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Audacity of Truth
Spinsational:
"We were so busy just getting stuff done and dealing with the immediate crises that were in front of us that I think we lost some of that sense of speaking directly to the American people about what their core values are and why we have to make sure those institutions are matching up with those values."
-Obama, explaining recent Democrat losses, 1/20/10
Velvet Lair- The sexiness of winning the battle of good versus evil January 26, 2010
- Ever wonder why? January 12, 2010
- The decision to bench Peyton Manning: Right or wrong? December 28, 2009
- Is my dad turning into a metrosexual? November 24, 2009
- My “Things To Do For Christmas” list November 23, 2009
Using your real name online
Via La Shawn, I read about the vicious and despicable hate email Michelle Malkin typically receives and it’s spurred me on to bring up something I’ve been thinking about for some time now: the repercussions of using your real name online.
I have to say I admire those in the blogosphere who use their real names in their blogs – these days, with the sharp political divisions we have within this country and the anger which sometimes stems from those divisions, by using your real name, you’re taking a really big risk. Of course, this is nothing new to the political pundits who write articles for opinion sites and political insiders who write books as they relate to the important issues we face every day.
Most of the bloggers on my daily must-read list use their real names and I’m sure they receive plenty of hate email and threats. It wouldn’t and doesn’t take much for the crafty low-lifers out there who prey on political figures and pundits much to find out whatever they want to know about the object of their ire. A negative side effect of the Internet, while a powerful and extremely resourceful tool, has been how ‘brave’ it makes a certain deviant element of society who, 20 years ago, didn’t have this outlet in which to express their hatred towards those with differing opinions.
I admit the idea of using my name on my blog scares me – but I know that eventually one day I’ll have to use it. I’ve submitted a few articles to a some big time online conservative publications and used my real name (for obvious reasons), so I guess when the day comes that I finally get published, that will be when I reveal it. Until then, I think I’ll rest in the relatively safe confines of the “Sister T” online name. Not because I don’t want the majority of good people out there who read my blog to know who I am, but because I want to hold on for just a little while longer to the safety that anonymity brings against those who’d rather spit at me than be civil towards me simply for sometimes having thoughts and opinions that are outside of the ‘acceptable norm.’
My hat is off to all of you out there who put it on the line everyday by using your real names, even when you merely write one sentence. I hope to be joining you one day soon.
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Linking to Outside the Beltway’s Beltway Traffic Jam.
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I would welcome hate mail, and send some of my own, though my “hate mail” is not vitriolic and I try to stick to issues.
James: Thanks for visiting ST – you’d welcome hate email? Well, I’ve always said that you know you’ve made it big when you start receiving it so that’s something
Carpe: Appreciate the linkback and welcome to ST
My hate mail regularly cracks me up. It’s a great source of amusement to all my friends, in fact. I even had my own personal terrorist once… until I notified his ISP, that is.
OUCH! You’re wicked, Cav
Well, I wouldn’t have reported him as long as he was only threatening me, but when he said he’d “chill the blood of all Americans” if we dared stop Iran from manufacturing nuclear weapons, I figured enough was enough…
I use an abreviated version of my real name.
I recently had a really nasty fellow blogger put up a post attacking me. What interested me is that he mocked me for using “cute names” for my kids — and then proceeded to make fun of them too. I guess it never occurred to him that that is precisely why I don’t use their real names online??
Cool site here ST.
Hi Charmaine and thanks for visiting
I enjoyed your article at NRO on the Supreme Court nomination and the push from the usual suspects to urge the President to nominate another woman to fill the vacancy left by Sandra Day O’Connor. You were right on.
Re: the blogger who attacked you and your kids, some people really just need to get a life
Keep up the good work at your blog
I must confess to being reluctant to give my true identity and location, because of my topics. I choose to challenge the veracity of the Koran and that would obviously make me a target. While I may be putting myself higher up on the list than what a muslim whacko-might, I still want to guard my family.
I like your take on stuff, and will be back! Come by and see me anytime.
Re: Guarding your identity because of your challenging of the Koran, I can’t say as I blame you, Dave.
I’ll definitely take a look at your blog!
There has been so much incredible hatred focused on me from people who don’t agree with me, it’s breathtaking. Death threats are included in the hate mail I’ve received, and I was ALWAYS locking my doors, circle my car, looking underneath, and checking my surroundings. The opposition is certainly not about allowing us “freedom of speech”. It’s only theirs which is paramount in importance. Considering the bias in the “old media” and the horrible comments and emails I receive, I’m perfectly content with the status quo on the name/identity thing.
With my son in Iraq for a second tour, my most favorite subject is the WOT and the war at home against the leftists and the anti-war people who are making it more dangerous for our soldiers who are fighting a despicable cowardly enemy who surround themselves with women and children. I, too, am a critic of Islam and Islamic terrorists and the religious justification they use to kill the infidel.
At any rate, another great post, Sister T.
On thing I’ve noticed about Michelle and Glen Reynolds and others is–they don’t allow comments on their blogs…I think the horrible trolling comments are a huge factor in this. At least the hate mail isn’t out there for the world to see.
Sounds like your hatemail is quite vicious, Cao, and I don’t blame you for taking extra precautions. Things like that are one of the reasons I’ve kept my real name to myself rather than reveal it here. I do get some nasty messages from time to time, but luckily no death threats as a result of my blog. I did have one guy on a message board a while back tell me he hoped I would fall on a gun and that he hoped that gun would “accidentally” go off.
God bless your son and keep him safe. I know you must worry a lot, and my prayers are with you as well.
Maybe the fact that you’re a Large Mammel and I’m just an Adorable Little Rodent in the TTLB ecosystem makes a difference, but I’ve been using my real name, and have made references to my home town (Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, not a very big place) all along, and I haven’t gotten a single piece of hate mail.
Of course, I suppose that getting hate mail means that someone is actually reading your site . . .
And maybe if you took down that cute picture, and let people think that you looked like Cindy Sheehan, they wouldn’t be jealous.
Aww shucks – thanks Dana
I use my real name, but mostly because I’m not clever enough to think of a cool pseudonym like ‘Sister Toldjah’.
Sis:
This article has been referenced in the reader comments section of Internet Privacy: Is this a good thing?, written by Art Downs, on my site.
Sister T. – love your site! Lot’s of good reading here, and I like the way you think.
I was the victim of the morons at FoxBlocker.com, when they chose to research and publish personal information (work telephone number, address, and email address) on their site and encouraged their minions to send me hate mail – all because I sent them an email telling defending Fox News as being the most fair news source I’ve found. I got lots of hate mail from liberals in the UK, Canada, and, of course, the US. One of my favorites came from a professor at Hamilton College, that ultra Left-Wing unlearning institution in the Northeast.
Eventually the volume of mail decreased, but I will never cease to be amazed by the vile things liberals will say to folks they don’t know, including threatening my livelihood, and the safety of my family. Truly, the Left is a party of haters….
Keep up the great work Sister T. !
I wouldn’t think of using a false name while participating in blogosphere. I wouldn’t be truthful. Besides, I spend my time at home on internet reading political affirmations from other people who spend all of their time on internet reading political affirmations from other people who spend all of their time on internet reading political affirmations from other people who spend all of their time on internet reading political affirmations from other people. And I want to know the real names of these authors.
Keep up the good work Sister Toljah. That name is pretty cool. When you say Toldja, it almost sounds like your pronouncing the words “told you” or “told ya”, but your not. You saying Toldja. That is pretty witty. Kudos to you.
Hear you later.