OFFERING POLITICAL OPINIONS

[Ross Dolan]

Let me start by saying there is nothing wrong with having citizens offer their opinions on political questions. In fact, we should all be encouraged to do so.

I started offering opinions decades ago…in letters to the editor and op ed pieces to many newspapers around the country…and to national magazines.

One thing that was universally required back then was that your opinions had to be accompanied by your full name…and the town in which you lived. Very, very few opinions were published anonymously…and then only under the most extreme of circumstances.

It is time for congress to pass a law that requires every discussion forum and social media platform on the Internet to require that all postings be done under a verified name with a town or city of residence included.

The day of the kind of bullshit postings found here in JPP and in so many other forums should end. The only thing the anonymity does is to allow for bellicose, divisive posts to be made that foment and increase the alienation that currently is destroying this country. We have got to get that under control…and this would be a good way to start.

 

[cawacko]

You share a very real concern. Anonymity definitely gives people cover to say things they’d never say face to face, and things turn toxic. I think there’d be pushback on privacy and First Amendment grounds if Congress tried to mandate it, but I agree the way things are now has plenty of negative consequences.

 

[anonymoose]

Let me start by saying there is nothing wrong with having citizens offer their opinions on political questions. In fact, we should all be encouraged to do so.

I started offering opinions decades ago…in letters to the editor and op ed pieces to many newspapers around the country…and to national magazines.

One thing that was universally required back then was that your opinions had to be accompanied by your full name…and the town in which you lived. Very, very few opinions were published anonymously…and then only under the most extreme of circumstances.

It is time for congress to pass a law that requires every discussion forum and social media platform on the Internet to require that all postings be done under a verified name with a town or city of residence included.

The day of the kind of bullshit postings found here in JPP and in so many other forums should end. The only thing the anonymity does is to allow for bellicose, divisive posts to be made that foment and increase the alienation that currently is destroying this country. We have got to get that under control…and this would be a good way to start.

Agree. It would certainly keep folks from flame posting. Personally I'm here strictly for entertainment and don't take this place too seriously but I do believe there's posters here that genuinely hate each other and don't even know who the person is that they hate.