Francis Berger
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I No Longer Read Pseudonymously-Written Blogs

5/6/2019

10 Comments

 
And I will not read any more pseudonymously-written Christian/anti-liberal blogs going forward for one simple reason – I cannot shake my deeply held belief that writers and thinkers who write such blogs under assumed pen names essentially lack moral courage. In my mind, their unwillingness to support their ideas with their true, natural identities reveals a failure of character.

I have become increasingly convinced that the failure of character and lack of moral courage inherent in pseudonymous authorship likely causes spiritual harm for both the writer and the reader. Hence, I will no longer expose myself to anything written by anyone who works under a fictitious name online.
 
I addressed the topic in a blog post a few months ago. The excerpt below more or less summarizes the views I still hold concerning the issue:

This brings me to the more general topic of pseudonyms, fake names, aliases, anonymity and the like. Although I respect medieval artists who purposefully chose anonymity as a way of glorifying God, the contemporary use of anonymity and aliases by artists, writers, and bloggers troubles me. I am not referring to individuals who use aliases but whose real names are publicly known, but to those secretive writers, thinkers, and bloggers who hide their authentic identities under noms de plume.

Of course, I understand the reasons why writers and bloggers use false names; many of them may hail from the academic world or some other vulnerable sector in which they cannot openly express their views for fear of censor, or even peril to their jobs. Yet, I cannot help but pause for a moment and wonder why writers and bloggers bother making their views public if they lack the courage or the means to stand by their words. This applies especially to writers and bloggers who express anti-liberal, anti-leftist, and Christian views in their work. Perhaps I am being too harsh with this criticism and perhaps it is not my place to judge, but I believe this refusal to identify with these expressed ideas essentially reveals an immense failure of character and moral courage.

Put simply, those who rail against the evils of our modern world and make attempts to offer hope and guidance but refuse to put their names to their ideas are cowards. In my mind, their reluctance to stand by their words points to excessive self-concern, one that overrides the good they are saying or doing.


To write under one’s real name or an assumed name is a matter of personal choice. I am willing to accept that some writers believe it is the right thing to do, but this belief does not necessarily entail that writing pseudonymously is the right thing to do.

On the contrary, I am certain it is the wrong thing to do.

Having said that, reading blogs is also a matter of personal choice. Though I appreciate the fine work pseudonymous bloggers often offer, I can no longer support their decision to hide behind fictitious names. Thus, I have made the personal choice to avoid blogs with pseudonymous authorship going forward.

I don’t care to hear any more explanations, rationalizations, or justifications concerning the use of false names.

For me, the matter is simple:


Writers who are afraid to be Real should not be writing about Reality.

Note: This criticism is aimed chiefly at bloggers, writers, and thinkers, and NOT at pseudonymous commenters. Pseudonymous comments are welcome here. Nevertheless, pseudonymous commenters would also benefit from considering the negative implications of using fictitious names. If you cannot develop the fortitude to openly speak your truth and know your limits now, when do you expect to?  
10 Comments
Jonathan Mittiga
5/8/2019 03:46:22

I like my nom de plume but I like your reason for getting rid of it much better.

Reply
Serhei Makarov
5/8/2019 04:56:17

I appreciate the passion and the moral thrust of the argument and will consider it well, certainly enough to post this under my real name. In my estimation even before this, certainly there are moral hazards when people write under a pseudonym. However, I do not quite understand the absolutism.

If we go that route, why blog at all, openly or pseudonymously? Very few blogs can claim to be engaging in mass influence (and isn’t that in itself quite a temptation). So, influence aside, isn’t the Internet just where we go to talk about things we claim are important, but that we’re too cowardly and lazy to find ways to talk about in real life?

Reply
Francis Berger
5/8/2019 09:45:22

@ Serhei - I apply the absolutism only to myself, not others. The matter is a personal one, and each one must make his/her own decision regarding the matter. Posts like these sound patronizing, but my intention here is not to moral grandstand, but to perhaps get people to consider/reconsider the issue.

