Academic

IS IT WRONG TO ?OUT? ANONYMOUS BLOGGERS? I think blogging anonymity is fine ? though in the absenc?

By Glenn Reynolds

IS IT WRONG TO “OUT” ANONYMOUS BLOGGERS? I think blogging anonymity is fine — though in the absence of a track record I tend to trust anonymous bloggers less — but is it a “despicable” act to identify an anonymous blogger? I’d say it depends. Certainly the political operative who leaked the Foleygate story via an anonymous blog had no right to anonymity. On the other hand, what about people who blog in a non-hitjob fashion but just want to avoid job repercussions? I’m more sympathetic there. But if you appoint yourself someone’s anonymous blogging nemesis, you can probably expect to be outed.

This whole kerfuffle has a familiar feel, and in fact I remember this 2006 post from Eric Scheie: Outing Closeted Gays Is Good, But Outing Anonymous Bloggers Is Despicable!

UPDATE: Outer Objects To Outing.

ANOTHER UPDATE: More comments from Dan Riehl and Stacy McCain.

Full post as published by Instapundit.com on June 07, 2009 (boomark / email).