HERE’S THE ANSWER

Gleaned from this thread as of 8/18 2:18PM

At least I think this is the answer. Or answers.

  1. Because when you take the IRL identity stuff out of the process it makes communication smoother.

  2. Tradition. Yes, we do it this way because it’s the way we’ve been doing it for a long time. Since the birth of Facebook or whatever.

  3. So crazy people won’t track me down. Which seems crazy. But that’s just the kind half-acknowledged half-conscious consensual fantasy that people seem to buy into. So maybe it’s true.

  • Maharashtra@lemmy.world
    51·
    1 year ago

    Advertisement. Malware. Scams. Abuse of trust. Current and future exploits that I have no knowledge, or understanding of.

    • froghorse@lemm.eeOPEnglish
      11·
      1 year ago

      So if they know your identity then they can use that to take advantage of you somehow.

      Can you give me an example?

      • Deestan@lemmy.world
        3·
        1 year ago

        Friend of mine dared to have an opinion while being female.

        She had shit sent to her mailbox, cat insurance providers sending her collection notices because someone signed her up for premium insurance under the name “Whore Cunt” and didn’t pay. And a lot more.

        I have more examples with more people but I don’t want to enumerate them. They make me pissed and I will struggle to get to sleep. For more examples, spend a few hours digging into Gamer Gate history and see how that went for anyone having an opinion that angered the angry mobs.

      • Maharashtra@lemmy.world
        3·
        1 year ago

        Can you give me an example?

        Of course, but bear in mind it’s going to be a crude, primitive example.

        Imagine me talking to - unknown fact to me - a pedophile over the Internet. For reasons unknown I made him angry. Angry enough to stalk me, invade the privacy of my home and steal my child, just to make me suffer because he felt I did him wrong.

        My anonymity protects me against such an occurrence.

        • froghorse@lemm.eeOPEnglish
          12·
          1 year ago

          Ya, the “crazy people tracking you down” reason. I get that reason. But really? I mean, it’s a kinda crazy reason? Are there that many crazy people here?

          One nice reason I saw was “it makes communication smoother”.

          Also, maybe it’s just tradition.

          • GlitzyArmrest@lemmy.worldEnglish
            2·
            1 year ago

            I could be pretty crazy, you don’t know who I am and I don’t know you. Also, people can lurk without your knowledge and not even make themselves known to you. Those are the scariest to me.