Ask HN: Have you created alternate accounts to post questionable responses?

Short answer: no

Why would you go through the trouble? Why not refrain from posting it when you think it is questionable?

I have one other account here. I started this account one day when I wanted to express a controversial idea I felt I couldn't articulate well enough to warrant associating my real name with it for the rest of my life. Sometimes my positions aren't P.C. enough to associate with my family name and sometimes I just want to explore my opinions in discussion form even though I haven't got the time to express myself with exacting clarity. I'm afraid if I use my real name (a unique name for sure) I will either make a mistake I might later regret or I will be tempted to wordsmith my comment for longer than I should.

Anonymity can sometimes be very liberating. Maybe when I become a better writer or my startup is wildly successful I will reveal my identity. Until then I don't see why I should silence my most authentic voice by closing this account or use my real name on every comment that I write. What's wrong with using a pseudonym once in awhile? Some people only use a pseudonym - is that so wrong?

I treat this account more like a diary. I take more risks under this account. It grants me creative license to be myself but not the self I want shown when someone googles me.

What if my startup doesn't work out? I'm going to need a "real job" and if the economic environment gets much worse I might find myself interviewing with a conservative pointy-haired boss. This is a real life possibility and if it turns out that is what happens I'm better off if my interviewer hasn't read my honest ramblings on corporate life, sex, philosophy, politics - all of which I feel free to discuss under a pseudonym. Look at it another way: in a worst-case-scenario, let's assume one day I am wrongly accused of a terrible crime - do I want the prosecutor to take out of context my most controversial, intimate musings? There are after all some things you can't say. I haven't exposed much under this account - I just started it a few weeks ago - but <edit>my reaction to the negativity in this thread</edit> is What is wrong with someone detaching themselves a bit from their ego? <edit>Downmodders,</edit> how am I hurting the community?

No, never. On most online communities I use my real name. On one very useful online community, the community rule is that no one uses a real name, so I came up with my current screen name. As I join other communities where the use of a screen name is the norm, I use the SAME screen name, so that people can tell who I am. I let my reputation build from the content and appropriateness of what I post. So far HN and Newmogul are the only sites I am active on with an explicit karma system, but on two other sites where I use this screen name I have been tapped to be a moderator by the forum owners, because they recognize how I interact with the community. Anyone can do this.

No based on how the question was framed. If a response is "questionable" then I have to question whether or not I should make that questionable response.

Most of the time I post under my real name (actually, I don't know why I'm using a pseudonym on HN, frankly, just reflex when I first joined).

The exceptions are: Discussions on Politics or Religion. I don't want my name associated with any religious (or atheist) group nor do I want it associated with any particular political party. I have worked for people that once they discovered my political views, I was treated differently because we either agreed or disagreed. I know that my name is going to be googled the next time I apply for a job and could run into someone who will toss out my resume simply because I'm conservative, liberal or other.

If a site is overly political, or it's associated with a political cause, I will always keep only one ID on that site. If the site allows anonymous posting, I'll use my real name and post anonymously when broaching a subject that is controversial. If the site does not allow anonymous posting, I'll keep two IDs handy for when I want to join into discussions that would identify my political or (non/religious) affiliation.

I have just one account.

For me, it boils down to this: a goal of the site is to improve quality of discussion.

There are two main parties to discussion: "you", and "everyone else".

When "you" post: if you already suspect that your topic will earn down-votes, then why post it (from any account)? Apparently the topic is not something interesting to this group.

When "everyone else" down-votes: they have a responsibility to be smart, and not childish. It's shallow to click the down-arrow simply for disagreeing with somebody or not liking them personally. If there is a general feeling that down-votes are always for legitimate reason, I think people would be less likely to "hide" behind anonymous accounts.

No.

Everything I post, I'd be OK seeing it on the 6 o'clock news. But then, I'd expect that as I ran for election last November.

Somewhat OT -- how do you have negative karma? I thought you can only vote up on hacker news.