|
DCWoody -> Anonymity (8/10/2010 1:50:25 PM)
|
"Some of the things said about me are true and some are untrue. I do not, however, deny that I planned that sabotage. I did not plan it in a spirit of recklessness, nor because I have any love of violence. I planned it as a result of a calm and sober assessment of the political situation that had arisen after many years of tyranny, exploitation, and oppression of my people by the Whites." -Osama bin Laden, summer 2005
~Nelson Mandela, 20th April 1964.
So by the end of this sentence you've probably noticed, and the answer is both of them. Your perception of the quote (quotes?) will likely have varied depending which name you saw first...and again when you saw the second.....although, you don't think so now...but you do agree that it will have affected other people. Either way, it illustrates my first point about anonymity well enough: prejudice. Prejudice isn't necessarily a bad thing, it just means what it says...pre judge. When ya see a car fly up the pavement you prejudge that it'll hurt when it hits ya. We on this board prejudge stuff all the time. An 'article' from the dailymail or fox is completely untrue. A thread by Brain is mindless pro-democrat/anti-republican propaganda, a thread by Sanity is mindless pro-republican/anti-democrat propaganda, a thread by pahunkboy is mindless. And it's a pretty good guide....that car isn't likely to be made from marshmallow afterall. But it's not always true, and it effects everything anyone ever says....peoples perception of a comment varies depending upon its source, and it shouldn't. A statement should stand or fall on its own merit, not on whether it comes from the mouth of mandela or mandelson.
My second point is self censorship, people don't truly speak their minds, most of the time...out of worry what others'll think of them....whether you think you premodify what you say or not, you do....even for an online persona that's nothing more than a tag linking your comment to all your previous and upcoming comments. The polling gap between professional face to face polling and professional anonymously taken polls is noticable....on pretty much every topic, not just controversial ones. From fear of legal reprisals to worrying that random internet people won't like you so much, it's much the same point.
The merits of anonymity in political debate have long and repeatedly been described far more eloquently, but those are the two main points IMO. So my question is...and despite this being a poll, I do reckon I've got it in the right forum....If there were an option to post a post anonymously.....ignoring technical aspects such as moderation, and the way it doesn't actually stand any chance of being implemented......in theory, if the option existed, would you use it?
Pic unrelated
[image]local://upfiles/347591/F149D483865543B0A3DBDE6DCC63546A.jpg[/image]
|
|
|
|
