05-21-2009, 04:07 AM
Anna, that's why I only post on sites that are moderated, where people act like grown-ups.
On Punaweb, I most definitely pay attention to WHAT people say, not whether they use a screen name or their own name. The identity of the person is conveyed to me by the overall tenor and content of their collected posts. Honestly, unless someone is a public figure, their real name means no more to me than Kani-lehua (as an example), and no less. It's still someone I know from the internet.
Say I meet the person, the user name still conveys that person to me.
One interesting aspect of user names is the person's gender may not be clear unless they make it so. Of course some real names are gender neutral. However, if a person wants to post as a person, not a gendered person, I respect that. It's useful for getting one's ideas across without that automatic adjustment people make when they know a man is speaking, or a woman.
I've noticed that often when I say something direct and assertive under my gender neutral screen name, that people call me "bra." They assume I'm a guy.
On Punaweb, I most definitely pay attention to WHAT people say, not whether they use a screen name or their own name. The identity of the person is conveyed to me by the overall tenor and content of their collected posts. Honestly, unless someone is a public figure, their real name means no more to me than Kani-lehua (as an example), and no less. It's still someone I know from the internet.
Say I meet the person, the user name still conveys that person to me.
One interesting aspect of user names is the person's gender may not be clear unless they make it so. Of course some real names are gender neutral. However, if a person wants to post as a person, not a gendered person, I respect that. It's useful for getting one's ideas across without that automatic adjustment people make when they know a man is speaking, or a woman.
I've noticed that often when I say something direct and assertive under my gender neutral screen name, that people call me "bra." They assume I'm a guy.