What price anonymity?
You get a whole different picture of how people feel about things when they don't have to tell you who they are.
That's partly what makes internet message boards and blogs both interesting and a little frightening. Unburdened by the need to hide behind politeness and civility, people can anonymously spew all kinds of hate.
That was the point of my column today.
Do you think anonymity is mostly a good thing, because it allows the rest of us to read a person's honest feelings about something? Or would we be better off if people were forced to identify themselves online and kept some of the more hateful comments to themselves?
--- Bruce Andriatch
Tax funded pensions for Politicians.
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Why does the Bufnews ignore Lancaster Taxpayers issues?
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Tax payers are voting for downsizing for a reason, they are tired of taxes being used for lifetime tax funded pensions for even part time elected or appointed Town Level Officials.
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The Bufnews seems to be biasly protective of Lancaster's Controlling Party Members - Why?
Posted by: lanres | October 30, 2009 at 04:50 PM
If a person has an "Opinion" they should be free to express it. Without fear of retaliation - without being punished or discriminated against.
I have seen cases where this has happened. It isn't as hard as one might think to track people on the INTERNET. Believe it or not the Bufnews has that technology - so do others.
Posted by: my2cents | August 16, 2009 at 12:03 PM
Sources of information in a public forum ought to be identified. It lends credibility to their insights. Anonymity in such a context makes it "unreal," so to speak. It gives it so much freedom of expression as to make it meaningless. There should be some parameters, some ground rules. Attribution is key in journalism and I think in journalistic feedback, commentary ought to be attributed to a real, identifiable person -- not some anonymous mouthpiece left to run off at the mouth.
Posted by: Paul Chimera | August 03, 2009 at 04:41 PM
I think anonymity is a good thing. It allows folk to feel free to express themselves without embarrassment.
But saying that I fear that the anonymous expressions may not be true or sincere since they are utterances detached from responsibility. As far as the hatred articulations, they are always anonymous, always venomous and forever signs that the responsible party is hiding rather than trying to add an original viewpoint.
The best part of anonymous opinion is that it is recognized nearly immediately as detached from a responsible source and therefore not too important.
Posted by: HapKLein | July 20, 2009 at 08:21 PM
speaking of anonimity, where is the bear blog? It's a hot story in the biggest burg, right? Lots of roiled emotion, yet no bear blog.
Ok, I'll start one: The Amherst PD should have called in the amimal techs to tranquilize and transport the poor fella. They didn't need to shoot.
Talk amongst yourselves.
Posted by: BobbyCat | July 13, 2009 at 11:29 PM
Never say anything on a public forum you wouldn't be proud to admit to your mother or your children.
If it isn't good enough to have your name on it, it's not worth my time and energy to read your opinions.
In a lighter vein, however, sometimes politicians just make you want to scream--why not vent behind a fiction when criticizing "fictitious leaders"?
Kind of like political campaigns, when "unknown" sources trash opponents and have the ads run for a while before the courts require a stop to the fictions.
Posted by: Lydia Bezou-Hojnacki | July 03, 2009 at 11:15 AM
What people are doing(like me) online is expressing themselfs.
Your judging them by what you percieve their intentions or morals might be.
Doesnt the news media defend its right to not disclose informents names - to protect their sources?
Even when that story hurts, defames and has the potential to change or destroy someones life!
The Media quotes anonymous people all the time - how do we know who said what?
PS - in todays electronic world - no one is truly anonymous - every key stroke is trace able - just ask you neighborhood hacker(usualy a teenager) or the FBI.
Posted by: my2cents | July 02, 2009 at 09:59 PM
Silence Dogood,
They know how you vote, when you vote, everytime you vote and even when you didnt. Why do you think they check your name, and party when you vote?
You are correct - in Buffalo if you speak contrary to Party Line on any issue your marked.
Just go to City Hall - look in the hallway reception window of the law Department - the sign on the file cabinet reads, "Vote Democrat" -
Posted by: my2cents | July 02, 2009 at 01:19 PM
Nemo wrote: "The Buffalo News won't take the racists on point blank. The result is that racism runs this town."
Keeping in mind, of course, that not all racists are white, Asian or hispanic.
