Identity Crisis

No, not another anti ID card rant. I recently noticed a long post on the Devil’s Kitchen dealing with his ongoing row with a paranoid, tantrum throwing commentator on UKIP Home. The commentator constantly refers to DK by his real name, leading DK to conclude the comments are meant to:

“…ultimately, force my employers to put me in a SBBS situation: my blog or my job.”I know that some will probably say that I have been hoisted by my own petard, but that isn't even true. I don't mind what people write about me: that would be hypocrisy of the highest degree. If I think that what they post is ludicrous and offensively wrong, then I shall defend myself (often by attacking them, to be sure) but I address them by their pseudonym (except on the rare occasions when they either have no pseudonym or freely use their real name). I expect others to work in the same way.

“Having my real name scattered over the 'net and associated with The Kitchen is something that I simply cannot allow to happen: especially at this rather delicate point in my career.”

Which got me thinking. I would not like to see the termination of the Kitchen – it is perhaps the best example of Mr E calls “sweary goodness”. But has DK actually hoisted himself on his own petard? I mean, I know his name – I clocked it first on his e-mail address for one of his blog round-ups (no, I am not going to link to the particular post) and then again when I had a brief look at his appearance on 18 Doughty Street. His name certainly is out there for anyone who wants to find it (which is something he acknowledges in the post).

Now, I don’t particularly hide my identity, but equally do not advertise it online. The Moai knows who I am in real life, as does Beverage – which is no real surprise as I often out for beers with both of them, what with them being mates ‘n’ all. Other people know of my blog but don’t really follow it. My family know about it, and often read, as do a couple of my work colleagues. All in all, probably about thirty people know my true identity – but they are all people I know and trust. I don’t think my job would be at risk if the powers that be found The Appalling Strangeness – mainly because my one golden rule is I never, ever comment on my job on this blog. But I do feel happier knowing that people online can only attack The Nameless One, and don’t know who I really am. I agree with the Moai on this one – I love the anonymity of Blogger.

So I would argue that if you don’t want people to use your real name online, then don’t put it on line. Don’t give them the chance to use it.

But I think that this view rather misses the point. DK posts as Devil’s Kitchen. He has mentioned his real name a couple of times in posts, as an aside, and one when he appeared in person on an internet TV show (where, let’s be honest, it is a bit awkward to call yourself by the name of you blog). He does not call himself by his real name a lot, unlike others who spring to mind, such as Iain Dale and Neil Harding. So I would use my intelligence to sense that he does not want to be called by his real name online, and respect that. Just basic politeness, really. But I guess his erstwhile opponent is either not intelligent enough to work this out, or is a little shit stirrer.

I don’t believe there should be an official code detailing how people should and shouldn’t behave online, and am really impressed with the concept behind Disillusioned and Bored’s Voluntary Code Free Zone. But people should at least engage their brain cells and work out for themselves what is acceptable and what isn’t. Put simply, Blair is not going to lose his job if I called him a fucktard. I’d imagine that my vitriolic words would have next to no impact on my targets. If they did, and someone might lose their job over something I put in a blog or online anywhere (particularly publicising their name) then I wouldn’t put it on The Appalling Strangeness. I guess this is called self-regulation – and as Nu Labour has proved time and time again, if people are not willing to regulate themselves, the government will do so with absurd, knee jerk, draconian legislation.