Ask HN: Selectively Refusing Anonymous Interactions?

by killermouse0 on 12/30/2022, 8:20:46 AM with 2 comments
I appreciate the freedom of speech that anonymity on the internet can allow. However, for content creators for example, I can see the value in engaging only with people who have provided their real identity, perhaps through a KYC process, mainly to reduce spam and increase safety.

Do you think social media platforms should allow you to require this level of identity verification, possibly through a checkbox like "accessible only to people who have completed KYC". Assuming this would be backed by regulations of some sort?

  • by 082349872349872 on 12/30/2022, 8:36:31 AM

    I'm not too into "real identity"[0], but since I tend to manually filter by handles which have passed my personal[1] Turing Test ("has this handle presented ideas and defended them via logic and evidence?"), I would daydream about a checkbox like "no bots, non-heart-transplanted dogs[2], or low-engagement humans".

    [0] despite which I've already easily leaked 33+ bits for this handle. Anonymity theatre is much easier than anonymity.

    [1] I do seem to fail others' Turing Tests from time to time, so YMMV.

    [2] cf «Собачье сердце»

  • by anenefan on 12/30/2022, 9:14:40 AM

    Only if search engines agreed not to (read never) provide any web results from an identity who was using whatever means to be an anonyphobe (even at a low threshold like 1% of the time) at a website or social media service.