Posted by Noa on April 10, 2000, at 9:28:50
In reply to but then again ..., posted by bob on April 9, 2000, at 14:04:19
I'm pretty sure that Cam and bob are two separate individuals, but then again, bob and I got our brains from the same bin at the baby factory.....
The question of multiple identities is a good one, though, because it is fairly apparent, I think, that from time to time, posts come up with different signatures that seem to have been authored by the same hand. I think Dr. Bob can tell if they come from the same source, computer-wise, but if someone is writing from alternate locations (like me, I now write from the library and from work-- still sticking with no home internet), it would not be possible to tell.
Philosophically, one could possibly make the argument that these cyber alter egos constitute enough of an identity on their own, and that in groups, people tend to farm out parts of their egos to other members to act on anyway, it's just that it becomes quite literal in this medium. It would only be a real issue, I think, then, if someone were purposely trying to confound the research and were working fairly consistently and diligently at this confounding effort.
poster:Noa
thread:29211
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000401/msgs/29504.html