FeedAnonymous blogger outed?
April 14, 2006 in Citizen Journalism Tags: Jubal, Matt Cunningham, OC Weekly
There’s a very interesting read (for bloggers, anyway) at the O.C. Weekly, an alternative newspaper in Orange County, California. The columnist outs an anonymous and influential blogger. It turns out that “Jubal” is a guy named “Matt Cunningham,” who is very much a political insider. He runs two different consulting businesses, and blogs under his own name at a different site.
The article details incidents in which the Jubal praised and linked to Cunningham’s posts. It all strikes me as somewhat dishonest. There can be good reasons to be an anonymous blogger. Loss of one job is one reason. This guy IS the boss though. He seems to be leveraging one blog to promote another, and in some cases, promoting potential clients under the guise of eing a concerned citizen blogger.
I would never out an anonymous blogger or even an anonymous commenter (and yes, I know who A LOT of you people are). But I agree: People who blog under their own name should be taken more seriously that those who do not.
Full disclosure: I’ve blogged anonymously in the past. I did it because I wanted to be free to say things that might piss off people I liked and usually admired. I didn’t do it to play up Peoria Pundit. I started one in anticipation of being forced to go anonymous by the Federal Election Commission and their stupid rules that defined a link to a site as a form of campaign contribution.
I stopped because — well, it just seemed dishonest to me, and it was a headache keeping track of what I said and where I said it. Feh. Too much work.
Today, I operate this site, Blog Peoria, heinleinblog and Bill’s Content. That doesn’t count maybe a couple dozen test blogs out there on Blog*spot and other free sites.
Consider this a challenge to other Peoria bloggers: Come out of the closet. The truth shall set you free.
April 14th, 2006 at 3:02 pm
Anon Blogginess?
Women may fear stalkers. Others may fear retaliation by repressive government, employers, families, neighbors.
Since I don’t give a rat’s behind about much of anything, I am not anonymous. I rant against everything I dislike, and warn, scold, inspire, praise, attack, mock, encourage, educate, enlighten…in my own name, and with a real profile.
To make up a fictional character, give him a blog, then have him praise and link to your real name blog: BS. This is Pseudo Blogging. It sucks and so does the blogger. A politician? As an Ethical Anarchist, I’m not surprized.
April 15th, 2006 at 6:06 pm
“People who blog under their own name should be taken more seriously that those who do not.”
Why? As an anonymous blogger I can write what I really think and believe. If my identity were known, I would have to censor myself and refrain from commenting on various hot/controversial topics in order to avoid pissing off my employer, neighbors, significant other, or worse -have Chase Ingersoll spread nasty, untrue rumors about my sexual, drinking, or dating habits. Being anonymous allows me to be more honest- not less.
Seems to me that the only reason to have one’s identity known is to attain minor celeb status, free drinks (yes, I know, Bill, you don’t drink), schmooz with other local minor celebs/pols…. The never ending quest for fame.
April 15th, 2006 at 6:07 pm
I did not mean to cross out anything above. I forgot that using dashes will do that on this site.