Hot Air » Blog Archive » Poll: When is it OK to “out” anonymous bloggers?
Hot Air » Blog Archive » Poll: When is it OK to “out” anonymous bloggers?.
The above brings up an interesting question about anonymity and the Internet. It’s been a long time since I ever used a pseudonym or handle exclusively online; even on websites where my user name is not related to my real one, I still tend to sign posts with my first name. I also don’t have a reason to write anonymously. I write here the same way I would talk to anyone were we discussing the things I discuss here, and I do tend to look down on the idea of maintaining a different identity online than one maintains in real life.
So, I’m of two minds about ‘anonymous blogging.’ On the one hand, I believe that people should be real and honest wherever they are. The lawyer from the above article, who had been publishing blog posts under the name ‘Publius,’ (seriously, couldn’t he have come up with something original?) felt that what he was saying online was something he preferred his family and colleagues didn’t know about. I have to admit that I immediately question why that is. I’m not saying that he doesn’t have his reasons, I just think that speaks of some level of disfunction in his other relationships.
On the other hand, I don’t think thta it’s usually anyone elses’s business if someone chooses to be anonymous online, and there are definitely ciricumstances where that would be necessary. For example, a political dissident from an oppressive state would certainly have very good reasons for remaining anonymous, as their activities could bring real harm to their family and friends.
I think the line at which ‘outing’ somone online is fairly clear. In the majority of cases, it’s not alright. To out someone requrires you to place yourself in a position of judgement on someone else, and that’s not a good thing. I feel the same way about people like Perez Hilton who make their job to decide for others when they should be ‘outed’ as homosexuals (which in most cases is much more serious than one’s family finding out your not as conservative politically as they think). If the anonymous person is using that for harmful reasons (forms of defamation, for example), then the line has been crossed.
Overall I agree with Ed Morrissey’s analysis. I think Ed Whelan overreacted and overstepped his bounds.