Does it kind of ruin your interest in a HIE story when the author gives the human an actual name instead of just "Anon"? I feel like I've missed out on some great stories because I just can't get into a story with a random name for the human. I'm really not sure why.
I guess maybe it's because there are so many great HIE stories that DO name the human Anon and it just feels like a curveball to see him named something else in another story? Maybe?
For some reason, it just seems so easy and so much better to name the human Anon instead of throwing in just some random name.
I don't know, maybe I'm wrong.

Thoughts?

Honestly, no, I have the opposite reaction - I find either a realistic human name, or artfully not naming the character/establishing an in-universe nickname, to work much better for me. "Anon" always just brings me up short every time, like just putting HEY! YOU ARE READING FANFICTION! reminders at regular intervals in the text.

It's never bothered me personally either way. Some people see the use of Anon as lazy, and apparently vice versa. Me personally, I find Anon works best in short stories that don't need value in the name, while longer HiE fiction deserves proper, memorable names, since we're spending longer with the character.
That being said, Anon as a name in most HiE fiction has become more of a certain character (in most circumstances). It represents kind of an average joe, with no super defining characteristics. Anon (in my eyes) isn't hyper emotional in any regard (not super depressed, nor pinkie pie levels of happiness) isn't very strong, nor particularly weak (he can make the grocery trip in one go, but isn't fighting a manticore) and also doesn't have any specific skills. He can hammer in nails, but he isn't a tradesman.
So again, in my eyes, Anon is your generic use name for fiction where the character isn't the focus, the situation is, while a named character is best used for fiction where characters are more important, typically long form.

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Anon is good for short, fun silly stories. I mostly use Anon as a stand-in game of 'you' in Equestrian story.

Named humans (and in third person or first person, or whatever) are overall better in terms of story. If let's say your story is not just a one-shot.

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Well, Anon can work best for one-shot, which doesn't require many resources. While actual human name work in a series, like real appearance, how his life before going to Equestria and start a short or long series ((NEW WRITER PLEASE REMEMBER THIS)

7520683
In all honesty, I feel the opposite. When stories have "Anon" or something similar, it ruins the story for me. I feel a greater connection to the character if they have an actual name. It feels like the story flows better

For short stories/Oneshots I am okay with the use of anon, but I still ignore most of them. However, when you write a longer story or a series of stories featuring around the same character, than I think it is mandatory to give your chracter a unique name. True it isn't always easy to come up with a fitting name, but that is part of the fun, don't you think so?

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Just like people have said above, Anon works better for fics that try to insert the reader into the story. Most of the time, it's used in clop. More "serious" stories tend to use actual names, as it's more interesting to read about a proper character rather than just a self-insert. At least, in my opinion.

In my fanfics there are two humans, the brothers Mattias and Anton Svanström. They adopt different names in Equestria, though. Mattias becomes Dust and Anton beomes Ash. They are also two very different characters, as Dust is corrupted into a murderous psychopath. And honestly, I'm still surprised no one has complained about the name Anton being too close to Anon

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I think I can get it feeling like a curveball if you're gotten used to a human character being named "Anon", so suddenly seeing them have a true name (since anon is just short for anonymous and thus more of a placeholder name than a real name) can feel weird.

For some reason, it just seems so easy and so much better to name the human Anon instead of throwing in just some random name.

I think it is easier to just name the human Anon too. In fact, it feels too easy, which is why the idea that it's lazy to do it came from.

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Using the name Anonymous just strikes me as lazy and uninspired. Sure, one-shot crackfics are meant to break the rules and there's no shortage of Anons running around there, "This OC is a two-dimensional sounding board for the real characters to interact with." It's the longer stories where it's like a splinter, reminding you of its presence every time it comes up. If the writer didn't want to use a real name, why not use John Doe or Gary Stu? I'd say grab a phonebook but those don't exist for kids these days so try a random name generator site and have fun.

It's annoying in the same way your/you're and there/their/there're are mixed up, but that's a whole other rant.

7520683
I definitely agree with you. Idk what it is because it sound like everyone else is fine with it. But I do sort of lose a little bit of interest when the characters name is anon.

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Ditto. I've seen a few stories that sounded interesting, but then I see the fact the character is named Anon in the description and I pass.

If it matters to you that much, just download the text, open it in your favorite text editor, and click "replace string". Be whoever you want to be.

7520683

I have the exact opposite reaction and I just can't get into stories with Anon instead of just a regular guy. It pulls me completely out of it.

7520683
Vice versa for me.

7520683
Others have probably said this, but Anon works best for me when it's something short or silly, or when they're meant to be a stand-in for the reader "experiencing" the story.

