The internet was developed as a virtual world where you could exist behind a screen and no one could be sure who was on the other end. Now, an argument rages over whether anonymity should be allowed on the internet anymore. Encompassing the realms of privacy and publicness, the amount of anonymity a person has while existing behind their computer defines their internet identity. By extension, the amount of anonymity a person is given in any certain sphere of the internet allows opportunies for abuse, and changes exactly what the internet stands for. Though there are logical connections to be drawn between anonymity and internet identity, this project served the purpose of going more in-depth into the arguments, as well as comparing and contrasting anonymity's influence on many realms of the virtual world.
In order to sort out this idea, our project focused on the differences between websites with varying amounts on anonymity, how anonymity is statistically used on the internet, what happens when on the internet when we have too much or not enough anonymity, and what arguments are made on either side of the fence. Our first hand research came in the form of the Tor online network, while we also researched various findings of internet anonymity dating back to the web's inception. We compiled findings, arguments, and overall information into a powerpoint presentation attached below into a PDF. We also have attached a short source analysis for sources and which slides they correspond to in the powerpoint.
Through first and second-hand research, the project set out to define the behavioral implications of being anonymous online, as well as how these parameters changed what the internet accomplished, and what it was used for.