On Anonymity
The
Personally, I don’t really care if the Black Rod is Marty, Mary or a Minke whale. Since its inception, their blog has managed to stir up controversy and generate debate. For that, we should be grateful. I would imagine that his/her/their name is whispered in the hallowed halls of the Winnipeg Free Press with the same hushed tones as Lord Voldemort’s at the Hogwart’s
One blogger (couldn’t find the reference when writing – my apologies to whoever I owe a hyperlink to) cleverly uses the analogy that anonymous posting allows us to bring our out-for-beers venting to the rest of the world. In an era of political correctness run rampant, this is a good thing. Most every night, we put on our game sweaters and hit the ice against others who don’t necessarily share our views.
Dan Lett contends that anonymous blogging allows special interests such as political parties to parade around as mere shlubs. He worries that readers may be caught unaware and be susceptible to cognitive manipulation by these malignant entities. I agree with the Hack when they say that most people find political banter a banal exercise. Those of us that partake in this activity know what side of the political spectrum various players come from. For those people that lack the critical reasoning to filter the information they are presented, please use the link in this sentence. You’ll be safer there – trust me.
So this blogger (who wishes to remain anonymous) asks others to stop the facemasking and get back to the business of making everyone privy to the thoughts most only share over suds. Otherwise the only big ideas we are ever going to get are groupthink initiatives like Spirited Energy…
Motivational tunes for the past few days:
Ministry – N.W.O.
The Smiths – The Queen is Dead
Charlatans
Loudness – The Lines Are Down
posted by Unapologetic Ex-Winnipegger @ 7:29 PM
6 comments
6 Comments:
I'm not sure if you've invoked that big moderator stick a few times, or if I'm the one that made you loose your blogger virginity but...
Nope they aren't all the Hack, although I'd guess many of them yammering about politics know each other to some degree.
I seem to recall Krista saying something about her room mate "The Hack" moving out. Of course for some that could be taken to mean just someone else who worked at The Sun... ;->
As for anonymity and the internet, particularly blogging...it's a preference that anyone with two firing neurons willing to call a spade a bloody shovel should use.
It won't provide protection if you cross the line of legality, but it will help prevent some whack job with his nose out of joint from slipping out of the world of virtual reality entertainment and unexpectedly into your face in the real world.
Keep 'er coming UW, you may get the feeling you're talking to yourself at times, but there's nothing wrong with that...it's only when you start answering yourself that it's a problem.
Thanks for the encouraging words.
I put up the moderation just until I see how the commenting goes. I can roll with the punches but as you stated, the whack jobs are out there...
As a whack job, I think you should allow all comments.
For instance, your adding of perezhilton link was absurd. You should include another, one with pictures of Jessica Simpson, so I may have yet another reason to squegee my screen, aside from reading about the Reagan years.
If this doesn't prove that I'm not out to be some draconian editor, I don't know what does.
Better Reagan than Limbaugh I guess...
No, my roommate is truly THE Hack, of hacksandwonks.blogspot.com - at least, for the next couple of months...
Dinner conversations must be pretty interesting. Friday night beer banter even more so. What's that cliche about yearning to be a fly on a wall?
Hopefully you folks share all of the good discussions & ruminations with the rest of us. I would hate to think you or the Hack were holding back some of the gems...
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