What’s in a name?

Of late a new phenomenon seems to have struck the World Wide Web. With the coming of public discussion forums like Orkut and Hi5 we have seen the rise of a menace called “ANONYMOUS POSTING”.

I guess originally anonymous posing was meant for people to express views they couldn’t normally do with their names being attached to it. (I would have liked putting up my last post as anonymous if I could). But what it has turned out into is a way that people can attack others in a forum.

Anonymous posting instead of being a way of expressing ones view has become a source for people to express their expertise in the dictionary of abusive language (Not necessarily in English).

Once a person sees a post contradicting his/her views in a public discussion forum he/she forgets that why he/she is there for and instead of posting a valid reply or putting forward his/her views starts abusing the person in front. And what follows is barrage of words that I won’t like to put up here since this not an anonymous post. And the person does make himself anonymous so that the one on receiving end doesn’t even know by whom is he being treated to the feast of not so proper language. (I wonder if these guys posting anonymously go back to the same place to check if somebody has replied to them).

I am relatively new to the blogsphere but I am surprised at how anonymous posting has found it’s way here too. (Before you start telling me that I can turn off anonymous posting in my blog let me tell you that I know that but I have kept it open so that my close friends can comment on how bad a blogger I am without fearing that I would get back at them). But what surprises me is that none of the anonymous comments have anything to do with my posts but are direst attacks on me. I never thought a person’s own blog could be used for that. (If you are still wondering do check out the comments for my previous posts).

I had to stop posting in many of my favorite communities in Orkut because I didn’t know what names would I be called the next time I open the page. I join such forums to express my views and not to get abused.

What’s in name? – For those who would like to justify what they do anonymously saying this, I have one piece of advice. If you want to be anonymous and post something meaningful about a particular discussion please do so but if you want to attack some one personally come out of the cowardly mask you wear of anonymity and then do it. Because if you like to dish it out to others you must also be ready to face a reply.