On Wed, 22 Jun 2005 01:01:35 GMT, Alex Chaihorsky wrote:

> First of all - neither Ms. Brown (Ore) nor I are anonyms. So the history of
> this dispute is actually a public record attributable to a real person. And
> reputation. If you have any doubt of my identity I will gladly dismiss your
> doubts. I hate anonymity and view it as an honorless behavior. One of the
> reasons I like this group so much is because Mike Petro, Lew, Michael Plant
> are real names of the real persons. I do not consider Melinda, DogMa or
> Cowboy anonyms either, because although they use nicknames online, they do
> not hide their names in private exchange. I do have a card from Dogma and
> sent and received tea to and from Cowboy. So you words about "anonymous
> strangers" are out of context here.

This is a very good point - and an issue I frequently run into when
discussing online relationships (academic interest). The use of an alias to
protect one's privacy is not equivalent to anonymous, anti-social behavior.

However, assumptions that one is vindicated by the public record are often
untenable positions from which to justify one's actions to others. This is
particularly true when one half of the "dispute" has "X-no-archive: yes" in
her headers.

> Second - Instead of throwing flames as a response to insults endlessly as
> most of USENET flamers do I offer a simple and effective way to resolve such
> situation - you call me a liar, I can prove that I am not, but you will have
> to pay. I thought making people put their money where their mouths are was a
> time-honored American tradition.

The problem I have with your "simple and effective" solution is that it
gives every appearance of being a set up.

You offered a solution in order to protect your own reputation, but one
which anyone who's using more than a handful of neurons would know that she
would not take. And then you have used her refusal to take you up on your
offer to further criticize her.

Justifiably indignant or not, that still smells of a set up.

> And it is very effective too - her answer immediately shows everyone who is
> who.

Sometimes what we write shows everyone things we don't intend to reveal.

--
Derek

If you want to get to the top, prepare to kiss a lot of the bottom.