Legislator: Provide your real name on the ‘net… or else
Don Day | December 14, 2008I could make it an arbitrary rule that forces users to use their real name in comments here. Decline to provide your God-given name and I’d delete your comment. I’m not going to do that – but one Idaho lawmaker would like to make it more than just a silly rule — he wants to make it the law of the land. No really.
Steve Hartgen, a Republican from Twin Falls says he is thinking about introducing legislation that would require “people to use their real names when they post material online.” People… as in bloggers… commentors.. maybe even Craigslisters or ZIdaho users.
There are two issues here – one practical and one philosophical.
From the practical standpoint — goooood luck enforcing any such silly law. We might as well require people staple spaghetti to the wall – because this would be just as effective. Who is going to police this? How are they going to track people down? Will there be continuous subpoenas to Internet Service Providers or sites like this one to get personally identifying information? Will Idaho State Police Troopers start storming into dark basements around the state and start rounding up guys in their underwear with Cheeto stains on their shirts?
Then there’s philosophy. Over at Lost Remote, I ranted about anonymous comments on news sites. In the Boise market, all but one site has story comments – and I don’t think it serves much of a purpose… in part because the newspaper in this market does an abysmal job of managing its community. I think the anonymity is actually quite destructive – and agree with the sentiments of this outstanding Time Magazine piece.
In theory, (comments are) a great thing. We’re giving the people a voice! But the reality is that commenting either attracts loathsome people or somehow causes ordinary people to express themselves in a way that is loathsome.
But the choice should be up to each individual — whether it’s the blogger, or someone who comments. Do I wish each of the people who post comments here would use their real name? Sure. But for every “tim johnstone” or “jac,” there’s a “The” or Busted If Writing From Work.” Do I give more weight to the comments from people who have the guts to use their real name? Yes… and I think most readers do as well. But that doesn’t mean the value of the anonymous comments is zero.
I started this blog anonymously – and ran it that way for more than a year. I revealed my identity partly because it was time, and partly because it was a more credible approach. Being in public view has cost me frankly – and many bloggers are in the same boat.
Hartgen, who is a former newspaper editor (shocked, shocked I am) doesn’t get it. Are we going to have a legion of people going to jail for not using their real name? Of course not. Perhaps Hartgen is trying to – ironically – stir up debate, but whatever the aim – he just makes himself look backwards and lacking a sense of how the world works. This isn’t something that can be legislated – and do we really want to live in a state (or country) where you are controlled like that?
Kevin Richert over at the Idaho Daily Statesman makes a good point about the role of comments – at least as they apply on traditional news sites.
[S]ome of my Statesman colleagues are deeply troubled by anonymous commenters. They believe that in the chase for immediate feedback and site hits, we’ve traded away more than we’ve received. Again, that’s a business decision.
Those colleagues are probably right. I’ve alluded to this, but in the past year the Statesman has seen its traffic level go down – while KTVB.COM traffic has gone up and eclipsed the newspaper – and the trend coincides with the introduction of comments at IS. Coincidence? Perhaps – but the one thing the newspaper has is credibility – and it loses that when a crowd of half-wits chimes in on every little news item with a stream of useless babble. I try to “manage the community” here. I participate in the discussion, and don’t approve comments that are libelous. It helps – but even then the discussion can get off course.
I’d like to hear what you think.
I cannot believe that the legislature could legislate such a thing and make it work. But I will say that the Boise Weekly publishes any idiot and his/her/its opinion and doesn’t require real names. As a result, I stopped reading the Weekly’s mail a long time ago.
I hope you, whomever you are, will continue to post your ideas on this site. Newspapers should be required to verify and publish writer’s names. Blogs should not be so restricted….and Ebo is not my real name.
Happy holidays!
I think it doesn’t matter what you think, it’s a law that will be impossible to enforce. It might be a little different if it were a law enacted by congress, but the Idaho Legislature? Because they would have to say only websites in Idaho…but do you have to register your site in Idaho if you have one? And what if you traveled across the border to Ontario to post your comment, does that mean the rules don’t apply anymore? I have 2 personal websites but my web guy is in California so it wouldn’t matter what I said or if I used my name.
Yeah, he just wants to stir up debate but if the government was going to attempt to regulate the web I really doubt they would start by something simple like making you use your name.
The laws like this are silly and restrictive. I’m guessing this would end up forcing this requirement on (small) Idaho-based ISPs, such as MicroServ or FreTel/Syringa Networks in Eastern Idaho but yet national and out-of-state ones would be exempt… I think.
