Friday, December 15, 2017
Although there have been many stories and examples that has made online anonymity seem like a danger to the web by inviting online harassment through trolls who exploit this right, anonymity has many benefits that contribute to the online community. It allows for collaboration and the sharing of ideas between people enabling them to speak freely and truthfully without filter or fear of retribution. Many times people feel the need to hold back on what they post because they fear the feedback they might receive directed to them. As author of "Online Anonymity Serves Us All", Gabrielle Coleman, states,"Anonymous expression has been a foundation of our political culture" (Coleman 5), posting anonymously removes this fear of retribution, empowering people to share their opinion on controversial topics or political issues which is key to our nation's democratic values of speech. This ultimately creates an environment online where conversation flourishes and people can contribute their voices for all to hear.
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I agree; anonymity not only gives people the courage to speak out their own beliefs, but it also allows people to focus on the writing rather than the writer. We can see this occur far before the idea of the internet was even conceived. Take, for example, the Bronte Sisters of the 19th century. They all had male pen names so as to have their work read seriously. Anonymity has been essential to our society-- especially to that of our literature-- since the first vestiges of writing.
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