Why No More Anonymity Here?
Yesterday, I made the decision to require some sort of login to post a comment on this blog. It’s a step I’ve been reluctant to take (though I’ve talked about it some here) because I understand the role anonymity can play in sharing certain aspects of self or personal history; however, I’ve found with regards to the comments on this blog, anonymity has simply NOT aided in the creation of open dialogue or a candid space to share. Rather, I’ve found that the majority of the anonymous comments to be posted on this blog are just snide remarks the author didn’t want to sign their name on. The most recent of these unnecessary and bitchy comments came in yesterday.
Admittedly, I’ve been processing some frustrations in my home life that have probably lead me to be a little less easy going than usual. But the specific comment that brought on this shift in policy came in on a post that I wrote in 2008, almost three years ago. As a means to help me adjust to working with a new team, someone I had been working with told me, “you attract more flies with honey.” Though I believe the person giving the advise had the best intentions, I was having a hard time adjusting to the overly artificial, saccharine demeanor a few of my coworkers put on. I recognized it was a way to handle a difficult personality that we all were interacting with, and yet the fake-ness of the whole thing made it hard to trust the whole team. In my post, “You Attract More Flies with Honey?“I indirectly sought to explain why I found the phrase irksome, without talking about the work situation.
Although the post was written in 2008, I’ve received comments on it in April 2010 and one yesterday:
Image from CoolestGadgets.com - you attract even more with dog shit so what’s the point
- Exactly. The point is, it’s a stupid saying.
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- Ok, so replace the target animal. Done. The idea is still valid, obviously.
- I recognize the desire for anonymity from time to time, but to leave a somewhat bitchy comment on a blog post that’s over three years old kind of makes me scratch my head. If you’ve got something bitchy to say, that’s fine. If you’re kind of a bitchy person, that’s cool too. But at a certain point, I hope you realize that that’s on you. So own it and sign your name. Otherwise, it’s just childish and petty…
Shoo Fly, Don’t Bother Me
My original post talks about the fact that people don’t actually want to attract flies. Flies are pests. Many anonymous commenters are the Internet’s equivalent of flies, pests that swoop in, and dump garbage and leave before they can be asked to answer for it.
Even in the real world, flies come and go. And every time they land, they secrete vomit. Gross.
I don’t like flies, flies or (Internet) flamers. Who has the time?
Stand in Integrity or Go Away
Comments on this blog now require an openID login. Though my reply to the anonymous comment is rather crass, it pretty much sums up my reasoning. If you’re not willing to sign your name to a maligned, passive aggressive or otherwise nasty comment, I don’t want to read what you have to say.