This is part of the problem with a recently legislated Utah law that is meant to restrict pornography in the state. Local ISP’s like the generous XMission have been forced into a corner whereas people like Qwest, MSN, AOL, etc. are allowed to continue their business.
Article with some general context about these difficulties in Utah:
http://www.kcpw.org/article/5216
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/03/22/utah_filtering_law/
I used my real name on a comment I made a couple of years ago and it cost me dearly. I was, for lack of a better term, hunted down and harassed. Resolving this problem was both time consuming and expensive. With today’s technology (we give our email addresses for this Blog) its easy enough to find me, if someone wants to go through that much trouble.
I do have a Blog and I do use my real name there on some of the articles, from time to time, but I don’t want to be forced to do something that may not be in my best interest unless there are also enforceable laws that will protect me from stalkers as well. I would not support such a law, and don’t think it could be effectively policed if it were ever established.
“Steve Hartgen, a Republican from Twin Falls says he is thinking about introducing legislation that would require ‘people to use their real names when they post material online’.”
Gee, I thought Republicans were all about keeping the government OUT of people’s lives.
“But for every ‘tim johnstone’ or ‘jac,’ there’s a ‘The’ or ‘Busted If Writing From Work’. Do I give more weight to the comments from people who have the guts to use their real name? Yes… and I think most readers do as well.”
It really isn’t a question of not having the “guts” to use my real name. It’s that there are a few people, at least one of whom I know for a fact reads this site, who would be inclined to make things difficult for me if I used my real name.
Using a pseudonym allows me to say things which I think need to be said without having to deal with harassment. Trust me, there are sites on which I made the mistake of letting my identity be well-known where I’ve come to regret it. Nothing ever REALLY goes away on the Internet.
I may tend to be a contrarian by nature, but I swear I don’t say things here just to provoke people. Besides, what fun would a discussion forum be if everyone AGREED?
Stephen Hartgen is a moron. He is the past publisher of the Times-News and has become nothing more than a puppet for the radical right in the state.
He should be ashamed of himself. He obviously doesn’t know history either. Those who were in favor of passage of the Constitution, known as “federalists”, a.k.a. Madison, Jefferson, Hamilton, regularly wrote letters to the editor signed only as “Publius.” How about that one, Stephen Hartgen? I thought “Republican” principles meant preserving freedom of speech?
The issue has been a hot one in the Burley/Rupert area as the former publisher of the South Idaho Press left the paper a couple of years ago and began the News-Journal/Weekly Mailer which requires no name or signature for their Sound-Off section.
Responsibility is key, but comments by aliases are also an established part of the ‘net.
I’m just happy that I was USED…as an “example” by Don. Ha ha ha.
I am also concerned about how the information would be used by any government agency. Paranoia can raise its ugly head and names and opinions can be used in highly unscrupulous ways. What seems reasonable can quickly become something unreasonable and cruel (McCarthy and his “witch hunts” in the 1950’s come to mind)
My guess is that Mr Hartgen found or heard something posted by someone on his staff and wants to know who. So let’s write a law!
I rarely get stirred up enough, but years ago I wrote a letter to the editor. (Remember when NYPD Blue was going to cause the downfall of society if it was aired in the Treasure Valley?) They called to confirm my real name. Afterwards I thought, I could have used a name like “Dave Arthur” for example. And when they called, I could have said “Yep, that’s me.” By the way Dave, that may explain all the angry calls on that other letter I wrote!
Tommy… I always suspected that was you. But did you ever figure out that it was me when that other thing happened to YOU?
I thought Dave was upset because he didn’t get the role of “butt double” for Dennis Franz. Don’t feel bad Dave… I didn’t get the role either because I misread the ad and showed up with my double butt.
Thanks Jim… and for that public humiliation, can I get a complimentary club membership? :-) I’m sure you at least offer media rates, right?
Merry Christmas!
Actually, I must confess publicly that *that one was mine. I have a great talent for “turning the other cheek.” Ha ha!
I am sure glad we have nothing better to worry about here in the Gem state than this… Our roads are wonderful, Everyone gets a top notch education, Good paying jobs are everywhere, etc, etc,….
Please get real…. Don’t worry about annonymous bloggers… now that we know who the politicians are and what they stand for….we can use our resources to vote them out of office and find someone who has their priorities straight.
Republican people come up with some of the scariest ideas!