Thursday, May 18, 2006

On Anonymity/Pseudonymity

Will Vehrs, who was recently bitten (unfairly, in my estimation) for his blogging activity, has an interesting apologia on anonymity/pseudonymity here.

I wanted to comment, but for some reason, my comment wouldn't register, so I am putting it up here:
Sounds like a massive rationalization to me. But then again, as "The Big Chill" taught us, rationalizations are more important than sex ("... ever go a week without a rationalization?").

Of course, "NoVA Scout" speaks not at all to the issues that I have raised, and that Shaun Kenney has raised about the kind of idiocy that anonymity/pseudonymity permits, such as NoVA Scout's dime-store psychology to dismiss any argument or commentator with whom he disagrees, but whose arguments he can't effectively rebut.

Will, for the same reason that I respect people who post under their own name (they expect to, can, and frequently do take the heat for their opinions, and leave open for the whole world to see the biases and experiences that inform their world view), I can never respect those who do so anonymously/pseudonymously, and therefore hide what may be the more questionable bases for their comments, particularly when their sycophancy for certain politicians (NoVA Scout's for Chairman Sean comes to mind) indicates that they have much to hide.

BTW, Will, how about "Alcibiades"? It was a great name for a cat.