavior. The idea of more accountability and honesty being present with a real name doesn’t always play out in practice. From what I have observed, it’s more likely to inhibit participation for a lot of people. Additionally, I’ve seen some pretty wretched behavior attached proudly, without worry, to real names. I’ve seen that behavior lead to police investigations with a direct path to the person because he used his real name across all social media platforms where he blatantly revealed his personal life. His version of honesty and authenticity included violence against children and there it was for everyone to see. Over the past few years, real names have increasingly attached themselves to terrible content. They openly state violent rhetoric. They support Qanon. They are TERFS. They are politicians and famous people. They have no fucking shame. Past whispers are now shouted from rooftops.
Speaking of TERFS, there’s another issue that seems to be overlooked. There are people whose birth names do not match the names they live their daily lives with. This predominantly applies to transgender people. When they have to submit proof of identity, if they have not legally changed their name, they may not have the proof required. Additionally, if you allow a workaround- such as a form to explain the issue- you are then requiring that they 1. out themselves to you, and 2. possibly reveal their deadname. Deadnames can be painful reminders of a past left behind or an unsupportive family or a death by a thousand papercuts. Many people hope to never have to say or hear a deadname again but to join your community they must reveal a very personal piece of themselves beyond anything I can really imagine doing myself. I just don’t think that’s fair. Before I go on, yes, two companies I have worked for, been a founder of, have offered real name verification for communities with the caveat that people could contact us regarding their real real name but, as I said, I’m still not a fan. I don’t like calling it real, tbh. Legal might be a better term. Chosen names* are as real as given names- maybe more real.
Do you remember when Facebook cracked down on their real name policy and the report tool was used as a weapon to target transgender people and drag performers? At that same time, I saw accounts using names that were clearly fictional characters from pop culture and literature. Those accounts were fine. If this issue does not affect you or someone you know, I think it might be easy to be unaware of it entirely. But the people making these policies should be aware and thoughtful and create accommodations, which will hopefully only improve from our rudimentary “pls out yourself” email process.
True anonymity, take 4chan for example, is a different beast and I honestly have mixed feelings. We know that Very Bad Things happen in those spaces. Manifestos are posted, violence is encouraged, young people are radicalized… but that happens in other places too. For example, any platform that hosts live streaming can be the sudden accidental real-time host of murder regardless of a name policy. And I’ve seen good come from places with true anon accounts as well, such as support for victims of rape or abuse. People can say things they may not feel comfortable talking to anyone about if it weren’t for the ability to completely mask themselves. Even 4chan has done good things (I was going to link to a list of 4chan’s good deeds but, not too surprisingly, 99% of the good deeds involve the worst of the worst internet content). So, I’m on the fence with 100% anon status. I see value and harm. If a platform that uses that formula were to build a culture of kindness, inclusivity, and anti-hate from the beginning, I’m pretty confident it could work if well moderated. A free-for-all built by a teenager well over a decade ago is maybe not a great example- no offense to Moot. He was a kid. He couldn’t have envisioned the eventual result and eventually left when he couldn’t stand it anymore.
Where am I going with all this? Requiring legal names will not solve trolling, violence, or other toxic behaviors on the internet. All formats can be valuable and positive as much as they can foster abuse and negativity. I see it as a cultural problem that needs to be addressed in a cultural way. If you create a space where the behavior you want to discourage is not allowed from the very first day, I believe you have a better chance of achieving your goal than any name policy could provide. Twitter and Facebook would like us to believe this is impossible. It might very well be impossible for them without drastic internal and leadership changes that they are not willing to make. But the rest of us have a chance. We just need to do the work.
*Is there a better term than chosen name?
Find me anywhere: @pigeondreadful @pigeondreadful and @pigeondreadful. Oh, I almost forgot @pigeondreadful.