MK_Fain on Nostr: I agree with you about wanting more genuine human connection and feeling like ...
I agree with you about wanting more genuine human connection and feeling like anonymity is often a barrier to this.
From a freedom perspective, anonymity is important to sovereignty in this digital age. Activists, dissidents, freedom fighters, etc must have the ability to work anonymously when appropriate and strategic to their mission. The more "regular" people who are anon, the more protection this gives people who truly need anonymity. (Similar to the 5th Amendment, for Americans -- if only guilty people plead the 5th, then using your right becomes a sign of guilt, which defeats the purpose).
And yet, I also agree with what you said downthread about being anon often aquaiting to living in fear. We shouldn't *have* to be anon to live honestly. I know a lot of people in my personal life who are in very comfortable positions, not in any genuine threat of persecution from a government or real financial risk, etc. Yet they remain anonymous on important issues because they fear social backlash from their friends or peers. Meanwhile, those of us who speak up under our real names face the backlash head-on and are denied the "safety in numbers" that would come from the silent majority speaking out under their real names. It's hard not to resent those who sit back under the cover of anonymity when they have more safety, protection, or resources than we do.
I think an ideal society has a healthy mix of both -- enough anons that there is no inherent stigma or suspicion on being anon, and a respect for the everyday reasons you may want to protect your identity. But, still enough "real faces" that those who aren't anon don't face outsized backlash unfairly.
I think Nostr has been good so far at fostering this mixed anon/real environment, and it's something I hope to see continue!
Sorry for the novel :)
TLDR: Anonymity is important to the fight for freedom, but I agree with you that we need real humans too and the ideal is a healthy mix of both.
From a freedom perspective, anonymity is important to sovereignty in this digital age. Activists, dissidents, freedom fighters, etc must have the ability to work anonymously when appropriate and strategic to their mission. The more "regular" people who are anon, the more protection this gives people who truly need anonymity. (Similar to the 5th Amendment, for Americans -- if only guilty people plead the 5th, then using your right becomes a sign of guilt, which defeats the purpose).
And yet, I also agree with what you said downthread about being anon often aquaiting to living in fear. We shouldn't *have* to be anon to live honestly. I know a lot of people in my personal life who are in very comfortable positions, not in any genuine threat of persecution from a government or real financial risk, etc. Yet they remain anonymous on important issues because they fear social backlash from their friends or peers. Meanwhile, those of us who speak up under our real names face the backlash head-on and are denied the "safety in numbers" that would come from the silent majority speaking out under their real names. It's hard not to resent those who sit back under the cover of anonymity when they have more safety, protection, or resources than we do.
I think an ideal society has a healthy mix of both -- enough anons that there is no inherent stigma or suspicion on being anon, and a respect for the everyday reasons you may want to protect your identity. But, still enough "real faces" that those who aren't anon don't face outsized backlash unfairly.
I think Nostr has been good so far at fostering this mixed anon/real environment, and it's something I hope to see continue!
Sorry for the novel :)
TLDR: Anonymity is important to the fight for freedom, but I agree with you that we need real humans too and the ideal is a healthy mix of both.