on the Internet, nobody knows you're a dog

alternative on the Internet nobody knows you're a dog

1. humorousIt is easy to conceal someone's identity on the Internet.

   As the well-known quote goes, “on the Internet, nobody knows you’re a dog.” Is it accurate also to say that on the Internet, nobody can tell what race you are?

   2001 February, Lisa Nakamura, “Head hunting in cyberspace: Identity tourism, Asian avatars and racial passing on the Web”, in Linda Gardiner, editor, The Women’s Review of Books, volume XVIII, number 5, Wellesley, Mass.: Wellesley College Center for Research on Women, →DOI, →ISSN, →JSTOR, page 10, column 1

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   It’s important to caution your readers, however, that they shouldn’t just pluck off an online message and pop it into their story. As they say, on the Internet, nobody knows you’re a dog! A good reporter should contact the person by phone before sticking an online quote in a story—it’s harder for people to lie (or invent a fictional identity) voice-to-voice than through e-mail.

   1995, Bruce Garrison, quoting Rosalind Resnick, “Bulletin Board Systems as Reporting Tools”, in Computer-Assisted Reporting (LEA’s Communication Series), Hillsdale, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, →ISBN, section II (Online News and Information), page 115

   The Internet is a wild and woolly place. As the old saw goes, on the Internet, nobody knows you’re a dog. Or a hacker. Because you don’t always (or even usually) know who the person is behind that cool Web server you’ve accessed, you need to be very careful when defining new MIME types for your browser to accept.

   1996, Jeffry Dwight, Michael Erwin, “[Using MIME with CGI] Security Considerations with MIME”, in Using CGI (The Most Complete Reference), special edition, Indianapolis, Ind.: Que Corporation, →ISBN, part III (CGI Programming Examples), page 248

   One of the coolest things about the Internet is the way it links together computers of all races and creeds. As the goofy old saying goes “On the Internet, nobody knows you’re a dog,” or a Macintosh, or whatever. The Web is supposed to work pretty well no matter what kind of computer you have.

   1997, Scott Knaster, Shannon King-Rouse, “[Java] What Is Java?”, in Macworld® Discover Internet Explorer 3, Foster City, Calif.: IDG Books Worldwide, Inc., →ISBN, part 2 (Experiencing Multimedia and Active Sites), page 145

   Controversy fuels the Web and gets fed by its loud response. Results of studies and surveys may present the verifiable truth; one voice can claim its case based only on belief. And no seal of credibility will mark the difference. As the joke says, “On the Internet, nobody knows you’re a dog.”

   1999, Nora Paul, Margot Williams, “Social Issues on the Web”, in Paula J. Hane, editor, Great Scouts! CyberGuides for Subject Searching on the Web, Medford, N.J.: CyberAge Books, Information Today, Inc., →ISBN, part I (Life & Times), page 113

   The Internet serves as an equalizer of sorts against common discriminations based on race, gender and age. You have to^([sic]) the opportunity to assess someone based on what they are saying, not WHO is saying it. I think this can provide for some very worthwhile exchanges and allow people who might not do so otherwise, to come to know each other. The downside is that as they say, on the Internet, nobody knows you're a dog. You can lie or say whatever you want and hide behind anonymity.

   2001 March 23, Julia L. Wilkinson, quoting Robert Seidman, “[An Awesome Tool; A New Way of Life] Benefits of USENET Bulletin Boards and the Internet Community”, in My Life at AOL, [Bloomington, Ind.]: 1stBooks, →ISBN, page 124