Do You Really Stand Behind Your Opinions?

[Craig Huckerby]

Here's the latest thread for the most recent, Inside SooNews.ca Please leave your remarks here and please follow the rules.  

Link to column  http://www.soonews.ca/viewblog.php?id=24988

[Art Vandelay]

good article, craig.

[Mike-in-Ottawa]

Good point Craig. I'm sure it would change things on here quite a bit. But if I had to use my real name then I'd have to be nice for a change. Not sure I could handle that.

Let's say you changed the rules so posters had to use their real name. How could you be sure what they tell you when they register is true? I use the name Mike-in-Ottawa but am I really Nancy in Hurleyville? See what I mean? I don't know what mechanism you could use to be sure that people are, who they tell you they are. Especially with privacy concerns these days.

At any rate, in my opinion (and yes I stand by that) ... you have a pretty thankless job sometimes. Probably not too unlike that of a police officer these days, with our catch-and-release justice system. You can't please everyone but I think you do a pretty darned commendable job running Soonews the way you do. I sure couldn't do your job ... it would drive me nuts!

[Craig Huckerby]

Well Nancy, er I mean Mike - I thought of that as well, I mean someone could I suppose even register as me...though we do have to approve the accounts. But a legitimate e-mail address would probably do the trick when registering....of course that limits the amount of people we can approve too... Remember back in the day when if someone wrote a letter to the editor - they had to include their real name and real mailing address and phone number and if they didn't the paper wouldn't publish the letter....I wish there was something along those lines that could be implemented but that's far too complicated for today's instant messaging world we live in...   

[Macs mom]

Craig I agree with you 100% .....good article

[Mike-in-Ottawa]

This is an interesting subject Craig, but unfortunately (or fortunately depending how you look at it) I'm getting ready for holidays so can't spend much time on here. I don't read all that many online forums, but the ones I do check out every so often, I come across some pretty nasty posts and I wonder the same thing you do ... would someone say that ... in those words ... if others knew their "real" name. Even some news sites allow anonymous comments to news stories and it's horrible what some people say about each other.

I wish I had a better memory, but Lowell Green is in my mind Canada's legend of talk show hosts and extremely well known around here. Some blogger has been posting the most horrible things about him and created a web site called Lowellgreen-dot-something. A search  takes people to that site (instead of Lowell's official site) and it has something to do with abortion or whatever. This really troubled Lowell because he's 73 years old (not accustomed to this modern day crap) and he takes pride in his reputation. He wasn't going to let this guy get away with it though, and I believe he hired a lawyer and investigators to track this guy down. Eventually he found out who the culprit was and plastered his name all over CFRA. I believe it was someone who works at Ottawa-U. But I don't think he was ever charged with anything. Not sure. It was a pretty sad indication as to just how bad and degraded things online can get ... and that culprits can remain pretty much anonymous.

Anyway I gotta run but just wanted to add a few comments. I've written several letters to editors over the years so I know what you mean. But they can be fooled too if they don't follow up on the writer's claims. This online stuff must be a nightmare in comparison though.

In my case you know who I am, so I can't claim to be Nancy. But if you didn't know me and I had registered with my official email address it wouldn't have been much help except to a certain organization of people.
 
Take care Craig and don't let habitual complainers stress you out!

[(T.C.K) The Sault's favourite Cat]

I've put my name out a couple times, when I was really fired up, and when it leads to usual contreversy.. It's Matt for future reference..  I also used my name on my uh... old.. blog (Sighs). If truth be told the blog was hacked and if anybody went on it now I would look like an idiot and would not want to step out into punlic if they knew who I looked like and all that.. So let me just say Im not afraid.

[Ivory Tower]

While I totally agree with you on most of your points, I differ with the approach you took.  Naming the poster from the other forum to discredit them in the forum you chose is clearly an abuse of your position and, IMHO, discredits your comment.

I agree that comments by "just me" are malicious, but a simple reference to the forum would be suffice.  If anything, you only fueled their ambition to continue with the bashing.  You could have taken a higher road.

Most people should appreciate the opportunities given to them by BBS's, but at the same time, a BBS and its forums should take some responsibility for the monster's they sometimes create.

[Craig Huckerby]

But that's just one of my points Ivory, I named him because there's no harm done right? You don't know who it is.  The same person could be any number of "posters" so it doesn't in my view discredit him/her in anyway. Yet when hiding behind a nick name people can attack real businesses, real people.    I do agree  with your last sentence 100% and hopefully we are on our way to stop the "monsters" we seem to perpetuate.

