Thursday, July 14, 2005

Anonymous Blogging Part Two: Hanging Ducks



When I read some of the "anonymous" comments on a favorite website today (which is also fairly anonymous) I realized we need a new term.

Because those who blog anonymously still fling their life and thoughts and feelings out there. And they respond to comments and discuss. They just do not want to be censored (funny in a 1st Amendment, "land of the free" scenario).

But these anonymous commentators are always the most nasty. In my view they are worse than live chickens squawking around the yard. A live chicken can be cornered and put in the pen. These folk who hit and run are not better than chinese braised ducks hanging from a window.

They gave up the ghost long ago.

If I was down at Crissy Field I'd feed the live ducks and watch them waddle. Some are beautiful, some are beat up...but they are alive inside and out.

When I pass by the glass windows and see the ducks on a hook, I think "poor bastards".

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6 comments:

tabitha jane said...

anonymous comments are always the worst. they are cowards who hide behind their anonymity so that they can be cruel. but i think maybe they are the only ones free enough to say what they really think sometimes . . .

Obi-Mac BakDon said...

Tabitha...don't you think the "regular" anonymity is enough? I mean, I say whatever I want on your site and every one else's.

Sure there is some slight accountability in that you and I can go to each other's site and comment, or even argue...but their is a significant buffer. no?

Feel free to disagree..hehe

martha said...

I have commented on blogs under anonymous only because it was easy to click anonymous.
i will admit when i commented it wasnt to criticize.

So, i guess i would have to agree that a name of some sorts would be nice if one is going to criticize.
Even the name 'bozo'! at least the name will fit the comments.

Have a nice day!

tabitha jane said...

i guess what i meant was this: i have close friends who blog and we comment on each other's sites and interact with each other daily or weekly. pretend i was reading rebecca marie's blog and she said something that i disagreed with. it would be easier for me to post as anonymous and say all the mean and hateful angry things that i wanted to without fear of repercussion (since i see her outside of the bloggin world and would have to deal with the consequences). but since i have more integrity than that, i definitely NEVER post that way (it would be so rude), but my point is, it would be easy to hide behind the name anonymous in order to say all those things you've always wanted to say to someone . . . am i even making sense here? it's friday . . . i quit.

Obi-Mac BakDon said...

Tabitha- I see your point in an extreme situation (like your friend is in an abusive realtionship and won;t listen...she whines about it...so you post an anonymous post as a wake up call).

That makes potential sense. But most anaonymous posters are simply abusive (in my limited experience).

Fortunately I have noted that other bloggers tend to take them out back and beat them with reeds (metaphorically) or simply disregard them as cowardly.

I actually started blogging on a site called "White Chocolate Jesus" where I took on some very nasty Fundagelicals and a very weird "apologist" in Texas who does smear stuff on folks.

I got tons of "anonymous" posts, some most vile for supposed "Christians" (I kinda thought the J-Man was about love and hope). Almost all of them were untraceable, but I answered almost every one of their posts (in Blue-face warrior mode) until they fled because I kept enagaging and was not intimidated.

Oh and I used a LOT of humor, which goes over most of their heads.

The few who did have blogs available did not allow any comments! Ha!

I still have the site, but I rarely post there as I am more interested in positive discourse and exploring.

As always, thanks for the post!

ssas said...

I don't think I've ever left an anon comment. Usually if I disagree I tend to not comment; which speaks volumes. It's often what we do not say that is the most powerful, expecially for comment whores.