Google Plus-One coming to ATS on a trial basis..., page 15

Originally posted by SkepticOverlord
Recently, we've received some rather startling attention from serious "players" in the Internet industry because of the quality of our member posts. While here in our "private Idaho" of ATS, we see complaints of various types over the behavior of some members, others don't see that -- they see an extraordinary example of how "anonymous" online users can behave, be civil, while discussing provocative and compelling topics. In fact, just today we received a comment from one such "player" that we (ATS) are proof that Randi Zuckerberg of Facebook is wrong in that anonymous online users behave badly. (a big part of that magic formula)

That's a debatable but valid point, I read an FBI report a while back that discussed Internet or Online Behavior that suggested people's personalities and behavoiral patterns were amplified exponentially as a result of their perceived anonimnity. Assertive people tend to be much more assertive, criminals tend to be more criminal for lack of a better word, etc. There's alot of material even I've psoted over the years that I would not have posted if it were possible to connect my real identity to it, and Big Brother knows that all too well. I don't live under any illusions that my internet activity is anonymous, but there is a growing and powerful push to eliminate anonimnity from the internet entirely, and site like ATS may eventually become the Cause Du jour for it's implementation. Once that happens, Conspiracy Theorists will dry up pretty quickly. The day I become "so and so from such and such town" instead of "Twitchy", is the day I will no longer see the Cost/Benefit of posting here, and I dont' think I would be alone in that sentiment. I don't like seeing ATS fall into a dangerous precept of Social Networking, and the push to rid the internet of that precious anonimnity should be paramount in the decision making process of a site that caters to the counter-culture. It's what drives and empowers us to speak up from a podium on level ground IMO.

I think in order for this particular genre to flourish, anonimnity must be protected and nurtured at all costs, and from my limited understanding of Google Plus, that raises some real concerns that could ultimately be a detriment to the Conspiracy Community in particular. It's late, I'm tired and have been fighting with my wife all week (ironically in part due to her activities on a Social Networking Site) so perhaps I'm a little jaded at the moment, but it seems to me that anonimnity is absolutely critical here. I'm not in anyway mitigating your efforts to bring ATS into mass fruition or trying to personify some vaguely defined concerns on behalf of the community, but I do think their concerns are valid and Google is... well you know, Google after all. I don't have an opinion really as I don't subscribe to google, facebook, or any of them, just concerns.