blogging and online anonymity
Juhis posted an interesting question relating to online identities on the Blaugust discord the other day:
Those of you who keep a separate online identity, do you keep it completely separate, ie. don't share your blog posts to friends or colleagues at all or is the separation just to keep online strangers from discovering who you are? -Juhis
I've replied to him with my own thoughts on the subject, but I thought I'd expand upon them in a full write-up to give a more complete answer. Here is a shortened version of my answer to his question:
I keep my online identity completely separate. It means I can leverage the power of online anonymity to write about whatever I want.
There are two main ideas in my answer that I want to explore in this post: online anonymity and creative freedom.
Online Anonymity
I am a huge proponent of maintaining online anonymity when using the Internet, even more so if you are a content creator. I believe that anonymity is essential for the free and open Internet to function.
Anonymity can protect people from harassment, discrimination, and even violence in the physical world. It allows individuals to speak out against oppression and abuse without fear of reprisal. Furthermore, it enables people to connect with others who share interests and experiences without risking damage to their real-world reputations.
For many marginalised groups, having anonymity online provides an outlet where people who are isolated in their daily lives can find community and support in various online spaces. Anonymity also protects whistleblowers who expose unethical practices.
Aside from that, I personally do not enjoy the fact that tech companies like Facebook or Google basically have unlimited amounts of user data with which to exploit and profit off of their users. I despise targeted advertising and try to limit the amount of personal data I share on these platforms as much as possible.
Creative Freedom
To touch on another benefit of online anonymity, I believe it promotes free speech and creativity, as people will feel less constrained when they don’t have to worry about being identified.
I myself have felt less restricted in my writing and the ideas that I touch on due to the fact that I am effectively faceless on this blog. It allows me to build a new identity in a way where I can foster new relationships with people who don't know me in real life. I can write about whatever I want, whenever I want, and let my mind flow free with any ideas that pass through it. It is this freedom, which comes with anonymity, that I cherish so much.
If I were to start a blog under my real identity, I would feel kind of restrained to write content about what other people think I do or am interested in. It wouldn't feel right to talk about topics such as writing or my mental health because that's not how I'm viewed by others in real life. I would be compelled to write professional articles about my career or the state of my industry, similar to the content LinkedIn users make.
I would rather be unknown and free to create whatever I want than known and restricted to what I am able to create.
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