But if I want to read a more conventional story, then yeah, I'd rather them have a real name.

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I find that using Anon is lazy and uncreative. And I lose interest when Anon as a result.

it depends on character, in some cases having anon saves time, if your not going to go into the human backstory much or it doesn't effect the plot then it fine to have anon, on the other hand it it will be plot relevant then it fine to have full name and detailed information,

Not nameing the character ruins the story for me so i wont read it plus its overdone tbh

I actually lose interest if the author didnt even bother thinking of a name for their human character.

, Anon. Proper human names or bust.

I tend to lean the opposite. though the "anon" doesn't completely kill my interest in the story, I tend to lose interest quicker if there are other things I don't like about the story compared to non-anon stories.

It's actually the other way around for me I normally need a name for the main character to get attached to them other wise I just don't get the same impact from the story beats

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I get that reaction when I see a character named "Anon."

"What? You couldn't be bothered to think of an actual name?"

Especially when the other characters react seriously to it. I have never seen another character go "Look, I know you have amnesia, but [Placeholder Name]? Seriously?! That's how you want to be known? Couldn't you come up with anything better?" Because I'm very certain that any actual person with such a name would constantly get that kind of reaction all the time. Because used as is, it's not a name, and it's weird to see other characters reacting as though it was.

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I see it as a deeper problem than a character simply named "Anon." There are a sizable chunk of stories that plonk the name Anon into the story, and then call it good enough. As though just using the word Anon exempts the author from doing much else to actually make the story a true reader insert.

That's where my impression of lazy authors comes from: Anon isn't the laziness in and of itself, but it is an easily visible symptom of likely underlying laziness.

Whenever it comes to short and one-shot stories, Anon is okay. But, for long stories, I prefer have an actual named human. Regardless if it's a real name or a nickname. In a way, the name helps visualize the character. At least, in my opinion, it does.

I'm not the biggest fan of Anonymous stories. By not giving the main human character a name, you're essentially depriving them of a great of personality. Maybe that is the point of Anon stories that are one shots or short series, but for longer series (MadMaxtheBlack's "You're Human and You," for example,) using an Anon takes away a great deal of MC's characterization. Give the MC a unique (or more common name, given the nature of the narrative,) and you can produce a story with a character that fleshes out over the course of the series. I'm writing an HiE called "Friends With Benefits," about an adult male who crash lands in Equestria. I gave the Human MC a distinct name because I already had his persona worked out in my head. If I chosen to make him Anonymous, I would be forced to make him bland, uninteresting, not unlike certain anime rom-com male leads (I'm looking at YOU, Oresuki, Omasake!) and I didn't want that. Steven Edwin Ambrose has a distinct personality: he can kind or cruel, he's an excellent orator but prefers to use vulgar language; he's suffers from being overweight, asthmatic, and has been dealing Asperger's Syndrome all of his life. All this adds to what happens to him over the course of the story but also informs me, the author, of what he would do in any given situation. (Note to self: I really need to get to writing that story! Damn you, Writer's Block!) There is certainly a time and place for Anon fictives, but the device doesn't really work for long format story building. Granted, this is just one author's opinion…

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AGREED! Its even more lazy when its Y/N story. Absolutely loath those

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Especially when the other characters react seriously to it. I have never seen another character go "Look, I know you have amnesia, but [Placeholder Name]? Seriously?! That's how you want to be known? Couldn't you come up with anything better?" Because I'm very certain that any actual person with such a name would constantly get that kind of reaction all the time. Because used as is, it's not a name, and it's weird to see other characters reacting as though it was.

I can get behind all of your logic except this one, I feel like with all the odd names Equestrians have, they really wouldn't bat an eye at Anon.

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Though remember that pony names are frequently full of associated meaning, and Anon basically never uses the word anonymous with any regard to its actual meaning. I would even say that Anon labeling him-/herself anon is actively counter to the word, which would/should really weird out ponies. Especially because its never a label that does have intrinsic meaning to the character him-/herself.

It depends, sometimes I like anon but sometimes I like a name it depends on the story, but what I don’t like are much to common names, do you know how many Jason’s I’ve seen?, and then I also don’t like crazy names like rivisham.

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Honest? Seriously?

I don't think you want honesty here.

You won't like it.

But I will. So let's be honest.

'Anon', as a character, in any story ever, is the sort of thing an illiterate child would do. It is infantile and stupid. Any story with 'Anon' in it instantly tells any intelligent reader "Story written by a dink that has no concept of how to how to actually write: avoid like the plague."

