Oddbean

>“First, a post with a real identity attached is inherently more credible because that person’s reputation will suffer if they are dishonest, lazy or simply a poor judge of what’s happening.” Tell that to Gigi. He’s got more credibility than you or I here and he’s a nym. That nym is it’s own identity with its own personality and reputation. I could describe more about Gigi, his worldview and his personality, than I could my neighbour and I have a degree of trust in him that his repeated correct actions have established where I’d sooner listen to him than my neighbour. This post seems like Boomer projection because it’s what you are comfortable with; you haven’t understood why many use nyms (you made false assumptions) probably because you’ve interacted with the internet very differently than people 5-10-20 years younger than you have.

First off, I’m not a boomer! FFS, does my picture make me look that old? And this really seems like nitpicking. That a post with an identity attached is inherently more credible is not counterfeited by the existence of certain highly credible nyms or not credible identified posters. It just means all things being equal, there is a credibility gain by using your real identity. Which is self-evidently true. And that is only one of the three arguments and not even the most important one.

I didn’t want to do the Reddit post dissection thing but I did disagree with the entirety of your article, I just picked on the first point as it was glaringly obvious. That you took the bait of my Boomer comment shows the value of NOT putting your face in a pfp. You gave something away whilst knowing nothing of me, you’re immediately at a disadvantage in that dynamic and I used it for a reaction and got it. That’s what I’m referring to in you not understanding how younger ppl interact online and are projecting. I could continue the troll here but it’s already illustrated my point so I’ll refrain and try to be kind. You can’t have it both ways claiming nyms lack credibility and then conceding highly credible individuals use nyms. I don’t know you from a bar of soap, this is our first interaction on #nostr - I could point to a hundred nyms who have a greater reputation than you and whose opinions are more credible than yours so where has your real name and picture gotten you other than trolled? Your second point is tied to the first - nyms have reputations. Just because you don’t ascribe credibility is meaningless - others do. And your most important point I did address with my point that you have false assumptions of why ppl use nyms. I reject your frame that I’m assuming the censors frame, that’s NOT why ppl use nyms. And not only am I not cedeing a right to free speech, your contention of that being an absolute right is myopically American - I’ve lived across the world and seen the spectrum of speech, you’ve applied your narrow lens and assumptions with little appreciation for what this looks like elsewhere and why nyms are useful generally whether it’s here or elsewhere.

Dude, I don’t give a shit if you’re mocking my photo because I picked that photo and I’m good with it. I stand by it.(I was just making a joke because I am not a boomer.) Just as I stand by the content of my posts with my name on it. You are neither at an advantage nor being kind. And you are nitpicking again! You know what I meant by identity conferring credibility, and that I’m not known on NOSTR or in the bitcoin space and many nyms are does not change that obvious fact. And you did not address my most important point which was to the extent you have fundamental rights (I don’t live in the US anymore BTW), you should exercise them, lest you lose them. I explicitly said anonymity is warranted in some cases, but I suspect for most of the nyms on NOSTR it’s fear of consequences of free speech. Which undermines the right itself.