December 10, 2005

Posting Comments on Blogs

I understand that there are people who don't wish to identify themselves when they post comments on blogs. And so, the moniker "anonymous" can be used by them to leave their thoughts without identifying themselves. I accept this reality, even though I don't like it.

But it is completely unacceptable when someone creates a blog name that is my personal name and then uses it to leave comments on my blog. Whoever it is that is leaving comments using my name I would appreciate it if you would stop.

I have a simple message for this person: No matter how "rational" you may think your remarks are, I will not permit the comments to remain on my blog. What you are doing is puerile and cowardly.

1 comment:

Stephen McArthur said...

Dear Anonymous "Dude" --

Here is what I have emailed to your "friend." What is it with all you people and your anonymous comments?

If what you say is true, then, at the very least, as a way to minimize the confusion you knew would reign, you could have distinguished yourself in some way: Stephen C. McArthur, S.C. McArthur, Stephen Charles McArthur. You knew full well that providing your signature exactly the same way I do with a link to a blog that had absolutely no clarifying information (you apparently have added that in the last day or so) was at the very least cute and confounding, if not actually sophmoric. I find it hard to believe you did not know exactly what you were doing, whether our names are the same or not. As a law student, or perhaps even as an attorney now, you know full well what you have done is legal because, under your claim, you are validating your name. But ethically, you knew full well the level of game playing it was. Share this email with any of your law professors and see what they think. I would be curious to know their response. The public behavior of an attorney is both perception and reality.

Plain old good manners would have prevented the irritation I feel, and would have shortcut any confusions in my readers and friends. You might have even emailed me to introduce yourself, especially since we have the same name. My great-grandfather had seven sons and six daughters, one of whom was a Charles McArthur.

The only other comments I have removed, other than yours, have been advertisements and profanity. I welcome "rational" thoughts and comments, and opposing viewpoints.

Insofar as your gerrymandering comment is concerned, if you send it again with some distinguishing characteristic in your name, I will be happy to respond. But if you persist in the confusion, don't bother commenting.

Francis Stephen McArthur
Montpelier Vermont USA