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P.S. To the Anonymous Fallacy

"Phil" provides an academic-type defense to the Anonymous Fallacy. As such, it will not convince the morons who use this disguised attack of the person, not the argument. Try adding this to your response:

See, I use an on-line name that is related to my real name, in that my personal friends could recognize it, but is not my normal name. If someone says, "Well, you won't use your REAL name, so I don't have to listen to you, you may respond"

I don't care if you listen to me. My success in real life is real in my (undisclosed) professional computer occupation. If you want to have a dialogue with a real human being, then we can talk; otherwise you can just get your kicks offending people somewhere else. Do you want to reach truth? I have my own self-esteem that does not depend on getting the approval of people I have no reason to respect.
Why do I use a pseudonym? Why did Samuel Clements write as Mark Twain? Who wrote Shakespeare? A pen name is useful because others in the real world with evil motives may use an opinion against someone else, such as with their employer. For example, I once had a Jewish boss who worshipped the State of Israel even though (like most Jews here) he can't stand to live there. I got fired when I once criticized the so-called religious tolerance he pretended to have. Had I issued that opinion under an untraceable pseudonym, I would have had a lot of agreement -- anonymously.
There are a lot of dangerous lunatics out there. If you are going to criticize me for not using my real name, then are you going to provide me with full life and health insurance to protect me in case some lunatic decides to make an example of me? Are you going to pay the $2,000 a year I will need for that insurance? No, well why not? You want me to stick my neck out so some lunatic can come along and chop it off? You must think I am stupid to fall for that trick of yours.

So in summary, if you are going to dismiss all my arguments because I am anonymous, then you are obviously too stupid to understand the above reasons; or you are cleverly trying to get me to reveal myself so you can expose me to the danger of playing tricks.

If you don't understand a thing I have been saying, then I issue a challenge to you: Publish in open forum your phone number and the name of your phone company, and dare someone to get it disconnected. Then you will understand why its wise to be somewhat annonymous!

-- James Madison (an ancestor of mine)

Last modified: 20 Jun 1998
Author: abhome@erols.com
Comments: galactus@stack.nl
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