[Loopy]

Good point! 
I do believe that a lot of people hide behind a monitor and do their very best to rock the boat so to speak.  Those are usually the people who think they are pretty sly and are usually mistaken.
I wish I could use my real name on here and everywhere else.  I am an opinionated woman who has a big mouth and likes to stand up for a cause. 
However, the reason that I don't use my real name is it is an unusual name and it tends to lead people to my place of business..............then I get bombarded with questions/comments that have nothing to do with my personal views or opinions here.  I try to keep it separate, not because it harms me, but because I like to keep work at work.

But I would never slam anyone or say anything hurtful unless they brought it on themselves. 

If I had to use my real name, I would.
Keep up the good work.

[SSMP]

I sort of look at posting on forums like talking to strangers in a bar. When you are in the bar the people don't nessessarily know your name, nor do they know where you live or work. The anonymity(sp) allows you to voice an opinion without having to worry about some crackpot taking a shot at your house or family afterwards.
Forcing people to post using their real name could cause problems in the real world and stifle debate.
I think that  being able to be anonymous has really increased the level of intelligent debate on the internet, not always here, but on the whole. Sure you have to put up with spammers and trolls, but sometimes you do get some really l intelligent conversations, and I think that forcing real names will be a detriment to this.

[(T.C.K) The Sault's favourite Cat]

Once, on Soonet, I was told that somebody was gonna run me down with his truck after I complained about riding on the road.. Lucky he didn't know who I was though.. I remain neutral on this. I am not really against putting names on, but staying hidden could help me live, especially if I decide to run for mayor and get assasinated.. That would royally suck.

I say names, unless it's for life saving.

[anonymous001]

I sort of look at posting on forums like talking to strangers in a bar. When you are in the bar the people don't nessessarily know your name, nor do they know where you live or work. The anonymity(sp) allows you to voice an opinion without having to worry about some crackpot taking a shot at your house or family afterwards.
Forcing people to post using their real name could cause problems in the real world and stifle debate.
I think that  being able to be anonymous has really increased the level of intelligent debate on the internet, not always here, but on the whole. Sure you have to put up with spammers and trolls, but sometimes you do get some really l intelligent conversations, and I think that forcing real names will be a detriment to this.

Haha this is a good interpretation. I've never really thought of it like this, but now that I do it makes perfect sense.

I think that anonymity definitely leads to more candid and, in the long run, better discussions because people do feel more open to sharing their concerns and views than if they need to come forward.

Now, obviously with my screen name being "anonymous001" I have a differing viewpoint on this, but the circumstances behind me not being able to confess my identity have to do with this community being one that I've grown up in and my parents being part of the community, it is out of respect for them. My youth has something to do with it also I'd say, I need to wisen-up a bit before I can truly advocate for causes.

[_Mike_]

Great article.

Here are my thoughts,

Not unlike many other things, I think anonymity can be a double edged sword.  I have had some heated debates on forums, and have to agree that anonymity can allow people to speak a little more freely.  This can lead to some great discussion.  It does become questionable though, when you see people hiding under a user name with nothing but malicious intent.  I think there have been some pretty clear examples of both on this board.

While I do use my first name here, I prefer not to use my whole name, as there are a lot of people that take these discussion way too seriously.

I think anonymous001 is a perfect example of anonymity being a good thing.  He and I have had a few heated discussions on these forums, and although we have yet to see eye to eye, he presents his arguments in a respectful manner.  Even though he could hide under his anonymity and become hostile, he doesn't and it has led to some great discussion.  I say if the two of us, being pretty much polar opposites, can co-exist under anonymity most people should be able to.  

Some people just do not have any respect though.

[CaptainBezark]

I have no problem with people maintaining anonymity on a discussion board. And they should be able to criticize political figures and political parties on the public payroll. I don't think we want to Joe McCarthyize the site just enforce some rules now and then. And posters dealt with should accept that moderators have a job to do. They run the show here and not the  anonymous posters who might want to test the limits of their freedom of speech.

And there are laws against defamation, or is it slander? I can never remember which it is when it pertains to public internet forums.

Personal attacks made against other posters should not be tolerated on a progressive discussion board imo. Anyone who observes bullying of another poster should report it to moderators.

The site owners have a lot of things to consider with allowing public comments in their forums. Perhaps the good people posting here could help them a little from time to time as I'm sure they can't always be policing the site 24-7. They are people, too.