Should people be legally obliged to use their real name on the internet?

[jassi]

I don't think it is all that important.  Really nasty people can always be exposed if necessary, which it mostly isn't.

Refusing to admit to the given name will always be seen as some sort of shame.

Alternatively it could mean not wanting to leave a bigger digital trail than necessary.
It never ceases to amaze me how much personal information people are willing to put on social media.

[Alice Purjorick]

Maybe for a bit of fun we should all develop our "Conway Twitty" names.
"Accounts vary of how Jenkins acquired the stage name of Conway Twitty. Allegedly, in 1957, Jenkins decided that his real name was not memorable enough and sought a better show business name. In The Billboard Book of Number One Hits Fred Bronson states that the singer was looking at a road map when he spotted Conway, Arkansas, and Twitty, Texas, and chose the name Conway Twitty"


I think I will be Messing St Osyth.

[sadie]

I would 100% agree
Why don't you enforce it on the forum

What would be a good idea IMO would be that everyone had to register their name and address with a verifiable safe authority ... one which had legal clout.   In turn, they would have to make sure of the registrations veracity.

Then safely registered, they could post away with a pseudonym of their choice .... and my bet is that few, if any, of the lies, twists and outrageous remarks would be made



With Christmas upon us I haven't had chance to catch up with all the posts on this thread (or others) and i hope that I am not repeating what others have suggested,.