Posted by: Buffalo Libertarian | July 02, 2009 at 08:53 AM
JD wrote: "card check, where a union member votes and the union boss knows who you are and how you voted."
Obviously to make it easier for the union's enforcer goons to get rid of anyone who stands in their way - remember Local 91 in the Falls?
Posted by: Buffalo Libertarian | July 02, 2009 at 08:50 AM
Buffalo Lib.
I think you better get used to it, Obama has plans for everybody.
He will tell us what to eat, what to drink, how we will heat and cool our homes, what kind of cars we will drive, who our doctors will be etc,etc. He will also tell us how much we can earn and how much we have to give to others. You don't have to worry about making decisions for your self any longer, Obama will now make them for you. I agree with you we need a third political party and we need it now.
Liberty is a dirty word in Obama's world.
Posted by: Jd | July 01, 2009 at 09:05 PM
I will never understand this sick, perverted need some people have to trample all over the liberty of other people.
Posted by: Buffalo Libertarian | July 01, 2009 at 04:55 PM
reflip said in his/her post "God forbid your pristine, suburban educational nirvana be sullied by contact with a geo-political entity that governs both it AND more urbanized areas."
A few questions for Mr. or Ms. reflip:
Define "pristine, suburban educational nirvana" ?
Who or what is the "geo-political entity" to which you make reference?
What cosmic powers of governance do you attribute to the "geo-political entity" ?
Posted by: OPMike | July 01, 2009 at 12:38 PM
Stop with this racism bull, Black, Mayor, Black Gov. Black President, these race baiters will never quit. Welcome to post racist gvt.
The same few keep trying to start a race debate, it's over your race baiting dosen't work anymore, nobodys buying.
Posted by: jd | July 01, 2009 at 12:05 PM
If you mention racism in Buffalo suburbs and hate radio in the same breath, hate-bloggers emerge like clockwork. (I guess they need to protect their hate/turf)
Good post, on point, by Nemo.
Another suggestion for a 'Burbs' blog: Should other towns follow Orch Park's lead and combine the positions of Town Clerk and Receiver of Taxes??
I say yes!!
Is there one landmark study that looks at the pros and cons? Let's hope that 25 towns won't need to do 25 studies.
Posted by: BobbyCat | July 01, 2009 at 10:43 AM
Reality Check make some excellent points. He correctly puts the blame for our outrageously high taxes where the the blame belongs: in Albany.
Reflip, BobbyCat and Nemo are all cut from the same old and worn out bolt of cloth. In their distorted minds all evil resides in the suburbs and all good resides in the city. What goofball nonsense!
Here are some facts about New York spending that back up the points made by the clear thinking Reality Check.
The New York State budget has been on a steady increase for the past 25 years. Since 1983 state spending has increased more than 500%! From $25.9 billion to over a $131 billion this year.
Medicaid spending, like Education spending is helping to sink our state. New York is number one in Medicaid spending. New York spends more than Florida and Texas combined, even though these two states have a combined population more than double New York's. We even outspend California!
Just look at these ridiculous Medicaid spending numbers from 2006:
New York, $44.7 Billion.
California, $32.2 Billion.
Texas, $18.1 Billion.
Florida, $12.7 Billion.
Reality Check also correctly debunks the nonsense of Kevin Gaughan's anti-town and anti-village spin machine. Gaughan says there are 439 politicians and they cost us $32,140,386. But, by his own calculations the Federal, State, County and City of Buffalo governments scarf up almost half of that amount.
That makes the Towns and Villages, with 70% of the population, look extremely efficient in administering government and providing services. Other than Reflip, BobbyCat and Nemo, who does Gaughan think he is kidding?
Posted by: OPMike | July 01, 2009 at 10:29 AM
The problem with the Buffalo News is that it is sheepish about the blatent Racism in Buffalo. Bruce Andriatch's column is proof of this. His point was that the suburbs are extremely racist in Buffalo. Buffalo is so out of step, it makes Mississippi look racially enlightened.
Buffalo suffers from the rustbelt brain drain. All that is left here are a bunch of bigots who harass anyone who isn't wearing a white sheet and burning crosses.
The Buffalo News won't take the racists on point blank. The result is that racism runs this town.
