We are of similar thinking, here, but I would like to point out that there is a difference between being treated as a criminal by the state and being treated as a criminal by the world and every person who might google you, hire you, or date you. Obviously the experience will have long-term repercussions for one’s health and well-being, but there is a difference between repercussions and an impossible to move forward or find any form of human respite — in fact this latter often leads to reoffending. It’s impossible to start over when you’ve already been convicted by the world even if you have not by your peers.

This has nothing to do with me personally other than a matter of personal conviction, but I have known people who have been ruined by this experience of ‘justice’, both innocent and not innocent (as is likely for many people in a world of expanding laws). The problem with the law, especially as practiced by certain world powers, is that both types of people were treated the same *prior to any outcome*, which then extended past the outcome. While being treated the same until an outcome would be good if they were treated as ‘innocent until proven guilty’, I’ve yet to see this be the case, and given the Western practice of ‘plea bargaining’ it never will.

I’ve never seen anyone treated as innocent, or even ‘not guilty’, once acquitted. Has nothing to do with street names — such things are matters of ego — and everything to do with the chance to have a life beyond a street name.

That said the original poster may have perhaps been overreacting as far as ‘street name’ but my comment was more to do with the ‘real names’ that often come up in places like court documents and blogs such as this one (especially where evidence, which is required in a court of law (in theory anyway), is circumstantial at best).

We should not be treating ‘charged people’ or even ‘suspected people’ as ‘convicted people’.

Also, I know many talented hackers who quit or otherwise didn’t fit with school, only to become technically very proficient at computers and other complex subjects.