Editing Anonymity

Eric Weinstein has expressed views on anonymity across various contexts, including social media, peer review, journalism, and blockchain technology. He describes anonymity as an amoral tool that can serve both constructive and destructive purposes.<ref name="post1">https://x.com/EricRWeinstein/status/1678454736062922752</ref>
<ref name="post2">https://x.com/EricRWeinstein/status/1678135432419368960</ref>
<ref name="post3">https://x.com/EricRWeinstein/status/1678129442365816833</ref>
<ref name="post4">https://x.com/EricRWeinstein/status/1613435898200469507</ref>
In social media discussions, he highlights its use by individuals such as whistleblowers, political dissidents, shy teenagers, and conservative teachers facing professional risks, while also noting its exploitation by bots, stalkers, harassers, predators, and institutional actors for astroturfing, fear-uncertainty-doubt campaigns, and reputation destruction. <ref name="post1"/>
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<ref>https://x.com/EricRWeinstein/status/1678127496565514240</ref>
<ref name="post6">https://x.com/EricRWeinstein/status/1229795521776123904</ref>

Eric argues against oversimplifying anonymity as inherently good or celebratory, emphasizing its complexity and potential for abuse against named individuals. 
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Regarding peer review in academia, he criticizes the reversal of anonymity norms, where reviewers are anonymous while authors are not, and deems it unethical to grant anonymity to rent-seekers who block work without risking their own positions, such as by "shorting" the ideas they reject. 
<ref>https://x.com/EricRWeinstein/status/55469441726693377</ref>
<ref>https://x.com/EricRWeinstein/status/5759528816</ref>
He also addresses anonymity in journalism, observing a shift where traditional protections like off-the-record assurances and source anonymity are less strictly upheld by younger, activist-oriented reporters. 
<ref>https://x.com/EricRWeinstein/status/1177342271500349440</ref>
<ref>https://x.com/EricRWeinstein/status/1177342270867042304</ref>

More broadly, Eric calls for a distinct conversation on the intersection of internet anonymity, targeted behavior, and free speech amid societal tensions. <ref>https://x.com/EricRWeinstein/status/1966839630235324528</ref> He supports anonymity for positive applications but opposes its use for harm, including intellectual infanticide and career theft in academic settings. <ref name="post4"/>
<ref>https://x.com/EricRWeinstein/status/1221584948072611840</ref>


== On X ==
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== Related Pages ==

* [[Digital Wetwork]]

[[Category:Portal Topics]]
[[Category:Sensemaking]]