Anonymous Rights

[arx]

This is a forum post, not an essay.

With regards to this forum I think it has become almost as cyclic and boring as My God... even more so in fact because while I can laugh at religious fools I just despair at the lack of sensibility here.

Given this opinion I'm going to introduce for proper discussion a topic of unilateral importance both online and offline. A topic that is, to the best of my knowledge, fresh to these fora.

The topic is this: Should Human Rights as Defined by Current Law (may it endure eternally) be Enforced Online?

On the internet we are anonymous. We are no more - no less - than our ideas. Should our right to freedom of expression extend its protection to the expression itself?

When we are anonymous it becomes transparent that our expressions define us as human beings - and that the depth of our online form is compromised when censored. This is no less in the corporeal world - that is why such a human right exists.

Ergo why should it not exist online - where we are humanity in essence but not in form, where many are their truest selves under the protection of anonymity - where all can only be fully realised as unique human beings in an environment completely free of censorship?

The misanthropic nature of censorship is obvious to me. It is the greatest blight upon the internet. I believe in the freedom of expression but no less so than those other human rights which can be applicable to our society.

The freedom to be educated - the freedom of information and knowledge, without which we are disarmed entirely.

To be innocent until proven guilty, to a fair trial - Fairness in general, it has to be said, is hard to come by. Yet is it so hard to execute? Isn't this feudal system merely a result of laziness and teenage power plays?

I could go on, but this is a forum post - not an essay.
arx_

[23]

We are not anonymous on the Internet.

IP addy, much?

[Knight of blacknes]

Anonimity is a delusion. If people really want to they can find out who you are for real. That way online enforcement is unnecesary.

[Star Wars Fan]

Originally Posted by 23

IP addy, much?

Tor and Proxies much?

[dagnabitt]

I was thinking about this today at work.

I think the degree to which anonymity is maintained, is the same degree to which "human rights" do not necessarily apply. For example, if I have a myspace page and people are "bullying me", I can block them or, create a new page, or turn off the computer. I do not think a person's "rights" are violated because someone on a computer insults them.

If however a person is defamed or libled, as in say a website being erected to make fun of someone, in that case their rights are violated because anonymity is compromised and they are powerless to prevent the abuse.

[23]

Originally Posted by Star Wars Fan

Tor and Proxies much?

Your IP still gets stored on the Proxy's servers...

[Star Wars Fan]

Originally Posted by 23

Your IP still gets stored on the Proxy's servers...

hmm...don't many people do that normally they do a say, daisy chain of several proxies leading together so even if they find the IP of a proxy; it leads to another proxy? Also, dynamic IP addies.

[Knight of blacknes]

Originally Posted by Star Wars Fan

hmm...don't many people do that normally they do a say, daisy chain of several proxies leading together so even if they find the IP of a proxy; it leads to another proxy? Also, dynamic IP addies.

Still one could follow one proxy to another until the last proxy gives up your source ISP. That sucks. Your best bet would to proxy to the USA first and then to China and then to Taiwan. All countries who a) hate eachothers guts and b) would thus never share information with eachother and c) can't seu through civil procedure with eachother.

[Star Wars Fan]

Originally Posted by Knight of blacknes

Still one could follow one proxy to another until the last proxy gives up your source ISP. That sucks.

yeah; but IIRC proxies aren't too into doing that.

Your best bet would to proxy to the USA first and then to China and then to Taiwan. All countries who a) hate eachothers guts and b) would thus never share information with eachother and c) can't seu through civil procedure with eachother.

yeah. hopefully Interpol isn't involved too lol

[nshanin]

Internet harassment, i.e. "I'm going to kill you" written several times in a serious tone in an email is technically violating somebody's rights, so should the senders of all emails have to give up all anonymity in case somebody has their rights violated?

I think the root of this question is "is anonymity a right/basic freedom"? That might be a better topic for a thread, but as far as I know, it is not--it isn't necessary for survival. However the freedom to anonymity is indeed a right (since said right does not violate anyone's rights, but merely makes the committing of crimes easier (the legality of which should be a far more interesting topic than anything thus mentioned). I shall ponder this more.