Some thoughts on whether to be an anonymous blogger, or not:
What do you think about anonymous blogging? Is it a Do or a Don’t?
Some thoughts on whether to be an anonymous blogger, or not:
What do you think about anonymous blogging? Is it a Do or a Don’t?
(writing with my real name, by the way)
Unless you are in the witness protection program or using a code name to expose some nefarious plot I can’t think of many legitimate reasons for people to use a pseudonym. For most people it just gives license to write belligerent things they would never say in person, or under their name. I find that writing and commenting under my name makes me more accountable and civil. I suspect it would do so for others too.
Duane, I agree with you and for the most part do not encourage anonymity — in fact there’s one blogger I can think of whom I’ve read for years and who I have never had a problem with her anonymity – she is definitely the exception, but it is she that stops me from categorically saying anonymous blogs are bad.
I don’t actually have a problem with anonymous bloggers. I understand the desire for privacy for oneself and one’s family.
While I write under a pseudonym, it’s pretty loose. It’s based on my real first name and people know that it’s my real first name. I use pseudonyms for my children, but again, they’re loose and most people figure out what the girls’ real names are. For some reason, I never used a pseudonym for my husband and now I can’t even remember why. Maybe a lack of creativity?
I’m friends with some of my readers on Facebook, so they know my real name, but I’m careful before I share that info, only because our last name is unusual and it would be easy for a nutcase to find us. While that might seem paranoid, I actually know (in real life!) a blogger who was tracked down by some people and ended up feeling very threatened by the situation.
Even with the pseudo-pseudonym, I own every word that I write, whether it’s on my blog or a comment on someone else’s blog. I don’t say things that I might not otherwise and I never, ever leave anonymous comments or nasty comments of any kind. If I don’t agree with what someone is saying, I simply don’t comment.