Discussion: Why I've Posted 27,000 Times to One Online Forum

I liked the “No Moderator” aspect of Usenet, but as you note that lack of moderation led directly to people either not exercising any self-control or to outright destructive impulses. I think that’s what doomed Usenet more than anything else. The Spam, and the endless/pointless flamewars really did it.

I’ve always posted on-line under my own name- even on Usenet. I’m not one to go off the deep end anyway, but the fact that my name is on everything that I write makes me think twice before I comment.

I also think that the idea of anonymity on-line is a falsehood anyway. The way you fight defines you, probably more certainly than any other communication you make. It’s probably about the most self-revelatory thing you can do in public, and in fact its a lot more personal than posting your picture and your name.

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My wife very much lamented the death of Television Without Pity. The networks, et al were co-opting the conversations and they couldn’t stay afloat. Now she’s on Facebook, which I agree is a mix of commercials / promotions and unimportant, benign observations and pictures. Every so often, new information arrives.