A writer - a person who actually can write worth a stinking damn - writes about characters that matter. Characters with names, personalities, points of view, beliefs, fears, hopes and dreams. Characters with a soul, who can live inside a story in a way that matters. They aren't cyphers or variables, they aren't characters that exist as placeholders, they are not 'Insert Your Character Here' conditionals. That kind of stuff is crap, the province of tweens and fools. That is bad writing, created by bad writers who currently fail at storytelling.

'Anon' is a cheap shorthand trick because the author is not capable of anything more. They are so dim they think writing a boring meme counts as literature. They are at a pretty pathetic point in their development. Someday, they will look back at their 'Anon' protagonists, shake their head, and feel ashamed. They will cope only by shaking it all off as a folly of youth and inexperience. "I was a pretty much a dumbshit, back then." they will say. And they will be telling the truth.

If you don't know who your protagonist is, if you cannot write a character well, if you just don't care about your story, if you want to waste everyone's time - including your own - then you call your main character 'Anon'. Like it was a name. Like it was a good idea. Like you actually felt you would be seen as clever for doing so. Because other little kids are doing it on the internet, so it must be cool. It isn't cool.

What you are actually doing is admitting you have no clue how writing or storytelling even work. You are announcing to the world that you are a damp squib, lacking in experience, knowledge, or ability. You are metaphorically writing in crayon, only you have no idea what the word 'metaphorically' even means, and you don't get the concept of how 'writing in crayon' is even an insult.

'Anon' is for internet losers who haven't grown up yet. It is toy blocks and a binkie. Like second-person perspective, it is the sign of a person who cannot actually write yet, but knows just enough to type complete sentences.

It is a thing of shame yet unfelt.

Honestly.

*looks at OP*
*looks at first comment*

Anon is lazy.

I was never able to get into the Anon stories, and believe me, I tried.

That particular writing style just seems off-putting to me.

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Not because of the name no.
But.
90% of the time if the human is named it's going to be some cringe angsty garbage some teenager wrote and chances are it is actually the writers name.
Also most of the time anon stories are converted from greentext stories and wouldn't be getting posted if people didn't like it when it was posted to /mlp/ first. So they get more testing than the average story on here.

7520683 I find the absolute opposite to be true. The stories with Human characters named Anon feel completely indecisive, like the author was too much of a coward to give the character any real identifying traits, personality, or characteristics. I very much dislike Anon stories though I have found one or two that were passable. Overall, Anon stories just suck massively.

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As some of our friends pointed out, I believe it depends.

In my mind, a one-shot would be great for a "Anon" but a large story I think would work best with a named protagonist.
Besides that, many fics I read made me have a preconceived idea of how the "Anon" would proceed and act. (Perv, lazy, childish, somewhat dumb etc...).

And, a named protagonist can convey its personality even in its name; or even give a hint at its character arc.
An example (No, this is not self-promotion); I'm writing a story where the MC is named Quíron, based on the legendary wise centaur of the same name and, at the same time, on a celestial body on the external solar system.

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No. I am cool with the human characters having names that aren't Anon.

The name of the character is pretty irrelevant. It's the content and its presentation what really matters. That said I find it grating when people give EQG humans regular human names, as it's unabashedly ignoring the universe's rules.
Some people hate the use of Anon because of its strong 4 chan ties, as such they tend to be extra condescending to stories that feature it. People might insist that it's lazy or that it harms characterization. I say it depends on the story. After all, very frequently humans with human names tend to be some variant of Mary Sue or wish fulfilling self insert.
Considering the name Anon a bad one for its intended as generic nature ignores all the fables featuring Hans (the German ones) or Jack (the English ones). These names are also meant as everyman common names, there are probably other examples.

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I find the character having an actual name is definitely better, but then again my "Favorite Story I've Ever Read Anywhere EVER" at the moment is Everyday Life With Guardsmares and that one has Anon in it, so... I don't exactly hate Anon stories, either? It all comes down to the execution, really.

Anon allows us to put ourselves into the story while some random name ruins the flow because we then just gotta kinda force ourselves into his shoes

All in all, thank you all for your input. I didn't ask this question for any reason other than sheer curiosity because I wanted to see if there was anyone else that feels the way I do.
I've been on this site for a few years but until this, I've never posted anything for people to comment on. I'd never made any attempt to communicate with any of the other people here. That said, hello!
Thank you (most of you, at least) for being kind and willing to have a peaceful discussion and thank you for taking the time to give me your feedback!

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Thanks for sharing your opinion

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I can absolutely understand that! That's a valid point that I hadn't considered! Thanks for sharing!