Challenge to David Wagner on TCPA

Trei, Peter ptrei at rsasecurity.com
Fri Aug 2 10:43:21 EDT 2002


> Jon Callas[SMTP:jon at callas.org]
> 
> 
> On 8/1/02 1:14 PM, "Trei, Peter" <ptrei at rsasecurity.com> wrote:
> 
> > So my question is: What is your reason for shielding your identity?
> > You do so at the cost of people assuming the worst about your
> > motives.
> 
> Is this a tacit way to suggest that the only people who need anonymity or
> pseudonymity are those with something to hide?
> 
>     Jon
> 
Not really. However, in todays actual environment, this is frequently 
true that those with something to hide use anonymity. 

While some people have maintained nyms for many years (I can't
think of anyone maintaining explicit stong anonymity right now,
actually - remember Sue D. Nym? ),  and used them to talk about 
a variety of issues, it's pretty rare.

It's rare enough that when a new anononym appears, we know
that the poster made a considered decision to be anonymous.

The current poster seems to have parachuted in from nowhere, 
to argue a specific position on a single topic. It's therefore 
reasonable  to infer that the nature of that position and topic has 
some bearing on the decision to be anonymous.

Since the position argued involves nothing which would invoke the
malign interest of government powers or corporate legal departments, 
it's not that. I can only think of two reasons why our corrospondent
may have decided to go undercover... 

1. If we know who he/she/them were, it would weaken the argument
(for example, by making it clear that the poster has a vested interest
in the position maintained, or that 'AARGH! is the group effort of an
astroturf campaign).

2. If the true identity of the poster became known, he/she/them
fears some kind of retribution:
* The ostracism and detestation of his peers.
* The boycotting of his employer. 
* His employer objecting to his wasting company time on 
  Internet mailing lists.

Our corrospondent has not given us any reason not to 
infer the worst motives. This is, after all, a discipline where
paranoia and suspicion are job requirements.

Peter Trei
Disclaimer: The above represents my private , personal 
opinions only; do not misconstrue them to represent the 
opinions of others.


 














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