Ask HN: Is HN better as an anonymous user, or with your identity public? - hazz99
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anoncoward111
I love using HN as an anon. I would be horrified if I were forced to reveal my
identity because a simple google search would give years worth of
controversial statements to any potential employer.

I don't have many skills so I can't expect employers to just "let it slide".

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TangoTrotFox
Anonymous with the same reason as usual.

What are the pros of stating things under your identity? The only I can really
think of is that you receive a certain amount of 'credit' by default, yet on
the other hand do you really want the reaction to things you say to be based
not on what you say, but who you are? It's the reason e.g. getting critical
advice from friends can be difficult. So I'm not sure this can even be
considered a pro.

What are the cons? Everything you say, ever, can now be tied back to you. If
you change your view, you can be portrayed as whimsical or inconsistent.
Things you say can be spun or taken out of context to impugn your character or
misrepresent your views. Imagine if everything you would have said when you
were a teenager or young adult would have followed you around for the rest of
your life. That's the stuff nightmares are made off! Yet that's precisely what
posting on the internet under your real name will now entail.

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CM30
I think it's better as a pseudononymous user. That's for the same reason I
think the internet in general is better when people use pseudonyms rather than
tying their 'real' identity to everything:

1\. It means we can say what we really think about something rather than
purely what's acceptable to the court of social media/public opinion. Having
your 'real' identity public online now seems like a ticking time bomb waiting
to go off at the worst possible moment.

2\. And it forces people to judge you based on your words rather than your
personal characteristics/backstory/appearance. That's a huge benefit that
people seem to take for granted now, and one that'd probably make the offline
world better if it was the norm there.

Of course, I'm also personally rather paranoid and try to avoid posting
personal information online in general (eh, I took the whole 'don't give out
too much information online' thing from the 80s/90s pretty seriously), so take
it as you will.

