Once upon a time, there was a whole bunch of people who
thought that they were somehow superior to several of
the rest of us. One of the things that supposedly made
them superior to several of the rest of us was the fact
that we conducted our internet activities 'anonymously'
under usernames - like for example "Zef" or "Gevin" -
whereas they used their 'real names'.

Faced with the IMO less than adequate intellectual rigour
being shown by the overkeen 'real names' advocates &
their buddies, I decided to double check upon the real
and actual meaning of the word 'anonymous'. That is a
word which has been bandied about, in a negative way, to
describe the perfectly reasonable use upon the internet
of usernames instead of 'real names'.

The primary definition of the word "anonymous", within
Chambers Dictionary 1998 - a dictionary considered good
enough to be used for compiling the current versions of
the various official Scrabble reference books (IIRC) -
begins as follows:-

"anonymous : without a name;" <snip>

But when I am conducting my internet activities as "Zef"
(or Gevin conducts his internet activities as "Gevin")?
Those activities aren't being conducted by each person
as someone who is 'anonymous' - i.e. WITHOUT a name.
Instead, those activities are in fact being conducted
by each of us WITH a name - our username. Therefore,
each person who uses a username, instead of a supposed
'real name', is in fact NOT 'anonymous'!

And then certain former owners of the c4countdown forum
wonder why it is that we think that they are full of poo!!
:-)

--------------------------

When Gevin and myself Zef have chosen to be known only
by our usernames, rather than our 'real names'? That
step has been something that not everyone has liked.
Inference has at times even been made to suggest that
being known by usernames is almost considered to be
somehow suspicious - or less than entirely reasonable.

But below is cast iron proof, if ever proof was needed,
to show that the stance that has taken by myself & Gevin
regarding 'anonymity' actually IS entirely reasonable.


--------------------------------------------

The Times October 18, 2006


Man has throat slashed in 'web rage'
By Fran Yeoman


Police have warned chat-room users not to include
personal details after a poster was tracked down

POLICE warned internet users to protect their real
identities after a man was convicted yesterday of
Britain's first "web rage" attack.

Paul Gibbons, 47, of Bermondsey, southeast London,
attacked John Jones with a pickaxe handle and knife,
slitting his throat, after tracing Mr Jones to his
house after an argument in an online chat room.


Gibbons pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey to unlawful
wounding yesterday in what police said was the first
conviction of its kind. The court was told that
Mr Jones, 43, had posted personal details about
himself online and used his real name when
participating in a Yahoo! chatroom dedicated to Islam,
where he met Gibbons.

These details allowed Gibbons, who has a string of
previous convictions for violence and weapons offences,
to locate his victim's home address in Clacton, Essex,
using electoral records.

Gibbons, who used the username Pastordevil, argued
about Muslims and the war on Iraq with Mr Jones
through the chatroom. He then accused the father of
three of being a paedophile, and told other chat room
users of his plans for revenge.


Ibitayo Adebayo, for the prosecution, told the court:
"There were exchanges of views between the victim and
the defendant, which were threatening on both sides.
Certainly there was some hostility."

The lawyer said that on Boxing Day last year Mr Jones
asked Gibbons "to attend a place near Tower Bridge in
order to sort things out. The victim attended with his
sister. The defendant did not."

Gibbons, 47, then arrived at Mr Jones's house on
December 28 carrying a pickaxe handle, together with
an unnamed accomplice armed with a machete.

"The victim was working on his computer," Mr Adebayo
continued. "His two elder children were just outside
playing. His wife was taking a bath and the youngest
child was asleep.

"The victim heard his name being shouted out outside
and he heard a knock on the door."

Mr Jones opened the front door carrying a knife for
protection, but was soon pushed to the floor. "There
was a scuffle on the landing between this defendant
and the victim. The victim ended up on the floor and
was beaten with the pickaxe handle," Mr Adebayo said.

Mr Jones tried to protect himself with the knife, but
Gibbons managed to take it from him and then attacked
Mr Jones with his own blade.

During the assault, Mr Jones's throat was cut from his
Adam's apple to his ear, narrowly missing the jugular vein.

Mr Adebayo said that Gibbons told him: "Jones, if you
carry on, I will f***ing kill you."

Mr Jones's wife, Deborah Andrews, emerged from the
bathroom and called for help, causing Gibbons to flee.
Doctors later noted that Mr Jones had further cuts to
his head, neck and hands.


-------------------------------------------

After reading the above Times newspaper article, ask
yourself whose judgement & wisdom you would rather
place your trust in, regarding the issue of whether
or not people should be allowed to opt for being
'anonymous' when using internet Countdown areas.


On one side, you've got

1-3. The various failed ex list-owners of the
c4countdown forum; and
4-whenever. Their abusive message troll buddies;

... who say that everyone should use 'real names'.

Some of these people appear to be so less than well
informed that they don't quite appear to have fully
and correctly understood the dictionary meaning of
the word "anonymous"!


On the other side, you've got

1. The Times newspaper & its journalists;
2. The police;
3. Gevin;
4. Zef, myself;
5. More than one professionally trained legal source;
6. Several online poker websites;

... who all think that the wisest thing to do is to
allow people to NOT disclose their 'real names'.


I think that the case that was made by myself & Gevin
has been proved to be absolutely right. And those
people who have taken part in hurling insult or
harrassment at us, for holding those views, deserve
to be no longer allowed to hold any Countdown forum
post above that of being just an ordinary member.


Zef