10th August 2009, 01:42 PM
I greatly value my anonymity on BAJR, because it allows me to speak my mind freely. BAJR Host knows who I am, and on my own initiative I have identified myself to one other BAJR-ite, but I would not want my identity to be open.
For me, it is not so much to do with my employer (I don't think that would be a problem), it is more to do with other professional relationships. I am a consultant, I regularly deal with a very wide range of people at all levels within the profession and in many different organisations, sometimes involving careful negotiation over matters that can have significant archaeological consequences. In that kind of work, relationships and personalities are important. If I express a strong opinion on BAJR that someone else takes exception to, and they know who I am, it could complicate the relationship, potentially influencing the outcome of discussions about something else completely - and I might never know why.
For the same reason, I very rarely look at BAJR profiles, because I prefer not to know the real identity of people with whom I debate on BAJR, in case it influences my perception of their points in the BAJR debate or affects my relationship with them if I encounter them in my working life.
If the rules do change, I very much hope that the new open-ness would apply only to new posts. I would hate it if people could identify me as the author of old posts that I have placed on the assumption of anonymity.
1man1desk
to let, fully furnished
For me, it is not so much to do with my employer (I don't think that would be a problem), it is more to do with other professional relationships. I am a consultant, I regularly deal with a very wide range of people at all levels within the profession and in many different organisations, sometimes involving careful negotiation over matters that can have significant archaeological consequences. In that kind of work, relationships and personalities are important. If I express a strong opinion on BAJR that someone else takes exception to, and they know who I am, it could complicate the relationship, potentially influencing the outcome of discussions about something else completely - and I might never know why.
For the same reason, I very rarely look at BAJR profiles, because I prefer not to know the real identity of people with whom I debate on BAJR, in case it influences my perception of their points in the BAJR debate or affects my relationship with them if I encounter them in my working life.
If the rules do change, I very much hope that the new open-ness would apply only to new posts. I would hate it if people could identify me as the author of old posts that I have placed on the assumption of anonymity.
1man1desk
to let, fully furnished