It's probably the most well-known of quotes that relate
to the question of identity on the internet. I have to admit that, considering
the frequency with which I use it in other, non-Boidem, settings, I'm surprised
that I've referred to it
only once previously
in these pages. There are probably a number of possible interpretations
of the phrase, but it seems to me that the most obvious stems from the
positive anonymity of the internet in which you're judged by the the quality
of your work, rather than by your credentials. I'm reminded of a favorite
story of a number of years back: a group of elementary school pupils in
the States worked at designing web sites for firms in their community.
All was fine until one time the pupils were called on to attend a meeting
with their employers. When they walked into the meeting, and their age
was discovered, it caused a stir and the school board called a halt to
their activities. (A reference to this story is undoubtedly lost somewhere
in my bookmarks, and my chances of finding it without devoting more time
than I have to searching for it are nil.) But other than the embarrassment
that might stem from children doing work usually identified as an adult
task, and doing it well, it's hard to understand what the problem was.
The internet is a great equalizer, and if someone performs a job successfully,
who's to say that he or she shouldn't do it because he or she lacks the
necessary credentials?