We can log in as anonymous user. But who logs in as an anonymous... that's beyond me.

Well, ghosts are supposed to be invisible, you know.

I just prefer to remain unseen, I guess. I've always used it as long as it was an option, and didn't really like it while it was missing.

It's so Todd and Pete can read our wild fantasies and turn them into features.

Anonymous is just an option for people that want to lurk, or remain hidden from other members for whatever reason.
Or for mods that feel like being in stealth mode

Guests are people not logged in.

Bots don't log in as "anonymous."
At least I've never seen a bot choose that option, and I don't see why they would.
They also rarely browse threads, but instead just make new ones and then instantly log off.

I used to log in without clicking the "Anonymous" option, but now I log in with it on all the time.

To answer your curiosity as to why I choose the option: When I joined the forums a little over three years ago, I started posting in Skyrim General because I had been heavily playing it and made a number of threads in my time there. When I took a break from Skyrim, I came here to Community Discussion.. I had taken a look at it before, but never posted in it and it wasn't until later I became a regular here. I was still an active poster and started some threads here, posting in others.. it wasn't until later I started to choose anonymous while logging in, but I don't remember what my reason was for originally doing so.

I still post in threads that occasionally catch my interest, but I'm not as active as I used to be since not all of them do.. of those that don't, I simply read through parts of them. At least now, this contributes to my wanting to be anonymous since I mostly browse rather than post.. I'll likely make some threads in the future, but it's been a long time since I actually started one.

I want EVERYONE to see me here so my avatar can be seen by all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *gives manical laugh*

*Raises hand*

I just prefer not to have people able to see what I'm viewing. Not that anybody cares. I'm just like that. I close my blinds at night.

I'm one of them. I just like to lurk in the background. I do the same thing IRL, which kinda backfires as it makes me more obvious. Oh well.

I just signed in "anynomously" and the count down the page says "1 anonymous users" (it said 0 before that). My profile says that I'm offline too. Ridiculous, if people are ashamed of being seen on a forum, why did they join?

That's it; the question has been answered.

I dont remember seeing you there are you the one in the chicken or panda suit.

When i first registered i went anonymous, mostly to just get a sense of what the forums were like and before id filled out all my details, avatar and all, once id checked it out, i took it off, that was my general reasoning behind why i was anonymous.

I don't want to generalize too much, but I think some women might be a bit more likely to want to be anonymous on gaming sites than some males. The idea that some guy out there keeping track of when we log on and when we log off might feel a little "stalker-ish" to some of us.

Why do you assume there is any shame involved?
There are all sorts of reasons someone might log in as anonymous.

- They don't plan on posting, but just want to lurk. (tired, bad mood, boredom)
- They feel more comfortable browsing forums if they know they aren't expected to reply because they were seen.
- They don't want everyone to know they have insomia, and just spent 5 hours reading the same three threads without making a single post.
- New members often like to "test the waters."
- Because it's their right to remain anonymous.
- Shelly brings up a good point there too, since many people use the same name in many places.

Which all means...
No need to overly worry about how/why other people log in. But for all you know, the "anonymous" could be some of your favourite people here and you just insulted them.

All what follows in your list actually involve shame...

You missed the point.

It is 100% guaranteed that you reply to posts that were written by users signed in as anonymous all the time. So does that mean your replys to them are "ridiculous" too?

My point is, that it has no bearing on anything. The post is still from that person you communicate with every day. Why is it any of your business how they are logged in?
There is no "right" way to log in here. Both options are equal.

I concur.

I too use the anonymous login option now and then just for the reason others have mention.

When I first read the topic title I thought this thread was about anonymous user for an admin for a forum when administrating forum members such as creating new accounts without normal forum registration of new member(s).

I guess I was wrong though.

This for me.

The points Pluto and Shelly Mars make pretty much cover most reasons why somebody would want to remain anonymous. Regardless of it being rational or not, it really doesn't matter, and shouldn't matter to another user.

http://shamenun.com/

This is also another big piece. I tend to lurk a lot more than I post these days, but I dislike the concerning thought someone thinks I thought their thread svcks or they expect a post is coming from me soon. I'm happier being an invisible user floating along unseen unless I want to be seen.

Same on all counts. Such is the life of an introvert.

And shame has nothing to do with it! I've just always preferred to be invisible if given the option. (Wish I could go annonomous/invisble in real life when walking through town some times. I don''t like crowds.)

I remember reading the forums anonymously at first to see new info about what ES was doing next. And then when Oblivion was announced I decided to register at some point.

This has happened to me in modding forums. Occasionally a modder spots me lurking in their release thread and sends me a PM demanding to know why I didn't post in their thread. I tell them: I don't post unless I feel I have something worthwhile to say.

I had this happen twice in one week back in 2003 and I decided I'd had enough. I made a second account so I could post anonymously. But that account began to draw attention too after awhile, so I dropped it and went back to posting on this account.

I made a modding thread once* and you didn't reply to it. Since I now know you lurk anonymously, I figure you must have read it and didn't comment. I'm outraged and demand an explanation! Or failing that, chocolate.

* it wasn't actually on this forum, but y'know. This point still stands. A bit. Ahem.

What is a modding forum?

A forum dedicated to mods for games.

Ah ok. I thought ti had something to do with forum moderation lol. Game mods never even entered my mind!

http://flavorwire.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/men-in-black-will-smith-tommy-lee-jones-memory-neutralizer-pen.jpg !