Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Pseudonymity versus anonymity: my new comment policy
Inspired by Nina, Phantom Scribbler and Paper Napkin, and uninspired by the "e-nnoyance" law, I hereby announce my new comment policy.
Henceforth, please do not comment anonymously. I respect your right to withhold your true identity, but if that is your goal, please comment pseudonymously.
In discussions of blogs and, more recently, the "e-nnoyance" law, I find a surprisingly common tendency to confuse these different concepts. "Anonymous" means withholding any and all names of the author; "pseudonymous" means providing a fictional name -- a "handle" to you email/ chatroom/ blog types.
So rather than posting as "anonymous," please use a pseudonym or "handle" if not your real name, and use the same pseudonym or handle each time you comment. This is really for the enjoyment of me and other readers -- consistent use of a pseudonym allows us to associate a personality with the comment. It's just nicer and more fun.
But there is a quid pro quo. I resolve from now on to be more interactive with you commenters -- comments on comments!
Henceforth, please do not comment anonymously. I respect your right to withhold your true identity, but if that is your goal, please comment pseudonymously.
In discussions of blogs and, more recently, the "e-nnoyance" law, I find a surprisingly common tendency to confuse these different concepts. "Anonymous" means withholding any and all names of the author; "pseudonymous" means providing a fictional name -- a "handle" to you email/ chatroom/ blog types.
So rather than posting as "anonymous," please use a pseudonym or "handle" if not your real name, and use the same pseudonym or handle each time you comment. This is really for the enjoyment of me and other readers -- consistent use of a pseudonym allows us to associate a personality with the comment. It's just nicer and more fun.
But there is a quid pro quo. I resolve from now on to be more interactive with you commenters -- comments on comments!
Comments:
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No quid pro quo necessary. It's your blog: you make the rules. That I happen to agree with this rule is just gravy.
I like the part about a more interactive comments section. That way I can conduct business on this site when Oscar fails to respond to regular emails, as sometimes happens.
One perplexing Q is what you'll be doing with persons who are not aware of your firm stance. Delete all Anons? It can be painful, esp. when the commenter is trying to be nice and simply does not know your new policy.
From this flows my suggetion that you really put it in some visible place on your blog, bold letters and all.
Anyway, good luck. Pure Anons really should be flushed out of the blog world.
One perplexing Q is what you'll be doing with persons who are not aware of your firm stance. Delete all Anons? It can be painful, esp. when the commenter is trying to be nice and simply does not know your new policy.
From this flows my suggetion that you really put it in some visible place on your blog, bold letters and all.
Anyway, good luck. Pure Anons really should be flushed out of the blog world.
The quid pro quo is to get the comments at all, Phantom, which I really can't make happen merely by ruling. Wendy, are you throwing a gauntlet at me? Clearly Nina is, by threatening to "transact business." But as long as we're transacting business, Nina, I'm sorry to have to admit that I still have a plate belonging to you and I chipped it. I'm still trying to figure out what sort of compensatory gift is suitable to return the plate with.
Well, I'm glad that this is where I can come to transact business with Oscar.
Dude, do you still have that book you borrowed from me in the Fall? Y'know -- the teacher's manual to the textbook you used. If you give me back my book, I'll give you back your salad bowl.
Dude, do you still have that book you borrowed from me in the Fall? Y'know -- the teacher's manual to the textbook you used. If you give me back my book, I'll give you back your salad bowl.
Yes the gauntlet was hurled at you, but since you responded, I have nothing left to say.
Can you disable anonymous comments? Other journaling software allows for that...
(and I swear each time I comment, I have one more letter to type in that word verification dialog box thingy)
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Can you disable anonymous comments? Other journaling software allows for that...
(and I swear each time I comment, I have one more letter to type in that word verification dialog box thingy)
# posted by 
: 5:20 AM, January 18, 2006
: 5:20 AM, January 18, 2006 Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
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