Journalists, lies and message boards

No. Several months between the two events.

 

I think that there are probably degrees of acceptability within all of this. I don't think you'll find anyone here who has a problem with the notion of permitting people a certain amount of anonymity online. It makes sense for reasons of personal security, but also makes sense if you have an issue at your place of employment, or want to be able to comment on the industry without someone having a preconceived idea of what your position is.

I'm not even sure that I have a problem with someone inventing a wholly different life/background/story/persona online. To some extent, that's their business, regardless of their occupation.

Where you lose me, though, is this idea that I could invent a person and then use them to bolster my own real-life endeavors. I can't imagine making up a bunch of fake e-mail addresses and having them comment on my blog so that visitors get the feeling that I'm very popular. Nor can I imagine the situation Voodoo Chile describes, in which a colleague would handle an internal issue that way.

Those are the things that should get you expelled from the business, maybe forever.

 

So it sounds as though there's some history around here with this. Does that have to do with board members fighting other board members or is it more of what I'm talking about?

And again, Mr. Dodgen replies before me with a great post.

Thank you.

 

nobody here would do this.

 

I appreciate your kind words, but in the interest of making my online persona match my real life one, it's Ms. Dodgen.

 

Oh, I'm so sorry. That occurred to me as I wrote that but I obviously guessed wrong.

 

No worries. It's more amusing than anything. Always funny when someone with a nondescript name turns out to be a woman here. Always causes a bit of a double take.

 

And of course now I notice your baseline link...

 

Same here. Nice work, Ms. Dodgen.

 

Nice handle, newbie.

 

I can't imagine creating an alternate persona, let alone a completely alternate lifestyle just for a message board. There are plenty here who hate me, but that's fine because at least at night, I can sleep knowing I am always myself.

Some people must have serious issues to create a whole different life for themselves on a message board. In addition to the serious issues one may find themselves in with their real life if anyone ever found out, think about the professional consequences, especially for those in high profile situations.

 

I've wondered about that too. What goes on in the mind of someone who spends so much time perpetuating the myth of a fictitious message board relationship?