The Case for Anonymity Online
4chan founder Christopher Poole, knwon for promoting the value of digital anonymity, on why the Web should recognise that, “We all have multiple identities. It’s not abnormal.”
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What’s the Latest Development?
4chan founder Christopher Poole, known for giving speeches about the value of anonymity online, explains why he’s opposed to Facebook and now Google+’s requirement of a single consolidated identity for each of their users. “We all have multiple identities. It’s not abnormal; it’s just part of being human.” “What’s really at stake now is the ability to be expressive on the Internet.”
What’s the Big Idea?
Justifications for multiple identities include youthful indiscretions, personal and professional distinctions, exploring random communities and interests, and the more general drive to be able to choose. “It’s not who you share with, it’s who you share as.” “Facebook and Google do identity wrong, Twitter does it better, and I want to think about what the world would be if we did it right.”
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