Mailing List Archive Mailing List Archive
> As for fake posts, who really cares? For what it's worth, I care. And maybe the fact that you feel the need to defend anonymous posting suggests that, at some level, you might care as well. > The issue of anonymity on the Internet is still hotly debated and > is presently being litigated. Does litigation necessarily have anything to do with ethics? Or maybe the law is more important to you than a sense of ethics? > Phony people or fabricated posts ultimately originate at the keyboard > of a real person with some agenda. Who seems not to have the courage to stand behind her or his agenda by signing a name to the post, for one of a variety of reasons ... some of which are reasonable (see below), and some more questionable. > Whether the objective is mischief, Malicious mischief in the case of posts that have gone out under the names of real people. Would you be bothered if someone forged a post in your name, purporting to say things that you didn't believe? If so, do you think that the golden rule might apply here? > satire Most satirists that I can think of that have been respected have been proud to claim their work -- including pseudonymous historical personages like "Petroleum V. Nasby" (a nineteenth century version of "Heyy Duude") and "Mark Twain", and twentieth century satirists like Art Buchwald. One important exception to this generalization are people who have been forbidden to speak out: e.g., when people are citizens of totalitarian states, or work at companies that proscribe the private use of e-mail. A second are people who wish to slander others anonymously. Anonymous slander is much more convenient than direct confrontation. > or an anonymous attempt to focus attention on an issue > the end result depends on our decision to respond. Yes, it does. But a decision to respond depends, in part, on the quality of information that is obtained. And anonymous posts are wonderful vehicles for spreading misinformation, and not having to be accountable for same. > Sometimes these fabricated posts provide comic relief or are tasteless > and offensive. Or, what is much worse, vicious and unfair. Tasteless, offensive, or stupid posts "simply" waste people's time (and I have a problem with that). The others do harm. > As is said time and again on talk radio, > "if you don't like what you are hearing, turn the channel" or in the case of > these lists, unsubscribe. Or, work within the system and try to improve it. "If you don't like it, unsubscribe" is advice that, to my mind, is on a par with "America, love it or leave it". But maybe people in this newsgroup subscribe to "America, love it or leave it" as well. What do I know? And that's why I reply to posts like these, Bill, even though I'm not sure that anyone else is listening. Respectfully, -- Phil ===== Phil Pfeiffer, Computer Sci. Dept. | Kindness in thought leads to wisdom. East Stroudsburg University, | Kindness in speech leads to eloquence. East Stroudsburg, Pa. 18301-2999 | Kindness in action leads to love. phil@es*.ed* (717) 422-3820 | -- Lao-Tsu
Navigate by Author:
[Previous]
[Next]
[Author Search Index]
Navigate by Subject:
[Previous]
[Next]
[Subject Search Index]
[Send Reply] [Send Message with New Topic]
[Search Selection] [Mailing List Home] [Home]