On Usenet Nicknames

Some users of Usenet who fly their real names (or real-sounding names, anyway) have a problem with those of us who, in the interests of personal privacy, prefer to use nicknames. Bummer for them. They can hang out their real names and email/snailmail addresses and phone numbers like laundry on the clothesline all they want, and I won't complain. And their bank account numbers and driver's license numbers and their $GOVT identity numbers, too, if they wish. Once the technology is in place, they can attach bits of DNA if they'd like. Because, see, that's their personal information to be dispensed when and where they see fit - the same way my personal information is mine to be used or not used at my discretion.

On an Internet that wasn't stuffed to the brim with nutjobs and idiots, spammers and scammers, system abusers and blackhats I might use my personal data. I've done that on a private net, in fact; albeit that was long ago and if it still exists it's probably just as much of a wasteland by now as Usenet is, however useful it may also be. I'm sure many others who post with nicknames would do the same. But we don't have that Utopian Internet, so the realities have to be considered: netnews isn't what it was in 1981. And the real-name zealots can't bring that back. That's too bad; but that's how it is.

I am a responsible user of Usenet. I post with valid signature delimiters and sigs that do not exceed the four-line convention; I trim when I reply (some trim more and some trim less); I quote; I attribute; I do not post binaries or HTML to text groups; I post test messages to test groups. I don't crosspost to troll other groups; I don't post drive-bys to groups I don't read. When I am helped, I say thanks. I don't nym-shift; I have never been a sock-puppet. I've been Blinky for years, and I plan to remain Blinky.

In short, I am responsible in and to the communities - the newsgroups - in which I participate and in a larger sense in and to the Usenet community itself. And that should be enough.

Blinky Note

Why Blinky? Second paragraph here.

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