China Will Require Real Name Registration for the Interwebs

[Guest]

Jesus Christ, there's already so many defending the idea...

A measure very clearly instituted by an oppressive government to suppress dissent.

But it's totally worth it cause it will also lead to fewer people getting their feelings hurt on the internet.

I'm starting to think that the only way to convince people that privacy and control over the software your computer runs is important, is to claim that lack of it is hurting my feelings.

Jesus fucking Christ...

[Mattk50]

Well I think anyone who doesn't want transparency with everything that should be are often people with something to hide.

 

Please forward to me the complete contents of your hard drive and pictures of your genitals from all angles. (assuming you're over-age)> i will be the judge of what you do or don't have to hide.

 

In a world where governments are very imperfect and run by humans as stupid as the rest of us, privacy is EXTREMELY important.

[Omon_Ra]

Jesus Christ, there's already so many defending the idea...

A measure very clearly instituted by an oppressive government to suppress dissent.

But it's totally worth it cause it will also lead to fewer people getting their feelings hurt on the internet.

I'm starting to think that the only way to convince people that privacy and control over the software your computer runs is important, is to claim that lack of it is hurting my feelings.

Jesus fucking Christ...

 

So hurt. Much feels. Think of the children

[szomeret]

I think, for certain areas, this is a good idea. But it should be left up, largely, to the website itself. China takes it a bit too far, as is typical I guess.

[Trik'Stari]

You have a right to be **** all day long, but there must be a consequence following it. That's simply what we lack currently in the internet, the consequence for saying things that are not appropriate to be said.

 

Maybe putting your real name in the internet is a bit too much, everyone could know who you are IRL, but at the same time once you get along with someone else the chance being friends IRL is also bigger. The internet would be an extension of real life, instead of a fantasy land where suddenly I've slept with every 13 y.os mother in CoD and BF. 

The consequences are already there, act like that on this forum and you get banned, same goes for most forums.

 

I think anyone who wants to force everyone else to act a certain way under penalty of violence is a either a shortsighted buffoon or an intentionally malicious authoritarian.

i.e. government

 

Jesus Christ, there's already so many defending the idea...

A measure very clearly instituted by an oppressive government to suppress dissent.

But it's totally worth it cause it will also lead to fewer people getting their feelings hurt on the internet.

I'm starting to think that the only way to convince people that privacy and control over the software your computer runs is important, is to claim that lack of it is hurting my feelings.

Jesus fucking Christ...

There is a way. They have to experience first hand what it is like to live under that kind of government. Makes me laugh when American college kids talk about how much better socialism is, when they've never lived under the oppression of a socialist regime. Then you turn around and have people who emigrated to America from those kinds of nations that sit there and tell you how much better off people are over here compared with over there.

 

Anonymity is privacy, privacy online is a right. You have the right to make your profiles private so no one can see who is really behind them, while this can be abused, so can total transparency. Better to have privacy abused than transparency.

 

Edit: you all know what swatting is right? What happens when someone can do it to you because you beat their ass at an online game and they're butt hurt about it? Even if you aren't streaming it?

[dfsdfgfkjsefoiqzemnd]

I love this idea.  I would like it to be where everyone had to use their real name in all places on the internet.

You can use your real name wherever you want.  Obviously you chose not to do so. 

[Trik'Stari]

You can use your real name wherever you want.  Obviously you chose not to do so. 

#Rekt

[DeViLzzz]

You can use your real name wherever you want.  Obviously you chose not to do so. 

I am talking about people being forced to.  I have no problem with being forced to if it is all done properly.  The people agreeing with your stupid post don't get it.

[pk-man]

Doesn't america already have this? google+?

[SpaceCore]

The anonymity of the internet isn't a license to be a scum or a criminal. The escalation of higher profile scummery that seems to be happening only speeds up the downfall of freedoms.

So you're saying each individual is responsible for their own anonymity?

careful now, because if you say "yes" my next question is: "then why punish the many for the mistakes of the few?"

 

edit:

if the punishment outweighs the crime, it is tyranny. If you are stripped of your anonymity because of some asshole in Oklahoma while you've done nothing but be responsible with your anonymity, what then?

[Guest]

I don't think using real names everywhere is a good idea.

I think being forced to use real names everywhere is a good idea.

[fringie]

Anonymity allows people to be ********.  I think the world could use less ********.

There are many reasons why some people are ..not so nice on the internet so just removing this doesn't solve sh*t (the biggest one imo is for the abuser not having to physically interact with the abused). If you want to 'solve' it, then you'd better just remove the internet altogether assuming you don't have a couple hundred trillion of whatever-your-currency-is lying around.

 

Forcing people to use their name on the internet creates an endless list of possible issues which will affect many people.. But more importantly (for most nations, china is exempt from this as they seem to be quite proactive in regards to censorship) where is the line drawn on people imposing their beliefs of what is right on others in regards to the internet? Keeping the internet as neutral as is reasonably possible stops it becoming a pile of regulated crap (right now David Cameron (UK prime minister) is attempting to regulate pr0n (opt out & banning some genres (idk what the word for it is lmao)) but just imagine if it continued.. no pr0n - just imagine how devastated the tissue market would be in the UK).