I consider pseudonyms to be a form of soul corruption because they immediately invite rationalization.

For example, if someone asked me why I wrote something under my own name, my response would be simple and straightforward - because that is what I think.

If someone asked me why I wrote something under a pseudonym, my answer immediately becomes more complicated - I didn't express this idea using my real name because . . . or, I would like to use my real name, but . . .

Of course, there may be valid reasons behind the rationalization, but the rationalization gets mixed in with the message - and there's a problem there.

Whenever I read great posts on pseudonymous blogs in the past, I always questioned why the writers chose not to back up the ideas with their real names - was it out of prudence or expedience?

In any case, one could argue the pros and cons for pages.

Pertaining to you last point, we must stop approaching Christianity and other important topics with cowardice and laziness.

If we are too lazy and cowardly to speak our truth in real life, perhaps we should not speak of those things at all anywhere until we have found the courage and confidence to do so. Pseudonyms provide the illusion of courage and confidence, nothing more.

The crux of the matter is this - the time has come to call things by their true names - Reality is slipping away from us because we are becoming increasingly unwilling to refer to things by their real names (including ourselves)!

I appreciate your posting the comment under your real name.

Reply
Serhei Makarov
5/8/2019 11:14:38

Thank you for the charitable reply.

In my case writing pseudonymously on online forums was an important chance to vent and sort out my thoughts when my 'real' persona was faker-than-fake and everything it said was subject to far more rationalization than I care to remember, more than most people put into a decision to hide their name. I may not be willing to say in-person everything I would say pseudonymously, but I found quite a few things that I wouldn't otherwise have ever thought to think or say. It is sad that other people may be discouraged from the same learning experience. But it's also in accord with the real world where certain morally-ambiguous opportunities to accomplish net-good are being closed off all the time.

As an aside, I seem think of the metaphysics of names quite differently. Whereas you speak of a person's single true-name, I don't see "pseudonyms" as inherently any less real than "official" names. So, to me, there is a distinction between taking up a new name and persona, and trying to discard and obscure one's existing names. To me, it's the latter part of pseudonymity that is evil and accurately denounced in these posts. Otherwise people are rather complex and many personas may be required to express this complexity. These personas may sometimes be more conveniently signified... not with pseudonyms (implying concealment), but let's say with noms de plume. The person I most associate with expressing the idea that everyone should have just the one 'authentic' persona that they take to the pub, to the church and to their boss at work is actually Mark Zuckerberg. The people I next-most-associate with expressing this idea all lived in monasteries and would not find any benefit in blogging.

In any case, the 'official name' stamped in one's passport today is not the name that will be given on the white stone alluded at the end of Revelations.

Karl Narveson
5/8/2019 22:54:33

My aggregator tells me your blog does not update its RSS feed. Is this a deliberate choice on your part?

This question isn't really related to the issue of anonymity, but I wonder if it may have something to do with your stated policy of posting frequently.

Reply
Francis Berger
5/9/2019 05:57:28

@ Karl - Thanks for the message. I will take a look at the issue.

Reply
Francis Berger
5/9/2019 14:50:55

@ Karl - I checked the RSS feed on a free online aggregator and it seems to work. The last ten posts were displayed. I will monitor it over the next week, but as far as I can tell, the RSS feed on the blog works and updates

Reply
Keri Ford
5/25/2019 12:11:29

I have been reading through your blogs Francis, i should have commented before now as I have appreciated them, I'm glad to have seen you express the wish a few times to get to know Barfield and Steiner better, but what occurred to me in regard to this blog was the story of Peter denying Christ 3 times. We should have the courage at least to own our spiritual convictions.

Reply
Francis Berger
5/25/2019 21:36:58

@ Keri - Thanks for the comment. I agree with what you said about courage. As for Barfield and Steiner, I have a lot of catching up to do. Thankfully, I should have some time to do so in the summer. I'm looking forward to starting the journey.

Reply
Keri Ford
5/26/2019 01:23:38

Francis - I hope your encounter with Barfield and Steiner results in some blog posts, I am really interested to see what you make of their ideas.


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