Comments on: Anonymous Bloggers- What Are Your Rights?

By: Paul Hebert

Paul Hebert — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 17:54:51 +0000

I believe in transparency so I opt to be out in the open. However, when I started I was anonymous because my employer at the time would have had a heart attack. That said – I also was careful to not break laws, etc. that would get me outed.

As others have said, free speech comes with responsibilities. And that applies with blogging as well.

The other issue is that the person was using a service and I’ve not read their terms of use but it probably has some clause that allows them to reveal identities in cases like this. If the person truly wants to remain anonymous they could have hosted them selves and kept google out of it.

By: Wally Bock

Wally Bock — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 15:43:06 +0000

There are no absolute rights. Each comes with a responsibility. It seems that one way to look at this is through the lens of Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr’s opinion from Schenck vs United States.

“The most stringent protection of free speech would not protect a man falsely shouting fire in a theater and causing a panic.”

By: Shennee Rutt

Shennee Rutt — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 15:12:23 +0000

This is a very interesting question. I am going to be starting a blog. I have not decided on a title yet. I can understand why someone may want to remain Anonymous, However, I agree with Lisa and April, If you do not want your name atteached to something,do not write it.

By: adowling

adowling — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 15:01:24 +0000

I get why some people do the anonymous blogging thing, I did it myself for a while. The way this woman has chosen to be anonymous is cowardly. I’m all about free speech and freedom of the press but if you are going to publicly bash someone, have the nerve to at least own your words. Most anonymous bloggers I know do it because of business reasons or they just arent ready to come out of the blogging closet. I think Lisa is right, if you dont want your name attached to it at some point in your life dont write it.

By: HR Minion

HR Minion — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 14:58:09 +0000

On the one hand, as a former anonymous blogger I would have hated to have been forced to identify myself. On the other hand, I would have never done anything like this chick did. Free speech is not meant to protect lies and if that’s what this blogger was doing then she should be held responsible. You shouldn’t use anonymity as an excuse to do anything you want.