Why are we allowed to use aliases? On general board some "gentleman" was posting about accidentaly entering the "wrong hole" but when I clicked his name it was black, while most of us are blue, and you click on us and it shows our reviews. Is this an alias?

they're about to say will get them in deep doo-doo w/ the local providers. If they didn't use the alias, whatever they post would end up "staining" their good and proper TER name.

This doesn't apply to ALL aliases. I've read the posts of at least two who are nothing but gentlemen in their posts, yet they continue to post under and alias.

Took me awhile - and the discreet help from a friend - to learn that the blue-link names w/ an envelope were all the real handles, and black names w/o envelopes are aliases.

If a name doesn't have a small yellow mailbox next to it then it's an alias.  

There are many reasons to use an alias, some good, some bad. Some guys prefer to keep their posting identity separate from their reviewing identity. Honestly, if I were to start over on TER I might have done the same thing.  I have not had any issues personally but, as TER has grown in popularity, the review process has become more important to providers and some of them have started to argue with customers about review scores or refuse to see guys who don't score high enough.

Using an alias to start a pissing contest or to flame another poster is wrong.  Other than that there are many good reasons to use one. For the most part, I try to read the words and decide if I agree or not without paying much attention to who posted them.

While it's true that many are used that way, others have been used to protect the identity of a provider.  Let's say that I was answering a question about extras received.  Posting under my regular user name puts ever lady reviewed by me under the spotlight.  Aliases are also used to keep from getting deluged with PM's on hot button topics.  Often, they are used for comic effect, such as "FatUglyStinky-LuvsCIM".  Still others post almost exclusively under their alias to keep their board presence and their reviews separate.

Last, but not least, sometimes I use an alias so that my name isn't displayed in red.

Valid points on both sides, thanks everyone.

Sometime aliases are used to launch stealth personal attacks and maintain there board reputation. I have had several such attacks launched on me. Alias attacks are very common. If I was to guess about half of the alias posts on the GD board fall in this category.

But then again, I am hardly the most picked on guy on the boards.

-- Modified on 2/25/2011 10:08:35 PM