Forum name ≠ Account name

Quackers wrote: Rill wrote: The_Dude wrote: Rill wrote: Edited to add:  Since nCrow is not yet a top 20 alliance, I think we could be categorized as a "smaller" alliance, although I prefer to think of us as a "not-yet-as-big-as-we-might-be-one-day" alliance. You are part of the Crowalition which I think most of the community recognizes as a single power block and the largest mega-alliance. Ah, but there is significant doubt among the community at large and indeed among the Crow Federation itself about when push comes to shove who will be doing the pushing and who the shoving. Or at least there should be, as I seek to foster this sort of doubt at every opportunity. We might have an infestation of crows, but a few hawks can take care of that problem. But I do not seem to recall any hawks in Illyriad. What a crying shame. :(

The_Dude wrote: Rill wrote: Edited to add:  Since nCrow is not yet a top 20 alliance, I think we could be categorized as a "smaller" alliance, although I prefer to think of us as a "not-yet-as-big-as-we-might-be-one-day" alliance. You are part of the Crowalition which I think most of the community recognizes as a single power block and the largest mega-alliance.

Edited by Rill - 12 May 2012 at 21:25

HonoredMule wrote: Pardon me for interrupting the FUD party,

Pardon me for interrupting the FUD party, but there are several players who use their in-game names here and actively "disrespect" or otherwise speak against the bigger players/alliances.  Few if any can identify a single act against them that was provoked by their words here.

If you want to know how volatile and hostile the upper echelons are, check out "that big 35-page thread" that recently appeared.  I'll be generous (from my perspective) and suggest that you assume the larger force was at fault.  Note the magnitude of "transgressions" which triggered that outrage...and then note the lack of any other such threads over the last 6 months.  Logically, there can only be 3 explanations:
 - that incident, however minor, was a major incident compared to the server-wide norm
 - hidden powers are normally very talented at hiding these incidents, and took the day off
 - any action involving certain players/alliances receives an entirely disproportionate amount of attention

It's possible that the last explanation means hostilities are more common and the actual inconsistency is with the supposed community influence.  But at the very least you can take several names from that thread and match them to thriving in-game accounts.  You can check their forum history and find a history of vocal dissent against much stronger powers.  You can check their alliance history and probably also find at least a few who have little or no protection from significant political ties.

When I speak on these forums, few people ever see me or consider my words, but rather respond only to my position and the assumed bias that accompanies it.  I can understand the desire to escape that from time to time, but I do not post under any other name because doing so would be at least a little deceptive.

Speaking anonymously is closely akin to sock puppetry, not to mention indistinguishable from it.  And people are correct in correlating my position with my opinion.  They may presume to reverse the causality--my opinions and standards have directed me into this position, not the other way around--but it is certainly appropriate and intelligent to at least consider the two together.

Hiding your identity also hides your agenda and bias, and most people who do so (at least here, but probably in general as well) are protecting that...not their cities.  Because the community here is well-familiar with this situation--frequently reinforced by the perennial trolls--hiding your identity greatly diminishes the influence and credibility of your voice.  That changes if your forum behavior demonstrates intellect and wisdom, but it's an up-hill battle.  At least initially, people will associate new anonymous posters with the dismal characteristics of those anonymous posters we've previously encountered.

Even if you do not wish to reveal your identity, however, I'd strongly recommend you register your in-game account names here, lest in the future someone else miss-use your identity.  And if you do wish to reveal your identity, note that anyone can put any name in a signature.  At least forum names can only be registered once, which makes a standard relying exclusively on them the only way anyone can protect the credibility of their own voice.