Pseudonyms

Posted on March 8, 2004 in Blogging Morals & Ethics

Elsewhere, it was suggested to me that I use a pseudonym in commenting so that I can do two things, apparently:

• Get around agreements to not “debate others”, where they keep raising points indirectly aimed at me; where they lack the self-control not to bait me.
  
• Hide my identity so a certain person will not make knee-jerks attacks based on the fact that it is me writing.

I reject this thinking as unethical and as a capitulation. It is unethical because I am not honestly representing myself. It is a capitulation because it says that the problem is with my identity, my person and lets bullies off the hook by not confronting them with the implications of their behavior.

I will keep my name, remain accountable for what I say and do, and hold others accountable for the way they act.