On anonymity

There was a thought provoking article about Internet anonymity in the New York Times this week. In general, the writer supports the ability to be anonymous, despite the chances that bad actors will abuse that ability. 

I've always remained anonymous because of concerns about my career far more than any worries about harassment or threats. In recent months, though, the latter reason has come to the forefront for me.

Antisemitism is worse than it has been in decades, and the digital world is where one can see it in its most ugly forms, in real time.

I see how Zionist social media stars - especially but not exclusively women - are routinely harassed. One of the reasons is because they are not anonymous. Bigots want something to hang onto as their objects of hate, and the more human a person is, the more of a target they are. 

I've become most appreciative that I have separated the Elder persona from my real world self as I've seen the explosion of antisemitic attacks both in the real world and online. 

If I was only concerned with my own safety, I could brush it off. But I have to worry about my family, my kids and grandkids - all of whom could become targets from sick, hateful Jew haters (including those who swear they are only "anti-Zionist.")

It is actually frightening to think that the more I share about myself, the less safe I and my family would be. 

We aren't in 1930s Europe yet. But all arrows are pointing in that direction. The Internet is where to see the early indicators of hate, and it has been a reliable metric for what happens in the physical world not long after.

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