How important is your Apolyton identity to you?

[Carolus Rex]

A lot of thoughtful replies; thanks all for boosting my ego! J/k!!!

I find the following passage very interesting:

Originally posted by Frozzy

I believe the nature of the forums disallows myself to display all of my personal attributes. For instance, I am very shy around people and what I say, but on Apolyton it's more a case of "These people will never meet me in real life so it doesn't matter what I say". Going back to Q2, I believe my handle is a portal to my beliefs and views. Only my... how to explain it... things I would actually say if I was speaking to a blank piece of paper would I say on Apolyton.

Yes, that is one of the major things I was wondering about. Whether belonging to an Internet community allows you to grow as a person... By developing the ways you express your views and yourself or simply just by learning how to make contact with other people...

Without your appearance/race/sex revealed, people won't judge you according to their prejudices as they probably would IRL. And I guess it's simpler to overcome one's shyness in Internet fora, although I remember it took a while before I actually did post in Apolyton even though I had already registered... I was intimidated...

Suppose that it really is easier on the Net to be the person you really are, and that you like your Internet self better (due to the fact that you dare express yourself more truely). If that's true, then the mental walls we ourselves build in front of each other IRL for fear of not being liked become all the clearer...

Carolus

[Unspeakable Horror]

He didn´t answer my question, I feel ignored

[Carolus Rex]

Re: Re: How important is your Apolyton identity to you?

Originally posted by orange

My purpose is to support my points of view, whether that is celebrated or despised.

Yes, one thing I wanted to know was whether people push their true views or fake ones. For example, IRL you're a vivid proponent of homosexuality who believes that the infringement of their human rights must stop immediately, but on Apolyton you're a fanatic opponent of homosexuality who wants these sick people exterminated... Or vice versa... Just to free yourself from the "real" you and be someone else for a while...

Seems like most people who've responded so far are themselves and share their real views...

Originally posted by orange

There's differences I'm sure. I'm not quite as outspoken, though I'm just as opinionated. I'm a little less controversial in real life, but still somewhat controversial. I enjoy a good debate. I like making people look dumb. I can admit that much.

Heh, heh!

Well, Apolyton has helped me immensely in i) improving my written English (although I suck big time talking) and getting rid of the school book English I came here with (well, not entirely) and ii) sharpening my arguments and debate technique somewhat...

Carolus

[Carolus Rex]

Originally posted by Unspeakable Horror

By the way, suerte en tu curso de español
Puedo preguntar por qué estás aprendiendo español?

Hola!

Of course! My girlfriend is from Peru... I wish I could answer you in Spanish, but alas, I'm a beginner... What does suerte mean?

There, feel better now?

Carolus

[Unspeakable Horror]

Yes

Ah, learning for a girlfriend...

suerte = luck
buena suerte = good luck

[Carolus Rex]

Originally posted by Ben Kenobi

No. I like these forums because it gives me an opportunity to be as I ought to be. Hopefully, some of this 'roleplaying' spills over to the rest of my life.

I take it you're more "satisfied" with the way you are here than IRL, then ("it gives me an opportunity to be as I ought to be")? May I ask why? However, your use of "roleplaying" implies that you're not really yourself here, not even an "enhanced" or "extended" version of yourself...

I sense a common theme of "being more outspoken on the Net than in real life" here... This is certainly true for myself, although I'm not an extremely shy person... I think a more correct description of myself would be a person who seeks solitude (in real life, that is)... I truly think I spend more time on Apolyton posting replies to people I'll probably never meet than I spend "cultivating" personal ties with people in real life...

Carolus

[Carolus Rex]

Originally posted by Jamski
Well, I may be a sad git, but for me 'poly is one of the most important things in my life. I really miss it if I can't post for a few days.

For sure! Imagine the day Apolyton ceases to exist... I really like people here, the Community feeling and the discussions... There are some witty posters here! To be cut off from it all is a scary thought indeed... Good thing they'll try to squeeze more bucks out of the Civ franchise... It'll keep Apolyton going for another couple of years!

Originally posted by Jamski

I don't have an alter-ego, well maybe in real-life I pretend to be someone that doesn't frequent forums

Yes, it does have kind of a geeky ring to it, doesn't it?

Carolus

[Carolus Rex]

Originally posted by Hercules
Carolus:


I am curious as to why you should be curious.

Well, I've been posing these questions myself and wanted to know what fellow Apolytoners thought about them. Simple as that, really...

Carolus

[Carolus Rex]

Originally posted by Dissident
In fact I really wasn't noticed until I was here a couple of years. It was years before anyone even mentioned my screen name when discussing something.

All these years at 'Poly and you haven't yet learnt how to use the "reply with quote"-feat?

Carolus

[Rogan Josh]

Re: How important is your Apolyton identity to you?

Originally posted by Carolus Rex
I. Your Apolyton alter ego and your real life

Is it important to you to be noticed at the forums? That someone replies to your posts, read your threads? In short, to be "somebody"?

Not at all. I have enough personal fullfillment in real life. In fact in RL I have a bit too much attention if anything - I am usually trying to be left alone.

II. Apolyton for Apolyton's sake

Is your Apolyton alias something you treasure? Do you want to be respected by other Apolytoners or are you just out to wreak havoc in the fora?

Not at all. I quite enjoy expressing myself here in a way that I can't do in real life, but that is more a personal outlet of steam - I don't particularly care what you think. One thing I do want to try and do is disabuse people of their misconceptions of science (and particularly its influence on religion), since that means something to me.

III. Your Apolyton identity and yourself

Does it reflect who you really are or are you just living out dark sides of your personality that you'd never show in real life?

I am pretty much myself I think. I am slightly more outgoing in life than I am here, but that is just because I don't have the time to reply to every post. Usually I am trying to meet some deadline or other. At the moment, I am between things, so have lots of timeto answer stupid questions like these I am often wary of giving too much away because I don't want people to figure out who I am.

[Theben]

He's the president of France!

[Theben]

I think CR's real purpose is to increase his post count on the sly. Noticed how he answered everyones questions 1 post at a time?

[Carolus Rex]

Originally posted by Theben
I think CR's real purpose is to increase his post count on the sly. Noticed how he answered everyones questions 1 post at a time?

C'mon, give me a break! I always do that, it's a lot more clearer. You expect me to quote, copy and paste all that into a single post?!

Carolus

[Carolus Rex]

Originally posted by Theben
I think CR's real purpose is to increase his post count on the sly. Noticed how he answered everyones questions 1 post at a time?

And all these one-liners you deliever from here to eternity? At least I have two paragraphs on-topic in my posts.

Carolus

[Carolus Rex]

Oops! Ok, I guess I could have edited the last one into the first...

Carolus