What's In A Name?

(Editor's Note: You should also read Wilson Smith's more visceral reaction to an interview request here.)

I think it's about time we all sit down and talk about names.

Let's start with mine. It's certainly an odd one which has caused consternation and tongue twisting among many. In order to get to the bigger picture, we need to start with my small story.

In 1995, I entered the online world in the same fashion as many other lemmings charging over the cyber-cliff. I joined AOL. Although "handles" had been around forever, the fledgling online service made them not only cool but a requirement. Pressed to come up with something clever on the spur of the moment, I chose grifterdrifter.

The etymology was quite simple. I had been known to run a few cards games, take a few bets and make spending money shooting pool. I also was known as a wanderer who never settled down, hadn't married and viewed apartment leases as one year relationships. Unfortunately for me, AOL limited screen names to ten characters. So I shortened the original down and griftdrift was born.

I tooled around the internets for the next six years under this unique handle and then one day I signed up for a message board focused on a particular television show. For reasons lost to time, I then shortened the name further to griftd.

Fast forward another five years and the creation of this blog. I made two decisions at the very beginning. The handle had become as much of an identifier for me as my real name so it would continue to be my nom de plume. The second decision was more difficult. I would remain semi-anonymous but would make no effort to hide my real name. Despite some unsavory experiences in the past, I had come to realize that trying to cover my tracks would eventually become soul consuming. It also rarely worked. On a more practical level, it's also a hell of a lot easier to google than my rather common real name.

I would not openly publicize my real name but I would make no real effort to hide it. If you ask, I will tell. When Wilson interviews me he certainly uses it. I can confidently say most of the Georgia blogging community not only knows it but also at times uses it to link to me. Never have I made objection nor ever will I. I don't hide it, I just don't advertise it.

So why bring all this up now? There is a certain new blog I mentioned the other day which is causing quite a stir. And most everyone is in a dither because they can't figure out who started it. The creators are completely anonymous and is the case with many attack sites continue to cling to that veil.

Given the above bio, criticism of anonymous authors may seem somewhat hypocritical coming from me. I also allow anonymous commenting on my blog. But I am also a strong believer in context. In this world where subtlety and nuance are at times lost, context truly matters.

So let's take a taxonomic look at one man's opinions of certain internet identifying conventions.

The Real Namers - (Erick Erickson, Jason Pye, Bernita Smith, Rusty Tanton, Amber Rhea, Amy Morton, etal.) The folks who have the bravado to paste their real names to their thoughts. There's not much to explain here but it should be noted the use of a real world name does give these folks a notch up in the credibility department. They are immune to attacks accusing of not standing behind their work. But with great power comes great responsibility. These folks can never sock puppet. If they do that credibility is immediately gone. They are quite simply stuck with public recognition forever.

The Semi-Anonymous - (griftdrift, Jmac, Audacity, Sara, flackattack, etal.) Also known as "The Handles". They vary in their level of anonymity from the completely obfuscating griftdrift and Audacity to those who actually incorporate part of their real name ala Jmac, Sara and flackattack. Most of them are known to their readers but a casual visitor would view them as a stranger.

Their actual identities are generally available from social networks, relationships within the blogging community and at times from open usage of the real name based on circumstance. Unlike the real namers however, their credibility is based primarily on context. The semi-anonymous develops a reputation based not on name but on the content of their work. If the work is credible and consistent, the handle can become almost as legitimate as a real name.

The Truly Anonymous - (trolls, tipsters, sock puppets) The truly hidden. They use the anonymous feature of blog comment sections, masked email and sometimes even entire sites to transmit their message. Sometimes they are harmless. Most times they are not. An individual usually has one of two motives for remaining hidden; fear of retribution or the desire to attack without reprecussion. Tipsters can fall evenly between both categories. Trolls and sock puppets live solely in the latter.

The tipsters can be vaulable sources of information for blogs and are treated differently across the spectrum. Some run their content without regard to accuracy or probative value. Others attempt to confirm before passing the information along. Some ignore them altogether.

Trolls and sock puppets live only for the damage they can cause. They are diametrically opposed to the semi-anonymous. Instead of creating an identity with the goal of establishing a reputation, they create their personalities to hide reputation. The sole purpose of anonymity is to free themselves of the moral restraints society associates with identity. Freed from recognition, they embrace tactics which they probably would not use in real life. For these reasons, the truly anonymous are always greeted with a great deal of skepticism and scorn. Usually they deserve it.

We could continue to branch these trees further and reach finer details of the many characters in the metaverse that is Web 2.0 but I believe these thumbnails give a good start to discussion of anonymity and the internet. At the very least, hopefully it gives you an idea of how to view certain new websites.

The bottom line is context matters. It is important to view the entire big picture (motive, content, style) rather than focusing solely on how it is signed.