From: Arthur Chandler <arthurc@crl.crl.com> Isn't it tough enough to build up a rep under our real names? What is the point to using a pseudonym? I can think of some bad reasons; but I can't come up with any good ones, except for "fun" and "just to see what it feels like to put out opinions not my own."
An obvious reason would be that you don't want what you say to be associated with your truename. You might be discussing past sexual abuse, the nefarious behavior of your employer, your relationship problems, or the finer points of heroin use. You may say, "Well, that's just anonymity". It could work that way, but it may be more valuable to be able to carry on a discussion under a fixed pseudonym. Context and continuity are lost if all messages are totally anonymous. It might be wise to conduct even relatively innocuous behavior under a pseudonym, if you're concerned about personal privacy versus a "dossier society". Archives of Usenet news will make a great marketing database some day. Eli ebrandt@jarthur.claremont.edu