This is a great compliment to your post about your own online identity. There’s a ton of psychology to back up the effects of pseudonymity; as you wonderfully stated, it does have its purposes, but in the large majority of cases it’s just used as an easy out to trash someone. In most cases, a signed comment is ten times as valuable as an anonymous one in my opinion.

p.s. I live about a half a mile from Richard Bachman.

‘Tis I, Rob Landry, The Foresider, Evil Phantom Menace to the ethos of the blogosphere! If Jason Clarke really believes in the blogger’s ethic, he will post this comment to his harangue. My guess is that he won’t be man enough to do it; he just likes to criticize anyone who does the same to his blogger buds.

Here’s a question – what’s the true identity of Publius? You could say he was an anonymous poster.

Clarke’s entitled to his opinion, of course. That doesn’t mean he’s right. That’s one of the big problems w/blogs. Someone’s opinion, whether or not based in fact, can cloud perception.

Many of Clarke’s suppositions are just that. Saying things like “…apparently harassing…”, “…intentionally muddying identity…”, “…trashing…”, “…track record of obscuring his actions…” are opinions which to the uninitiated could generate guilt-by-association-to-adjectives.

And Clarke’s just out and out wrong when he states that I emailed him asking for advice on what blogs are and how to set one up – and I defy him to back up his claim (yes, I sent him an email). I also challenge Jason to post the entire transcript of the Q&A we had earlier this week.

I’ve posted some comments as Rob Landry; I’ve also posted comments as the Foresider, which is me. I may also have posted a message somewhere, sometime as Spiderman.

As a matter of fact, I have a login identity on Blogspot as Foresider so it’s usually just easier to log in under that moniker.

People should take another look at anonymous postings and whether that in and of itself poses some grave evil. Clarke is making some pretty wild assumptions about my motivations. Jealousy? Puh-lease!

It’s the message that’s important (or unimportant, as the case may be).

Clarke probably would have wanted Batman to fight crime as Bruce Wayne – sheesh!

Lots of folks have written lots of notable words under pen names. Can anyone tell me the real names of writers Richard Bachman, George Orwell, Mark Twain and Dr. Seuss? You’re right, those are easy ones.

So, what about our friend Publius?

He was James Madison, the Father of the Constitution, writing the Federalist Papers.

Enjoy your Memorial Day Weekend!

Signed,

- The Foresider
p.s. I’m flattered to be a part of the story. PLease read The Foresider - and please support our advertisers.

As you say, Jason, there are good reasons to publish pseudonymous or anonymous writing, online or otherwise, and Rob’s reasons don’t seem to fall into any of them. I don’t even mind if broadcast news/talk personalities like Ric Tyler (not his real name, btw) resort to “stage names” just for the sake of their own privacy and to repel stalkers. But at least you don’t hear him later in the day on another station, calling himself Fred, and saying what a genius that Ric Tyler is.

Peace,

Tor (a nickname, not a pseudonym or stagename)