Anonymity

“Anonymity makes heroes of us all. “ – Anonymous. The above is not really a quote by anonymous or anyone else less famous. I made it up myself. It should be a famous quote though, because it rings with truth. And nowhere is this more obvious than at the many online forums. A few months ago the Hattiesburg American changed its policy of who could comment on an article. The rules were simple. Simply sign on using your Facebook account. Anyone can get a Facebook account. It costs nothing to register. You are already online if you were a habitual commenter anyway, what’s another step? I have noticed that the comments in the online forums have drastically declined in number since the new policy was adopted. The only thing that I can attribute it to is the lack of anonymity. In the past you simply signed in using your clever “handle” and commented to your heart’s content. Then, as long as your comment followed the guidelines, you posted your brilliance (or ignorance), for the entire world to see. “We can all be brave behind the mask of anonymity.” – Anonymous. Yeah, I made that one up as well. It is easy for us to make comments when our picture isn’t in the paper and people don’t know where we work or live. While I miss reading the comments on the variety of topics found in the opinion section, I do like the new format. Why not put a face to your comments? Why not show the world who you are when you disagree? Recent political debates have allowed us to see the candidates for who they really are. I believe, and I am probably showing my ignorance here for all to see, that none of the candidates are as good or as bad as they are made to seem during these debates. However, good or bad, all of their statements are very public. A politician has to have thick skin to handle the “slings and arrows” of the opposition. I, the hidden forum commenter, can say what I want behind the relative safety of my computer screens. Hardly seems fair. In the comic books I read as a child, as well as some of the graphic novels I read on occasion now, the superhero usually wears a mask. Some sort of disguise. When you think about it, maybe the real superheroes are the ones without the masks. “Don’t be afraid to show people the face behind your comments, even if you live to regret them later.” – Kevin Harrison.