Indeed, there are many reasons why someone might not want to give
their real name, but I haven't seen a good reason why a forum would
demand that someone does give their real name.

--- In gevincountdown@..., "zefcountdown"
<zefcountdown@...> wrote:
>
> 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
>