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Sure, many scales of #skininthegame. I was just referring to one of them.

Sep 10, 2018

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I think personal identification online is thoroughly overrated. Accountability improves behavior. Reputation stifles it, esp. if you're in a sensitive position.

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Personally, I have very little to lose by revealing more personal information. But it's nobody's business on here unless they're a personal friend. Conversely, I've lost some followers I cared about over contentious topics. To me, that's already plenty of skin in the game.

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As for skin in the game itself, its usefulness both interpersonally and personally seems very context-dependent. You'll typically want your decision to matter. You don't necessarily want your social media presence to affect your personal life directly.

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All good points. I'm just pushing back on some corners of anonymous Twitter culture that seem to thrive in the dark. Good and creative for a while, but then mold grows and infections start.

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I (think I) see what you're getting at. For me, though, things like "will I get fired for this," or "what will my mother (the consummate stalker) think of this?" are not questions I'd like to entertain.

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Since empathy and, often, consequences, are more or less opt-in on the web, you do see a lot of people choosing to forego good behaviour. Or, to paraphrase

@iwelsh

: the risk of getting punched in the face keeps a lot of bullshit at bay.

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Yes, that is what I meant by Twitter #skininthegame

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Well, still, people definitely entertain fewer constraints even with their mugshot and full name in tow, or even a bluecheck. Can you imagine Nassim Taleb screaming "IMBECILE!" at random pedestrians?

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Honestly, I wouldn't put anything past Nassim Taleb ;)

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I would. Reports are consistently in favor of him being mild-mannered in person. Unless you're an economist or Steven Pinker. I think the tough guy persona is half branding, half wish fulfillment. I'm also a lot less abrasive in person, unless you get me *really* pissed off.

4:19 PM · Sep 10, 2018Twitter Web Client

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Right. But that is why Twitter disconnected from reality can be dangerous. Because abrasion feeds abrasion among fragile egos.

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Yeah, that's why I mentioned having to hold back. I have a very specific strategy where I try to minimize my reactivity to likes & retweets, and maximize for direct replies. This builds a useful form of skin in the game: I have people here whose opinions I value, and I engage.

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(In which case, yes, I am also liable to call people idiots with the same fervor as I sometimes do here - but there is still a higher threshold.)