Sometimes it's so hard to tell what religion people belong to. You may end up offending someone by accident. I think there should be a law that people have to wear the symbol of their religion on their shoulder (and next to their name online).

Seriously, what's with all the downvoting? I absolutely disagree with Elenarie's viewpoint, and I don't believe she's thought through all the implications it would entail, but I do believe she's entitled to her opinion. She's not being hateful towards anyone, and she's not crusading to have her viewpoint implemented. She's simply saying "Wouldn't it be nice?" And no, it wouldn't, but that's entirely beside the point.

And Elenarie, if you're not actually female, please accept my apology, but I honestly don't remember (I have a shitty memory for personal details).

A shitty idea, with possible consequences being of the more pungent fecal variety.

Unless I'm remembering wrongly, I'm quite sure KavazovAngel has an extra bulge in the pants :)

Well, "Elenarie" sounds female to me, and the avatar is female as well, so it's certainly an honest mistake to make.

Has anyone ever looked into a local phonebook and been surprised at the hundreds, and sometimes thousands of people with the same name? Now think of it across an entire nations population, and then to international. i think it a very bad idea to require real names. What happens when someone with my name already registered with my name? What happens when some dolt does something stupid under my name? There's more, i leave it to you ponder the consequences and implications of requiring real names on the world wide web.

I'm not against that intended use - but in my experience it tends to be misued - I used to get harrassed bythe police all the time returning from late shifts because "CCTV caught you looking suspect", and yet when ive got mugged or attacked, amazingly no CCTV cameras were being monitered in the area.
Obviously my distrust is biased - but I belive still valid.

This made me laugh hard. :)

This. The internet isn't real. What exactly is the upside? Aggregate software used to enable discriminatory hiring, criminal charges over comments, stalking, etc? The day YOU walk around with your address and phone number on your hat and shirt is the day I use my rralname online. Society is predicated on the concept of selective permissability.

I have a first name that is common, and a last name that is near unique in this country. That equals "almost-entirely unique" when performing a web search - yahoogle my name and you come up with two people in the US: me, and some other putz (probably a relative I've never heard of). Add a couple minor details that would be easy to find on this forum and someone could really screw with me, my family and my business after having a simple disagreement, or even after misconstruing an otherwise-harmless comment in the fog of an emotion-hiding forum post. Or just for the hell of it.

I think I'll take a pass on this one...

Highlight mine. Cops cost less and are more efficient.

Alternatively, screw punishment and go full prevention with the money you just saved.

If I got a Cent every time Elenarie calls people retards, idiots or something similar, I'd be a rich, rich man.

Come on guys, stop downrepping Elenarie...

Would be interesting to see how many people actually put up or shut up :)