Bruce Andriatch needs to rewrite his column and come clean. The racists who blog all over town don't want blacks in the suburbs. They use the web to terrorize minorities and spread lies about everything bad in the suburbs coming from black people who dare to cross Main Street or leave the East Side.
The truth is, the reason Buffalo fails is that racists ruin the place and good people get sick of the racism and leave. Until Buffalo takes a stand against racism, the city will continue to sink (or be sunk by the white racists in the suburbs).
PS: the racists in Buffalo spew this garbage online and face-to-face. The few blacks in the suburbs know this first hand. The racists in the suburbs harass blacks every day. Driving while black. Shopping while black. Breathing while black. All potential points of white rage and harassment in the suburbs.
Posted by: Nemo | June 30, 2009 at 11:58 PM
bobbycat writes
It also disguises half truths, false premises, popular mythyology and outright lies. If one didn't know better one would think he was describing Obama,,,NBC,,,MSNBC and the New York Times.
Posted by: jd | June 30, 2009 at 09:30 PM
Oh I get it''it's like Obama's support for card check, where a union member votes and the union boss knows who you are and how you voted. Well just about every other right we had is on it's way to be abolished why stop now ? Maybe we should have to post our name, address and phone number and a recent picture why mess around ?
Posted by: jd | June 30, 2009 at 08:04 PM
"they refuse to abandon the antiquated concept of home rule that keeps our taxes sky high"
reflip -- That's not why taxes in this state are sky high. If you look at the budget figures, the biggest and fastest growing portions are education (which mostly finds its way into teacher contracts) and nation-leading benefits paid here for entitlement programs. Those grow much faster here than in most states. It's not whining in any way to point out that reality.
The convenient liberal spin is that our taxes are sky high due to small villages. The numbers don't back that claim. Taking Kevin Gaughan's "cost" figures at face value but looking at them as a percent of budgets shows what I'm talking about.
Posted by: Reality Check | June 30, 2009 at 01:31 PM
Whenever there is yet another negative column in the Buffalo News about suburbanites you can always count on old BobbyCat to be one of the first responders.
As usual BobbyCat is there today with one of his typical, classic, ignorant comments about: "local hate radio and Fox News".
The News throws out a few pieces of stink-bait and BobbyCat charges in. It doesn't get any easier than this.
Posted by: OPMike | June 30, 2009 at 12:18 PM
I read the full column. If you are trying to say that annonimity hides a lot of racism and hate speech, then just say it. I'll agree.
It also disguises half truths, false premises, popular mythyology and outright lies. In other words, just like local hate radio and Fox News.
And BTW, there is life outside of Williamsville. It's a strange new world, not so far away. Try it.
Posted by: BobbyCat | June 30, 2009 at 10:27 AM
Actually, I think to some extent these anonymous posts sheds some light on why this region is mired in failure. Because the people who write those things also vote. And they come out vociferously against things like "Regional Planning" and "City/County Consolidation."
They all whine about how southern states have such low taxes and New York sucks, but they refuse to abandon the antiquated concept of home rule that keeps our taxes sky high. They think home rule keeps them safe from all those bad people in "the city." They think that they've outsmarted "the city" by sending their kids to "good schools" in [wherever]. And we all know how "bad" city schools are, right? God forbid your pristine, suburban educational nirvana be sullied by contact with a geo-political entity that governs both it AND more urbanized areas. The idea that the same superintendant might be making decisions for both your school and a city school is just too close for comfort. But that's what our taxes pay for, folks - the artificial, geo-political boundaries and redundant services that prevent anything from ever changing around here. But that must be how we like it, because we keep supporting the status quo. The first step is to admit it. Anonymously or otherwise. Then maybe we can move forward.
- Anonymous
Posted by: reflip | June 30, 2009 at 10:15 AM
I think THE NEWS could make it easier for blog readers to report hateful or obscene comments. The complaint procedure requires certain technical information regarding the computer being used to file the complaint. I have no idea what it means and how to respond, so I cannot make contact. Others may have the same problem.
Posted by: Don H | June 30, 2009 at 09:58 AM
In this city you have to write anonymously. If you signed your name to anything which dares to criticize mayor Urkel and you work for the city you can kiss your job goodbye. Casey will be at your door that night.
Posted by: Silence Dogood | June 30, 2009 at 09:57 AM