Comments on: Support our view of freedom or we’ll throw your lying, anti-patriotic ass in jail

By: Jon

Jon — Tue, 22 May 2012 13:57:38 +0000

It seems I got suckered. Perhaps I’ve read too many Tintin books (not the movie) where Thompson and Thomson did a Mutt and Jeff act.

Ah well. Not much harm done, I hope, and I feel duly chastened.

I shall pay more attention to the details in the names in the future.

Jon

By: Doug Thompson

Doug Thompson — Tue, 22 May 2012 12:34:08 +0000

If it comes from me It has my name on it. If it comes from the editor it is identified at “Capitol Hill Blue.” Other staff members are identified. A list of our writing and editing staff appears on our FAQs page.

Your email and ip address is captured by our system and used as a unique identifier. Even thought the public can’t see either, our server does.

Our spam filter did delete a comment filed earlier today by a poster who left one letter out of my last name so that the post appeared to come from me. It was flagged and deleted and that poster’s id information has been flagged as spam. Perhaps that was the post you replied to? It pays to take a close look at the name.

By: Doc_Holiday

Doc_Holiday — Tue, 22 May 2012 12:33:45 +0000

… Or cake?

By: Doc_Holiday

Doc_Holiday — Tue, 22 May 2012 12:32:02 +0000

…Or cake?

By: Jon

Jon — Tue, 22 May 2012 11:06:45 +0000

Therein lies another problem with anonymity – Impersonation. How do you know I’m the same ‘Jon’ I was yesterday? If I respond to ‘Doug Thompson’ am I responding the publisher of this website or someone impersonating him?

It’s a useful question.

It also comes with plausible deniability.

By: Jon

Jon — Tue, 22 May 2012 10:02:53 +0000

I guess I was shootin’ at shadows.

By: Doug Thompson

Doug Thompson — Tue, 22 May 2012 09:25:15 +0000

Huh? What are you talking about Jon?

By: Jon

Jon — Tue, 22 May 2012 08:57:02 +0000

Publius might disagree with you.

It’s your website. You may do with it what you will, and I wish you the best.

I don’t think you really want me to, but I’ll address your questions one by one:

Yes, it has come to this. Just an accusation can be such a terrible thing to defend against that it’s not even worthwhile: See plea bargaining.

Yes, those of us who speak up anonymously do think we’re furthering freedom, if only by pointing out awkward and unpopular problems.

Freedom is served by allowing anyone, without threat of repurcussion, having a voice.

One of the points of democracy is freedom of speech, insulting or not. I may disagree with with you say, I shall defend your right to say it.

Unpopularity of opinions has to meet with practicality of expression. That my opinions may get me physically attacked is a serious deterrent to expressing them at all.

So I’m a coward. Have a nice day.

Jon

By: griff

griff — Tue, 22 May 2012 03:47:07 +0000

What issues? It’s all good…The economy, the wars, the global imperialism.

Exceptional!

Just enjoy the circus…And eat your bread!!!

By: Jon

Jon — Mon, 21 May 2012 21:02:18 +0000

I’d like to claim the major point is that anonymity doesn’t so much as ‘enable more shouting’ as much as it ‘enables commentary to be made at all’.

By demanding “Your Papers, Please”, you are not so much shutting down the extremists as you are shutting down the moderates who under such requirements shall say or do nothing at all.

(And IP tracking can be highly entertaining. To track me it would involve a round trip of 50,000 miles (yes, fifty thousand) as I’m coming to you from geosynchronous orbit (Satellite Internet for the win! Even the ground stations show me as anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand miles away (as is the ISP of my email address)). Your best bet would be tracking down the billing address for the credit card(s) I use to pay for them, and even that will only get you to a wall of otherwise anonymous post office boxes. Wheee!! )

Now, back to your regularly scheduled topic…