#0 - July 9, 2010, 9:58 a.m.
There's a thunderstorm outside, as such there's a chance you'll be struck by lightning. Being struck by lightning has inherently low odds of happening. The risk is near zero so long as you remain indoors and the building has a method of channeling electricity outside the house. Since you are inside the threat to your life is minimal, but you know that if lightning does strike your house your electronics could be in jeopardy so you make the effort and spend the extra money to purchase a surge protector. Odds are your house will never be struck by lightning, rendering your purchase pointless. So why was the purchase made to begin with? It was a matter of acceptable risk, the person invested thousands of dollars into his computer and entertainment system, so he purchased a form of insurance for it.
These people are the ones who are against Real ID. They like to play things safe, cover their bases, and stay in-doors during this thunderstorm of hours.
Now let's take the opposite route. It's thundering outside and you decide to walk to the store a couple of blocks down. Your car is in the shop, or being borrowed; whatever. You make it to the store and back no problem. You got a little wet, no biggie. You took some risks, nothing outlandish or crazy. You might catch a cold, and you didn't get struck by lightning. Now a friend comes over and hands you a set of golf clubs and asks you to drop them off at the nearby golf course for him. Unquestioningly you oblige, what's the worst that could happen right? You take the golf clubs and cross and open field carrying golf clubs around during a lightning storm. You see it crashing down against buildings and trees in the distance. You make the drop off without issue, wet, but you're fine. You turn around and head back home, wet, tired, but hey you got the job done.
What? You wanted this analogy to have lightning strike you? That's not the point. If you acknowledged the fact, and had expectations of being struck by lightning, then you know about acceptable risk. You know about decisions and actions that you can take that can increase the risk to your personal well being. Sure it probably won't happen, but you acknowledge the risk exists. That's the important thing.
When it comes to this Real ID thing, it's fine if you acknowledge the risks of posting with your real life name, and do so with that knowledge in tow, but keep in mind this: You're doing it for no reason. In the analogy the risks were taking to get something accomplished. There was a task, and a goal. When it comes to these forums, there is no reason to take the risk. There are other places to post with zero risk as opposed to the some risk that will be presented. By extension people are playing a game, and there's no underlying goal or purpose. As a game has little weight against real risk. A game isn't inherently worth much. It's not worth as much as your life, it's not worth as much as your personal security, it's not worth as much as your personal privacy. With Real ID there's a small, tiny bit of risk involved that threatens those three things. However for most people the value of the game itself is not worth that risk. Why? Because there's other games. When what you're doing has zero inherent value, then it is ludicrous to take any level of risk in doing that act. It's not acceptable risk. Acceptable risk means you stand to gain more than you reasonably stand to give up.
Yeah if it's probably, never, ever, ever going to happen and the risk level is low, fine okay. Though keep in mind for those of you who choose to accept the risk, are doing it for the sake of a game.