[Yoinkerman]

So you're saying each individual is responsible for their own anonymity?

careful now, because if you say "yes" my next question is: "then why punish the many for the mistakes of the few?"

edit:

if the punishment outweighs the crime, it is tyranny. If you are stripped of your anonymity because of some asshole in Oklahoma while you've done nothing but be responsible with your anonymity, what then?

I'm not sure what you're getting at. I'm only saying that in the eyes of the lawmakers, the rise of higher profile scummery (that seems to be on the rise) that's hard to track down because of the anonymous nature of the internet will lead to further and further restrictions, because doing nothing isn't an option in their eyes. And neither is being less restrictive.

All we need is a congressman or his family dying in a raid after being swatted and it will be disastrous.

I'm not saying I like it, or want it, or think it's a good idea. But that's how I see the future playing out.

[McMurderMonkey]

Oh dear. Wasn't like China was very democratic and/or liberal, anyway. Still bad news, nonetheless.

[Omon_Ra]

Oh dear. Wasn't like China was very democratic and/or liberal, anyway. Still bad news, nonetheless.

 

Yeah, it's not hugely surprising that the Chinese government is doing this; but it's the precedent that is worrisome. I guess the good thing for America is, should anyone in Congress get some smart idea to attempt the same thing the, 'What are you, a Chinese commie?' type of argument could be leveled against it. So I suppose that's not entirely bad? 

[McMurderMonkey]

Yeah, it's not hugely surprising that the Chinese government is doing this; but it's the precedent that is worrisome. I guess the good thing for America is, should anyone in Congress get some smart idea to attempt the same thing the, 'What are you, a Chinese commie?' type of argument could be leveled against it. So I suppose that's not entirely bad? 

Yeah, I guess that is one good thing that has come out of this.

[DeViLzzz]

Yeah, I guess that is one good thing that has come out of this.

Not everything about communist ideas are bad.  The problem with people who are/were in power of communist nations is the corruption that happened like in any other government.  If honest people were running government we'd be ok.  If commerce were dead we'd be ok.

[McMurderMonkey]

Not everything about communist ideas are bad.  The problem with people who are/were in power of communist nations is the corruption that happened like in any other government.  If honest people were running government we'd be ok.  If commerce were dead we'd be ok.

Ehhh. Not quite. I agree, some socialism esque ideas are good, but authoritarianism is a terrible idea, because power corrupts. De-centralisation is the only real solution. Anyway, to avoid a thread-lock, I'll stop at that

[DeViLzzz]

Ehhh. Not quite. I agree, some socialism esque ideas are good, but authoritarianism is a terrible idea, because power corrupts. De-centralisation is the only real solution. Anyway, to avoid a thread-lock, I'll stop at that

It depends upon what you mean by power corrupting people because if a person leading the world does all that is right and should be done for a safe and well taken care of planet then I have no problem with authoritarianism.

[werto165]

The morphing in the background of the GIF is really off putting, I assume it's just a edited/stabilised. Or maybe matt smith is just creating worm holes and he doesn't need the tardis anymore. 

[mr moose]

hmmmm. freedom of speech versus freedom to be someone else. 

 

double edged sword or catch22,  if you haven't got the guts to put your name to what you say you probably shouldn't say it.  (I realise the irony of saying this from anonymity) but at the same time, somethings need to be said because there is no such thing as freedom of speech and if you speak the truth (even in the US) you might find yourself in a world of hurt.

[Doobeedoo]

And people there should just, obey? Sure...

[Yog]

Just as any of these sorts of laws this will only affect law abiding citizens. The people this is meant to be a safeguard against will still find ways to get around this. It really just means "the people" will be cowed and will give one more crime to someone likely already committing a crime. People have a right to have some privacy. Besides, the issues the Chinese government, and people in this thread, points out as an excuse are solved in other ways already...they may not be perfectly implemented in all locations of the internet but the solutions exist.

[Omon_Ra]

Not everything about communist ideas are bad.  The problem with people who are/were in power of communist nations is the corruption that happened like in any other government.  If honest people were running government we'd be ok.  If commerce were dead we'd be ok.

 

I only brought up the communism because, in the red vs blue/right vs left arena that we call Washington, the most simplistic arguments win. I didn't mean to bring in a debate over governance or economics.

[Trik'Stari]

hmmmm. freedom of speech versus freedom to be someone else. 

 

double edged sword or catch22,  if you haven't got the guts to put your name to what you say you probably shouldn't say it.  (I realise the irony of saying this from anonymity) but at the same time, somethings need to be said because there is no such thing as freedom of speech and if you speak the truth (even in the US) you might find yourself in a world of hurt.

True. but the problem comes when you say things about the government, and then you need to be anonymous because the government can spin anything to make you look like something else altogether (a dis-creditation attack)

 

Edit: Especially in a country where the government controls the media via blackmail and intimidation ("We'll raid you and take all your files" or "good luck ever getting into the white house press conference again")

 

And people there should just, obey? Sure...

It's China, they have no choice or say in the matter.