Does anybody read these?

Assholes

I just read this article about how the anonymity of the Internet leads to people being assholes. When people don't have to take accountability for their remarks, they tend to be much more rude. They also tend to lie. People can be whoever they want online and say whatever they want and think they can get away with it.

Of course, it still makes them an asshole, and no one's really anonymous.

I have never left an anonymous comment anywhere on the Internet. I use the same username for everything (I assuming I can use it) and I stand behind everything I say 100 percent. I think the Internet is great, and really I have nothing to hide. I might get drunk and write a mean limerick about a friend who's pissed me off, but I just wipe myself off and apologize. I don't delete it and I don't take it back. And I didn't do it without putting my name on it.

I think people who leave anonymous comments -- especially rude or untrue ones -- are big, giant pussies and they need to grow a pair and take some responsibility in their lives.

I moderate all my comments here. I started doing that because there was a group of losers (who not-so-coincidentally also happened to be liars) who felt the urge to leave lies about me here. Of course, they did this anonymously. However I have a site tracker and when you used to be friends with someone received a bazillion e-mails with the same insipid comments, you know who it is.

I hate that I moderate my comments, and I think about shutting it off on a daily basis. I will let you know that I think there has only been one comment in the last year that I did not let through. It was from "anonymous," but I knew exactly who it was. And she threatened me. So, I just forwarded it to her university's IT department instead. It wasn't anything y'all needed to see.

I just don't get it. I didn't get it when former friends posted rude things here anonymously like I wouldn't figure out who it is. I don't understand when people who do not know my friend Andrea leave mean personal comments about her on her blog and her web site that she runs. And I really don't understand why someone would go online and leave rude comments about someone they didn't know on a newspaper's web site, which is what got this started in the first place.

I had a professor in college who said "Everyone has the right to free speech, but I also have the right to kick your ass if I don't agree with what you say."

If you have something to say, don't be a pussy and stand behind your comments. That's the only way they even matter.

And if you'd like to read about assholes who make fun of people, there's an article here.

posted by Laura at 11:29 AM