On Anonymity and Blogging

Recently, one of the talking heads of CNN, (Saddam's News Network), Kyra Phillips, made the following statement about the anonymity of certain bloggers:

"There's going to have be a point in time where these people have to be held accountable. How about all these bloggers that blog anonymously? They say rotten things about people and they're actually given credibility, which is crazy. They're a bunch of cowards; they're just people seeking attention."

Wow! All that psychobabble analysis and I didn't even get to lay on her couch! Heh. Wonder if she's ever heard of "Deep Throat"? (The informant, not the movie!)

What if a modern day "Deep Throat" wanted to expose corruption in government, but could not do so publicly without fear of retribution and/or being denied access to those very details that needed to be exposed?

"They're a bunch of cowards"

Oh? Like when CNN decided not to expose any of the horrible cruelties or excesses of Saddam Hussein in exchange for access to Baghdad?
That kind of cowardice??

For me, there is no cowardice. In a corporate meeting, I told one of the owners of the company I work for about my blogging activities. And I recently gave the link of my blog to a coworker who was admiring one of my Friday Night Babes. I say nothing in the blogs that I write for that I would be ashamed to shout from the rooftops.
In fact, blogging is a little like shouting from the rooftops, only you can do it at odd hours without disturbing the neighbors!

I originally chose my "nom de cyber" to distinguish myself and stand out from those who had similar names, not to try to hide who I was. After a while, more people knew me by my cyber handle than by my real name. If in the future, anyone really gives a rat's patoot what my name is, I'll have no trouble giving it to them. Right now, it's rather like a "brand name". It says "Tide" on the box, but everyone knows it's laundry detergent inside! Heh.

I suspect that it is not the anonymity of the bloggers that threatens Phillips nearly so much as their effectiveness.

Inspired by Right Klik
Cross posted atProof Positive