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If you can't put your name under it, don't say it.

(24 posts)
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  1. KimJ
    Member

    curious resident, commensense, fred, et all incognito:

    I am genuinely interested to find out why you are posting anonymously, whoever you all may be. The title of the thread above is what I was taught a long time ago, and it still makes sense to me today. What am I missing?

    I happen to believe that our best chance to advance what is in the best interest of Riverside is building a stronger, closer community. That, however, starts with knowing each other. Much of the arguing and sometimes fighting that is going on in this forum I find quite healthy and necessary, always assuming that mutual respect is the basis for each post.

    For instance, if you read any of the major newspaper blogs where everybody is anonymous, you know that their informational value is too close to zero to count. It really is a waste of time to read them. It is similar to an experience I am sure we've all had when driving: how much easier is it to yell at somebody on the road when we are behind the wheel, protected and acoustically separated by a windshield?

    Anyway, just think that dialogue is desperateley needed in our Village, and hope that it will not stop after the election.

    Tom Jacobs

    Posted Monday Apr 6, 2009 20:12 #

  2. spatny
    Member

    I had just finished posting this under "thoughts on the way to the polls" and when I got done saw this. So I shall repost it here...

    OK folks - here we go. THe Big Election Anchor Pool. Not a guesstimate of results - rather a time for wiping your slate clean and owning up as to who you really are. This is open to all bloggers here and on the Landmark. Winner gets a prize that I'll come up with. Ready? OK, her we go.

    It's time for all the anonymous bloggers to let us know just who you are. Since it has been explained to me that people who are gainfully employed or in the job market do not want their bosses/potential bosses to google them and find out who they are, we'll except just your initials. To kick the can down the road I'll state that I think idic5 has the initials MT, "Fred" has the real-life initials KS, and "curiousresident" is KN. Now I could be wrong, but after looking at the language used, that's my guess. Of course anyone and everyone else can guess too. The bloggers get 5 points for owning up before 6AM tomorrow, and those that guess correctly get the same. Names aren't necessary, just sign in and give your REAL initials before 6 AM tomorrow and get 5 points, but only 1 point for doing it after the polls open.

    Those who care to can guess as often as you like. PLay "Guess Who" and win a prize. For those bloggers that don't own up, you obviously get what you deserve - which is zero - if you don't step forward - which is only fair. After the contest and the election is over, the forensic team will analyze the accumulated data and we'll announce the results.

    Remember - no penlty for wrong answers, so guess as often as you like.

    Ready, Set.....Go!

    Posted Monday Apr 6, 2009 20:21 #

  3. idic5
    Member

    Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations

    ...not what you wanted?

    ...mt

    Posted Monday Apr 6, 2009 20:33 #

  4. chrisrobling
    Member

    Every post I have ever made here has been in my own name.
    But I respect the right of any participant to write anonymously.
    There are many reasons for anonymity, some quite honorable, and others not.
    When participating anonymously, I assume those posters know their most significant contribution is to introduce evidence, logic and insight. Anonymous posters who instead descend into petty abuse and personal sniping presumably understand their words will be proportionately discounted. (For an example, they may ask the named posters here who so descend and whose frequent yammering harangues are ignored accordingly by the 99 percent who participate with politeness, respect and grace.)
    In any case, the US Supreme Court has recently reaffirmed the significance of anonymous political discourse, citing not surprisingly one of our earliest literary and philosophical classics. Would that our anonymous posters rose to the standard Hamilton, Madison and Jay set in their "Federalist Papers." We had for a moment "Publius" contributing, was it a re-incarnation of the three? Stay tuned.
    Best, etc.

    Posted Tuesday Apr 7, 2009 06:42 #

  5. Catherine
    Member

    No, there is no honorable reason to participate anonymously here. These are not the Federalist papers. And the viterupative insults lobbed between founder Federalists and Republicans are immortal landmarks of incivility.

    The named persons who do not participate with politeness, respect and grace are the ones who start and generate most of the discussions.

    But also dishonorable are people who drop in to publish their names at election time, enhancing their googleability and sometimes to take credit for other people's work, as happened with the TIF.

    Finally, don't expect a troll to publish his or her name. But it was nice as a rhetorical question.

    Posted Tuesday Apr 7, 2009 08:27 #

  6. Fred
    Member

    Maybe the reason some of us post anonymously is: A) It is allowed by the rules of the site B) It is our preference C) We depend on a large diverse client base in order to stay in business. Judge by the content rather than the author. Don you figured out my initials. I am Kaiser Souza.

    Posted Tuesday Apr 7, 2009 09:09 #

  7. spatny
    Member

    I know you are Crusader Rabbit.

    Posted Tuesday Apr 7, 2009 09:54 #

  8. Catherine
    Member

    Soze. Keyser.

    You are correct in thinking you would lose business by alienating people like some of the businessmen here. But their client base is neither large nor diverse.

    Posted Tuesday Apr 7, 2009 09:57 #

  9. idic5
    Member

    To answer the OP, one reason I reverted to incognito from using my full name was when I read that employers regularly google people's names when assessing a job applicant. I am a refugee of the great depression of 08 (unemployed now).... and you know what they say about religion and politics and whatever blather, I mean high discourse, is engaged in here....just something employers need not know.

    Also, while significant information can be gained when one knows where another communicator comes from or who that person is, sometimes this info can be misleading, can cloud judgement, and can make another deaf to the content of what the sender is trying to say. I had this wonderful conversation with this guy on the corner today about everything from opera, computers, training dogs, PeopleCare in Riverside, to bohemian beer. And later I found out he has some big role in the Riverside caucus.

    If he introduced himself that way at first, who knows how the conversation might have gone, and how open it might have been?

    In short, anonymity might force everyone to attend to the content and value of the (textual) communication, the soundness of the reasoning, and the backup of what is being said.

    However, in courts of law, knowing the background of a witness is admissible as evidence to a jury for a resaon.

    Posted Tuesday Apr 7, 2009 10:41 #

  10. Catherine
    Member

    Yes, but YOU are not anonymous. We know who you are. In order to be accountable for what one says, he or she should be known by someone here, unless they are simply adding useful information.

    Posted Tuesday Apr 7, 2009 10:56 #

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