Nov 03 2006
Anonymous (political) blogs
I’m not sure how I feel about these increasingly numerous anonymous blogs. Some are more anonymous than others, some are more outspoken than others. But how should we, the reader, view the political writings of someone who won’t tell us who they are?
Anonymous or not, I do enjoy Guido and Recess Monkey. The jury’s still out on Lord Lucan. But then, I enjoy Iain Dale, Tom Watson and Kerron Cross too - “proppa bloggas”, as Sion Simon would say, who are happy to put their name to their opinions.
Thing is, if one of these Proppa Bloggas decides to declare, for example, that when Tony goes they’d rather not see Gordon as PM, their views carry much more weight than the growing ranks of anonymous “back to 1997″ mutterers.
On the other hand, the anonybloggers can get away with much more without fear of reprisal. Gossip, innuendo and assertion ahoy - no-one knows who we are, so we can say what we really feel.
A couple of blogs ago I criticised a couple of blogs who don’t allow comments. Leo commented that this was like being invited ’round for dinner and having tape slapped over your mouth. In the same way, reading an anonymous blog is like talking to someone with a paper bag over their head. But as long as you acknowledge that the paper bag is there, and the caveats it brings with it, the ensuing conversation can be just as enlightening - if not more so.


I think it’s fine until such point that you need them to remove the paper bag so you can validate their credentials. That’s when anonymous blogging falls down.
The defamation lawyers don’t seem to agree with you about the fear of reprisal.
“In the same way, reading an anonymous blog is like talking to someone with a paper bag over their head.”
Or, indeed, a niqab.
Why do you think people want to remain anonymous? Don’t pretend that we all don’t know that the U.S. government monitors all communication, even this one. Not paranoia. Reality!
Certainly one take on reality, Steve - if indeed that’s your real name …