5 ms·

Before you start thinking "oh, those crazy Chinese...", remember that many people in the USA (and other western countries) fervently believe that we should do t

Before you start thinking "oh, those crazy Chinese...", remember that many people in the USA (and other western countries) fervently believe that we should do the same thing.

hyperpape 12y ago
I think one can think both that the Chinese government is exceptionally repressive and be scared how many people in the West might be willing to follow their lead. Thankfully, I don't think a real names policy has much chance in the US for the time being.
- marvin 12y ago
  Most Norwegian newspapers enforce a full-name policy in their comments sections. Which is frankly ridiculous; anyone who seriously wants to troll just comes up with a fake name. But it's very worrying that this is taken seriously by people in our own society.
  - differentView 12y ago
    So they basically just has a full-name policy, but don't actually enforce it.
  - bad_user 12y ago
    Don't know the quality of Norwegian comments on newspapers, but if it's anything like what happens in my country, I can understand them asking for full names. In short, stupid and mean, really mean, YouTube-style. Of course, a full name policy doesn't help. Even when the comments section is powered by Facebook, with most users having real names and being sort of trackable, you still get the same stupid and mean comments, because let's face it, a majority of us on the web are stupid and mean. I'm really against nation wide policies, but on the other hand here we're talking about web properties. Personally I don't care when those shitty newspapers that I don't even read demanding full names. For one it's their right to do so. And also, as long as this isn't by law, it means that you always have alternatives and that's what competition is about. I mean, really, Reddit has 10 times more users than the population of your country and my country combined.
higherpurpose 12y ago
Oh, those crazy Americans... You made it sound as if we shouldn't call the Chinese crazy over this. When in fact we should call both crazy.
innguest 12y ago
Yes, and those people in the USA that believe we should do the same are called net neutrality supporters.
mc32 12y ago
The difference is in who is requiring this. The site operator/company (such as blog,newspaper,social network) or the central govt. It makes a big difference.
- hga 12y ago
  As US custom (e.g. the Federalist Papers) and jurisprudence has anonymity so strongly established, it's hard for me to see such a thing here without a simultaneous hot civil war. It would tread on a very important part of our Constitutionally enshrined core political free speech.
  - sukilot 12y ago
    Percentage of Americans who know what the Federalist Papers are: <20%
    - knd775 12y ago
      You know, that is probably true. And if so, that is incredibly depressing and disappointing.
    - hga 12y ago
      However the percentage who currently care about freedom of speech and of the press jurisprudence will tend to do so (any guesses on ACLU members?), and if this became an issue that started affecting the other >80% that would change real fast. Or maybe just our cultural "DNA" is sufficient, you don't need to know the details if you know and follow the principles.
  - differentView 12y ago
    You'd be surprised at what laws could get pushed through should there be another major terrorist attack on U.S. soil.
    - hga 12y ago
      I don't believe anywhere in my statement that I denied such a thing. I'm just, among other things, stating consequences, assuming of course that e.g. the Supremes don't slap it down as they have other threats to anonymous political speech, or we don't "throw the bums out" as happened after the passage and use of the Alien and Sedition acts, etc. etc. It's often formulated at soap box, jury box, ballot box, and bullet box. Preclude the use of the first 3 and we're left with the last.
wyager 12y ago
I've even seen support for such measures here on HN. The most popular justification is "to fight cyber-bullying".
guelo 12y ago
It's weird how everytime there is criticism of some country people pop up to say that the US is also bad in some way. It's a non sequitur. China is fucked up, full stop. Is the US fucked up too? Yes. That doesn't mean China should not be criticized for their fuckupery.

Before you start thinking "oh, those crazy Chinese...", remember that many people in the USA (and other western countries) fervently believe that we should do the same thing.

hyperpape 12y ago

I think one can think both that the Chinese government is exceptionally repressive and be scared how many people in the West might be willing to follow their lead. Thankfully, I don't think a real names policy has much chance in the US for the time being.

marvin 12y ago
Most Norwegian newspapers enforce a full-name policy in their comments sections. Which is frankly ridiculous; anyone who seriously wants to troll just comes up with a fake name. But it's very worrying that this is taken seriously by people in our own society.
- differentView 12y ago
  So they basically just has a full-name policy, but don't actually enforce it.
- bad_user 12y ago
  Don't know the quality of Norwegian comments on newspapers, but if it's anything like what happens in my country, I can understand them asking for full names. In short, stupid and mean, really mean, YouTube-style. Of course, a full name policy doesn't help. Even when the comments section is powered by Facebook, with most users having real names and being sort of trackable, you still get the same stupid and mean comments, because let's face it, a majority of us on the web are stupid and mean. I'm really against nation wide policies, but on the other hand here we're talking about web properties. Personally I don't care when those shitty newspapers that I don't even read demanding full names. For one it's their right to do so. And also, as long as this isn't by law, it means that you always have alternatives and that's what competition is about. I mean, really, Reddit has 10 times more users than the population of your country and my country combined.

higherpurpose 12y ago

Oh, those crazy Americans... You made it sound as if we shouldn't call the Chinese crazy over this. When in fact we should call both crazy.

innguest 12y ago

Yes, and those people in the USA that believe we should do the same are called net neutrality supporters.

mc32 12y ago

The difference is in who is requiring this. The site operator/company (such as blog,newspaper,social network) or the central govt. It makes a big difference.

hga 12y ago
As US custom (e.g. the Federalist Papers) and jurisprudence has anonymity so strongly established, it's hard for me to see such a thing here without a simultaneous hot civil war. It would tread on a very important part of our Constitutionally enshrined core political free speech.
- sukilot 12y ago
  Percentage of Americans who know what the Federalist Papers are: <20%
  - knd775 12y ago
    You know, that is probably true. And if so, that is incredibly depressing and disappointing.
  - hga 12y ago
    However the percentage who currently care about freedom of speech and of the press jurisprudence will tend to do so (any guesses on ACLU members?), and if this became an issue that started affecting the other >80% that would change real fast. Or maybe just our cultural "DNA" is sufficient, you don't need to know the details if you know and follow the principles.
- differentView 12y ago
  You'd be surprised at what laws could get pushed through should there be another major terrorist attack on U.S. soil.
  - hga 12y ago
    I don't believe anywhere in my statement that I denied such a thing. I'm just, among other things, stating consequences, assuming of course that e.g. the Supremes don't slap it down as they have other threats to anonymous political speech, or we don't "throw the bums out" as happened after the passage and use of the Alien and Sedition acts, etc. etc. It's often formulated at soap box, jury box, ballot box, and bullet box. Preclude the use of the first 3 and we're left with the last.

wyager 12y ago

I've even seen support for such measures here on HN. The most popular justification is "to fight cyber-bullying".

guelo 12y ago

It's weird how everytime there is criticism of some country people pop up to say that the US is also bad in some way. It's a non sequitur. China is fucked up, full stop. Is the US fucked up too? Yes. That doesn't mean China should not be criticized for their fuckupery.