This intrigues me, why are people Anon?
Would do you want to connect with people online and remain Anon, what’s the end game here?
I’m very curious, not judging anyone but curious.
Discussion
I guess people just have different desires for what they keep private
I think there is a more than 0% chance that those who speak freely, or wish to transact in the forum of free ideas and fee money, will be deemed to be “bad actors” by the “state”, and many of the domesticated masses will support them in this narrative.
Because I would rather to discuss ideas and some ideas are very unpopular, satoshi did the same he only could archive bitcoin being an anon. Today we can go to jail just to talk against the gene therapy death jab it's not something I'm willing to do you know.
Many of us are pseudonymous as a "plausible deniability" shield against the state. We are prone to expressing opinions and posting content that is not "politically correct," and by remaining disconnected from our "true names" when we do so, we hope to spare personal loved ones from any "embarrassment by association."
I hope that makes sense, Dear nostr:npub1el3mgvtdjpfntdkwq446pmprpdv85v6rs85zh7dq9gvy7tgx37xs2kl27r?🙏😁💜🫂😆
There's nothing said to be ashamed of 🧡🌌
Thank you Duncan, yes it does make sense.
I’m just a little intrigued though, as people are Anon on here but when they attend Nostr Conferences or Bitcoin events they will be seen in person, so at some stage they will be showing themselves.
I mean if we are all like-minded people here geared towards the same goals why the need to be Anon?
I sincerely apologise for these questions, again I’m very curious. 🫂
For me, anonymity allows me to voice my opinions without considering the potential consequences those opinions might have for me in certain groups of people. I find that in working with people, the less they know about me personally, and the less I know about them, the more productive our association usually is. It is really nice to be able to discuss ideas with people though, I’ve learned and grown so much through discussions with random people who I’ll never know except through their opinions and musings.
Interesting point, about being more productive the less you know both know. I like this concept, and it rings true. Will be thinking on this for a while.
It really isn't an attempt to shield ourselves from one another, at least not primarily...
It is first and foremost the state (i.e. those gangs of thugs calling themselves "governments" and claiming to have some mystical right to rule us by force whether or not we are in agreement, to rob us "for the common good" and to inflate the "money" they demand we use, and to take away our homes if we don't pay tribute, to insert themselves into the middle and demand a portion of every private transaction....) THOSE are the miscreants we need privacy from...
You, my Dear, I would gladly invite into my home and I would be happy were you to know my true name...🙏😁💜🫂😆 Why? Because I know you by your words and actions here on nostr. I know you to be a loving person of good will to all others of good will...
But sometimes, even in the best of company, identifying information can accidentally slip out...
This is why my daily prayer is responsive to what my Lord and King Jesus directs me:
Hallowed be Thy name...
Why? Because honor 4 honor, value for value...
Implemented be Thy Kingdom...
Why? Because Jesus as our Creator-God not only has the absolute right to govern us, he actually *loves* us and truly has our best interests in mind.
Executed be Thy will, on Earth as in the heavens...
Why? Because when I choose actions that align with the moral guidance Jesus provides me, I know I am serving, protecting, and blessing all mankind.
Thank you my beautiful friend, I understand the reasons for this need much more now 🫂😂
Wait wrong emoji not meant to laugh it was mean to be this 💜🫂
No worries my Dear Marie, you would have to go a *very* long way beyond that before I could ever take any offense!😆
I hope one day we might have the chance to meet face to face...🫂💜😁 If that lovely possibility ever should occur, I will tell you the secret behind my nom de plume "Duncan Cary Palmer."😆
So, if you are ever going to pass through Southern California, please let me know?🙏🫂💜😁😆‼️
And many would never attend a conference, or at least not as their anon identity. Meet-ups are maybe a little different, but also kind of cringey, especially for anon.
Being pseudonymous is a must if your regional laws outlaw/restrict freedom of speech. Fire up that whonix vm and bobs ur uncle
🥇
the way it used to be done on the internet was all aliases. people of like minds and humor would be attracted to each other, purely through interaction. and often those interactions were more genuine because of a lack fear. it was easier to spot the psychos, the thoughtful, and the cleverly funny. i’m some cases, you’d get along so well, you’d meet in person.
then for legal reasons, to appease government requests, and to build ad tracking databases, large centralized tech started asking for legal identity. now, because it has been normalized, people actually associate some sort of integrity with legal identity…which was not originally the case, but was used as part of the big tech sales pitch early on, using the whole “for your safety” argument which many people fell for.
There are almost no benefits to tying your online identity to your legal identity.
For me it’s just a fun online identity now.
There’s an added benefit of having your ideas judged on merit and not gender, color of your skin or your age, assumed political affiliations etc…
I like a tiny bit more privacy through I’ve doxed myself and do so regularly on zapstream. Many bitcoiners already know me by my name.
But yeah, mostly a fun “persona” by this point.
Yes, its amazing how an interesting idea can flourish without an ego baked ... The prevailing(?) culture of tying ideas to an individual can be quite counter-productive?
Satoshi being a prominent example
It all started on 4chan
Anons are a group of hackers fighting against internet censorship, and a whole lot more. When you're fighting against Goliaths, would you be exposing yourself?
Plus, it's never safe to reveal personal info on the web. If you have to provide any bit of info about yourself online, never put the blame on anyone or anything but yourself when something happens
The more you know about the complexities of the web, the lesser you will reveal even a tiny bit about yourself
The first discipline in the book, The Art of War by Sun Tzu, is
"Know your enemy"
And it's a book that's read by almost all leaders of nations all over the world
And anons go by that principle
But not all anons are good ones, there are countless dark ones, extremely dark, always lurking 👁👁 👁👁 👁👁
Remember this one-liner whenever you post any personal info:
You only have yourself to blame.
Nous sommes Anonymous. Nous sommes Légion. Nous ne pardonnons pas. Nous n'oublions pas. Préparez-vous! - Anonymous 🇨🇵
Yeah I get it, thank you for sharing 🫂
A few reasons, for me
- Boston Wine was a business idea I had, years ago. I wasn’t ready to implement anything besides a placeholder website + Twitter account, but wanted to lock down the domain. The account evolved with my interests over the years
- Anon is a (sort of) level playing field in an interesting way. You start out with less engagement/interest than a relatable human with a nice pfp, and the type of the relationships you build is dependent on the quality and consistency of how you then choose to show up in the community
- Bitcoin is money. And while I haven’t been here long enough to see massive wealth growth, that expectation is part of it. I don’t want my identity publicly associated in this way, for the sake of privacy & security
All of that said, I am stoked to meet more of you in person. Haven’t decided if I’ll be “Boston” in person, or go by my name at an event and keep this account separate, as a general rule. I’m rather new to this and still figuring it out.
But I also have a hard time imagining I show up to an in person event and *don’t* say “YO Marie it’s me Boston 🍷”
because I feel like there are some solid hugs to be had with the people here 🫂
Being able to speak truth with smaller fear of my career or family being affected. I would still speak it but would rather avoid until absolutely necessary.