Do you have an internet Jekyll?

[Neil]

I've been sort of slowly building a theory over years of experience(s) on the net, and wonder if anyone else can comment on their views/experiences? The internet is a most fabulous place! But one of its great attributes, anonymity, is one of its biggest issues. And, the fact you're just talking/typing to a screen, rather than a real person, means a sentence meant to be taken in one, can easily be construed in another. Worse still, without a human face infront of you, and a crowd of real people all watching your behaviour (as in the real world), your persona on the internet may greatly differ at times to your real one. ie: You may well behave very differently in some circumstances on the internet to how you would in say a real public situation/exchange. I know here, for example, I tend to come across quite calm and level headed (at least I hope so??)... And I would suggest this is generally me in real life most of the time. HOWEVER, at times in real life I do have a short temper of stupid things, and almost similarly I have an 'internet Jekyll' when it comes to online gaming, where I find I can get quite aggressive to say the least. Now I wonder, if this is actually my vent? My yan to my yin? I have to do this to balance things out? The thing is the internet helps this sort of behaviour - you have anonymity (or as good as?) - and no crowd of people around you watching you behave in such a fashion. Also, anyone can ge brave and aggressive on the internet; they are safe in the knowledge they can say anything and basically get away with it... I remember thinking once, what a different place the internet would be if everyone communicated to each other on the internet as if they were actually there with the real person? It's part of the reason I try to always use my real name on the internet. Why hide behind the 'mask' of a false name. What's interesting is when online gaming, I do NOT use my real name. I suspect due to my embarrassing behaviour sometimes?? So come on, I'm wondering if others find they have an 'internet Jekyll' to their personality? Or have encountered such behaviour over the years?

[Danny]

as anyone whos heard my podcats can attest i type how i talk so yeah, this is pretty much me your dealing with, though i tone down my random ass comments like "cows vs humans round 2: you be the judge" to a minimum but aside fomr that nah i dont brag im me and me is all ya see. now i HAVE seen people mostly with names involving the word "pimp" or something who are quite in life but assholes on the net.

[Mike70]

i know that i certainly do, in some situations, have an internet mr. hyde side to my personality. i think we all, even the calmest, most rational people here, have certain issues/topics that press our buttons. for me those topics are usually science and conspiracy theories. i cannot abide scientific ignorance and conspiracy theories just make me want to staple things to the foreheads of the folks that believe in them. i can also get bent out of shape by people that come straight in here and start being rude and acting the fool in their first few posts. reason for this is simple: this is my internet home and is one of exactly two forums i post on. i come here to share ideas/opinions and interact with the friends i've made here and i don't really want to listen or be bothered by people who are intent on starting trouble right off the bat. for the most part i am able to be relatively reasonable about pop culture topics - books, movies, tv and whatnot because i understand that those things are entirely subjective and up to personal taste. i have often wondered over the years i've been coming here (you probably have too) how some of the folks we have encountered here are able to get on in the real world if their personality on here was reflective of the way they act in public. you aren't going to get very far in life by being rude, confrontational, and insulting in a professional situation. i think that the internet for all its wonders and awesomeness allows people to bring out character traits and act out in ways that they never would in public or in a professional job setting and allows people to say things that you normally (hopefully) would never say in real life due to the consequences. the worst that can happen to you here for acting the fool is that you will be perma-banned. the consequences in real life for idiotic behavior can be far worse. we all get bent of shape about things. some people on the internet seem to be bent out of shape on a permanent basis.

[Danny]

i think warning site about those kinda people on here are if you read there fiction and it has a 5 page in depth play by play of a sniper rifle exploding a head like melon. thats reaaaal dodgy.

[Tricky]

I actually find online gaming more irritating a lot of the time than real life!its great when you get on a good server with people who play fair & similar to your playing style,but other times your playing against/with people who make you switch the game off in disgust,the amount of times ive sat swearing at the screen & banging my mouse down on the desk while playing battlefield 2 is ridiculous i love online gaming but sometimes it doesnt half make me radgey!

[Tied2thetracks]

I thik we all do. The boards, what you see is what you get, i wouldn't say anything different to your face. I have the bad habit of chat rooms and booze, Hyde likes to pop up on occasion.

[axlish]

I'm pretty much like this all the time. I came up with the name axlish because it was original enough to use for email addresses and forum ID's pretty much anywhere. Eric is almost always taken. I guess if the Matrix were real, I'd become axlish.

[SRP76]

I tend to be nicer online than I really am, because on the internet, I'm never sure of people's personalities. Whereas when with your friends, you know what kinds of jokes and so forth are acceptable, and there's a comfort level.

[ProfessorChaos]

i'm pretty much the same with my postings as i am in life, but when it comes to online gaming, specifically halo3 and cod4, i turn into an incredibly foul-mouthed demon after losing a couple of games, or if i've got stuck with a rotten teammate.

[Neil]

i'm pretty much the same with my postings as i am in life, but when it comes to online gaming, specifically halo3 and cod4, i turn into an incredibly foul-mouthed demon after losing a couple of games, or if i've got stuck with a rotten teammate. So similar to me then... Why is this do you think? Is it a 'vent' in someway?

[Terran]

I think I vent much less than I use to....I use to bring all sorts of my day to day probelms to the forum....My most notorious event Id like to forget... I feel like I crave more a rational discourse more than anything these days......but its hard to find one online..... So if talking recently...I dont have a an online Jekyll...Least im not aware of one....

[ProfessorChaos]

So similar to me then... Why is this do you think? Is it a 'vent' in someway? could be....i generally get much more upset during halo3, primarily due to the inconsistency of the game (for example, i'll throw a handful of grenades into a room, not get any kills at all, then a lone grenade will come back at me and kill me instantly)...but yeah, i think shooting people online is a great stress reliever, and lets me get out my frustrations from the day...but then when i am hindered in these efforts, it only makes me more upset.

[Marie]

You don't know WHO yer talking to or WHERE they are, So I am always polite and I leave as few details online as possible. There are lots of online Hydes and ammo is expensive and police reports are long. M_

[Chic Freak]

I have a personal theory that many people on the internet are more or less the opposite of what they are in real life, because they use the anonymity of the internet to do things that they feel they can't in real life, which is not always a bad thing. I'd say I'm fairly genuine, but I'm sure I come across differently online than I do in real life. I'm probably less happy to chat away to strangers in real life, anyway!!

[Legion2213]

It's simple... I think most folks are guilty of this at one time or another...I know that I am now and then. I all honesty though, the things I say online are things that I genuinely believe, I may be a tad more forceful saying them, but that's because I am in no danger of getting a "robust beating" for it.