Do you encourage/allow members use their real identity on your forum?

[Heatman]

Ever since I have using forums, I have come to the realization that most forum owners doesn't encourage their members to use or reveal their real identities in the community. It's even why avartars are used as profile pictures instead of one's real picture. Some say it's because of security reasons they don't encourage it and whoever uses their real identity is doing so at their own risk and the forum won't be held accountable for anything that happened.

 

[Arantor]

I walk a border line with this, and have for many years. I use an online identity but one that is fairly easy to trace back to my real identity should anyone truly care.

On the one hand the level of indirection is enough for general safety etc. and the other side of it is just good integrity - that I'm willing to make it fairly easy to connect the dots but you don't get it for free.

The thing is, that used to be the case prior to social media, that people would have pseudonyms and fragmented identities - I think it reflects the 'stranger danger' that was taught certainly during my youth (but also earlier), as well as some of the more... shall we say... wish fulfilment that used to be around: you no longer had to be what you were, you could reinvent yourself and be your best self as it were.

But social media changed that; people were "invited" to use their real identities to form connections, with the caveat that you learned some uncomfortable truths about people you might have thought you knew better. Certainly it's no barrier any more to people saying unpleasant things the way it used to be.

I would also be wary of individual forums encouraging real name use because of things like the GDPR in Europe, where a real name is personal information but a pseudonym isn't directly identifying.

 

[an0nym0us]

never, because you will never know who is hiding behind the screen!

 

[Shortie]

I will never push anyone to use their real name or anything else that might reveal their real identity online. I have always been a believer that you need to be careful online and your personal information should be kept just like that, personal and only used on sites that do need it and are very secure. Any site that pushes me to use my real name or anything else that is personal to me I tend to avoid unless it's a secure site and a trusted site and having that information on there is needed.

 

[Cory]

I wouldn't encourage most aspects of their real identity. I generally try to withhold my birthdate and the actual city I live in, I've posted some pictures of myself in those "post a picture of yourself" threads, which may not be the best idea. I use my real name as my username on all forums I go to nowadays, I don't think many people would know who I am just based on my real name. Overall, I think it's a matter of choice, but you never want to reveal too much personal information online.

 

[JennyorAlice]

I will never push anyone to use their real name or anything else that might reveal their real identity online. I have always been a believer that you need to be careful online and your personal information should be kept just like that, personal and only used on sites that do need it and are very secure. Any site that pushes me to use my real name or anything else that is personal to me I tend to avoid unless it's a secure site and a trusted site and having that information on there is needed.

This is my view as well. I'm always reluctant to give out personal info of any kind because you never know who you're dealing with or if the person on the other end is really who they say they are.

 

[Heatman]

This is my view as well. I'm always reluctant to give out personal info of any kind because you never know who you're dealing with or if the person on the other end is really who they say they are.

People lie online very easily and there's no way for you to find out whether they are truthful or not. It's why being very cautious with the kind of information you put out there is very necessary. Just like @Cory mentioned about posting pictures, I have done that a few times but that's where it stops.

 

[Cedric]

I think it’s ultimately up to the person themselves to decide what they want to release publicly and what not.

 

[Dilip]

The opposite. I do not want to know anything about them. Stick to the topic, talk about the question, and help others where you can.

Nothing more.

 

[Anachiwo]

Even if it's allowed in forums which I make use of, I wouldn't be willing to take part in it. I have heard so much about identity theft and I don't want to put out anything out there that's capable of making me vulnerable.

 

[Heatman]

I think it’s ultimately up to the person themselves to decide what they want to release publicly and what not.

Bizdustry had their members who want to be part of earning members on forum verify their identity at one point. Members were made to hold out their government issued identity card and snap with it in their hand showing their face in the ID card before they will be allowed to earn from the site.

 

[Anachiwo]

Bizdustry had their members who want to be part of earning members on forum verify their identity at one point. Members were made to hold out their government issued identity card and snap with it in their hand showing their face in the ID card before they will be allowed to earn from the site.

This is too much for any forum to ask for. There's no amount of desperation that's going to make me agree with doing this. How much was he going to pay members to warrant asking for this? I'm a member on the forum but never went through with this.

 

[Cory]

I took a picture of my face with my ID close to it for Freelancer.com and even that felt weird and unnecessary. I would probably never do that for a message board though, where it seems like it could be easier to exploit.

 

[Heatman]

I took a picture of my face with my ID close to it for Freelancer.com and even that felt weird and unnecessary. I would probably never do that for a message board though, where it seems like it could be easier to exploit.

It was only on Bizdustry that I had that done and that's the last place it's going to happen. I never read much meaning into it back then when it was asked for but now, I know better and I'm never going to make myself vulnerable like that again.

 

[Cory]

I know better and I'm never going to make myself vulnerable like that again.

Yeah, I don't think I'll ever be doing it again myself. Seems too risky and could lead to identity theft.

 

[Heatman]

..... could lead to identity theft.

Exactly... It's the height of it that you're going to be worried about. We have done a lot of silly things online if we sit down and start looking back at it but now we know better.

 

[Reverie]

I encourage people to be who they want to be. You can build a persona online. A username, a fake "real" name, whatever. You can be you. Now I would not suggest putting your cell phone number on the forum readily available to anyone who can see it, or sharing addresses on the forum itself... but if you want to share information over personal messenger that's up to you.

 

[Ravenfreak]

I think it's ultimately up to the person if they wish to use their real name as their username or reveal their real name to other members. I know a few people on forums know my real name, though mainly it's just staff on a few forums.

 

[Xilia]

Honestly in my 'registration' part of the rules, I advise members to be mindful of basic internet safety (don't give out 'real names', don't be putting down a personal cell phone on your profile, give away sensitive ID information, etc.) since there's always going to be creeps online.

 

[Kale]

I think it’s ultimately up to the person themselves to decide what they want to release publicly and what not.

Yep pretty much agreed. I honestly think if they wanna reveal their IRL name, age, etc then so be it.