What’s In A Name?

An article by OmniDragon    No Comments

For a little background on where this came from here’s a link.

I’m done with the discussion on names.  I just have one more thing to say before I’m done with it all.  If you think that you can trust someone more just because you’ve recently learned that their real name is actually Bob Smith, “Then I’ll have Tommy come back there and hit you over the head with a hammer because you are a REtard.” -Tommy Boy  Do you think I trust you more because I know your real name?

Would you like to know mine? How bout my birthdate while you’re at it? And my home address, phone number, social security number, credit card information and the whole 9? Will that make you trust me more? If you don’t trust me just because I go by a nickname on the internet (in front of 7 billion people) then I sure as HELL don’t trust YOU

I don’t just go around trusting people because I know their real name. For all I know, I DONT know any of your real names. How am I supposed to know that you weren’t living in a previous life ten or so years ago, have a completely different name, and just dropped it all one day, changed your name, left your family, and started a whole new lifestyle on the internet? Called yourself “Robert Scobel” and people bought it? Started hanging around a bunch of tech enthusiasts after doing a lot of research on the internet? Maybe even took a class or two on photography? Started going to a bunch of tech conferences and all that jazz. You think I’m going to trust “who you are” as a person just because I know the name that it says on your Driver’s License?

I don’t care what that piece of paper says. I don’t care who vouches for you. And I really don’t care what you tell me. I don’t know you or anybody else on this internet anymore than the man in the moon.

“Nobody knows anybody. Not that well.” -Miller’s Crossing

And THAT is the truth. “Oh, he’s an all-around nice guy.” Better be careful with that terminology because it’s associated with a lot of sociopaths and career criminals. That’s what they said about John Wayne Gacey and Jeffery Dommer. “Quiet, real shy…all around a decent kid.” Sorry, my mom’s a Criminal Justice major. I can’t help it.

But, getting to know you personally, for me, doesn’t start with knowing your real name. That means absolutely nothing to me. Your name could be Robert Scoble. Or we could be talking about some guy with the handle “Ladysman217” and I don’t trust either one of you more than the other.

Trust has nothing to do with what your name is. Not for me, anyway. So why would you, or anybody else, need to know what my real name is before you start to trust me?

“GuruMeditation” “UncleJohn”…”Kat Armstrong.” These are people who I hang around that I do trust, but it took a really long time for me to come around. And BELIEVE me, it didn’t make it any easier when I found out what their “real names” were. Because that’s beside the point! I’m not sitting at home every day and night, twisting my mustache, and doing background checks on every single person whose real name I know online.

I’ve been chatting online in chat rooms since 1998. Believe me, knowing someone’s real name isn’t even close to knowing who a person truly is. And it doesn’t do a damn thing to garner trust. And if you think it does, then you don’t have a clue.