anonymity

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Anonymity is the ability to disconnect your online actions (including publishing posts, making edits, chatting) from the requirement to identify yourself with your actual name, and may include having a different identity across different interactions (unlike pseudonymity which usually involves a single identity across the majority of interactions).

How to

Register a domain

It is possible, with many domain registries, to establish an anonymous domain that does not require accurate data, select a private domain registration, and purchasing domains using pre paid credit cards.

IndieWeb Examples

There are number of folks using pseudonymous identities, but obviously it’s not possible to link to a truly anonymous identity.

The IndieWeb community provides a number of tools to allow community members to participate anonymously:

https://chat.indieweb.org/ can be used to enter an one-off custom name and participate in chat
- Similarly, IRC clients allow you to choose your own IRC nickname, which you can change every time if you like.
Comment Parade can be used to send webmentions.

Caveat:

Note that many interactions that may seem anonymous, e.g. with different names on https://chat.indieweb.org/ web interface, due to how the Internet works, your IP (Internet Protocol) address may be logged (e.g. in web server logs) which could be used to associate or correlate different identities.

Silos

Telegra.ph is an anonymous publishing tool from the creators of the Telegram app that lets you create rich posts with markdown, photos, and "all sorts of embedded stuff." (1) (2)
FML is an anonymous social network for people to complain about everyday problems. The website was turned in to a book series as well.
AfterSchool App After School is a private space for where students publish anonymously to a school group where they can find stuff friends, stories, notes of encouragement, who is into whom.
psst! An anonymous social network and texting app with no history and no trace.
Secret was an anonymous publishing app that shut down after patterns of abuse.
4chan is an anonymous photosharing site known for abusive communities
YikYak was an anonymous app popular among teenagers in US that shut down after patterns of bullying and abuse
whisper is a private social media app

Levels of Anonymity

Anonymous - i.e. there's no way you're going to find out who I am
Pseudo-anonymous - i.e. you don't know who I am unless you do a bit of digging and cross-referencing
Obfuscated - i.e. it's public but you'd have to guess the URL to get in there
Public - i.e. you can see everything, including who I am

Doug Belshaw, private correspondence, weareopencoop.slack.com

Benefits

Anominity online protects vulnerable populations. The real name policy on Facebook, for example, has caused harm in the trans community.
teenagers like to try on multiple online identities
Anonymous venting can provide a cathartic release

Criticism

Anonymous platforms lead to increased bullying and harassment [1]. Many apps like YikYak and Secret shut down after creating toxic communities
Some have suggested harassment leads to teen suicide following cases such as [2] and [3]