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All the use of real names on social media accomplishes is a chilling effect on speech. Especially if your opinions differ from those of your employer or customers. Or if people who disagree with you are engaging in harassment campaigns or domestic terrorism against their political opponents.

This can apply to either side. Whether you're a Trump voter in San Francisco or an LGBTQIA+ person in a rural "Bible Belt" community. Doxxing is one of the most serious rules violations on the internet because exposing somebody's real world identity endangers the personal safety of the victim. A real names only policy effectively forces everybody to self-dox or be silenced.



yes, realnames depends on out-of-band harrassment being illegal and suppressed.

but it also means responsibility, which acts in the opposite direction.

a realnames policy doesn't preclude also offering pseudonyms for sensitive cases.

to me, it seems like the real issue is sockpuppetry - basically a Sybil attack on authenticity/reputation/responsibility.




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