Trish: Most of us who use a pseudonym are open about why we do. Real Life Preacher has been. So have I, Iphy, The Saint and sundry others. How do I know your name is Trish?
Well I'm Patricia and everyone who knows me knows who I am. That blog just didn't seem honest to me. It seemed inauthentic but I didn't want to say he was dishonest because that's not fair either. Maybe deceptive is too strong a word too but since some of his entries over time didn't differentiate between reality and fiction I felt kinda tricked that's all. Like how can masking oneself supposedly provide opportunity for more authenticity when it's predicated on hiding? I wrote him off-line but didn't get a reply yet.
Trish, I'm having a hard time understanding what you're struggling with. Are you saying that it's wrong to write under an assumed name, even if you're open about it?
No I'm not saying it's wrong in principle to use a pseudonymn. I'm saying that the mode of his pseudonymity was beguiling at times. Just like it's not wrong in principle to tease someone, but one's teasing could go too far and wind up hurting someone. I'm just presenting my opinion.
Hello all, Trish, I'm happy to consider what you've said. It may be that we simply will not agree on this question. That's certainly nothing new. I'm not clear at this point what exactly it is about my writing under a pseudonym that is problematic for you. Your email probably made that clear. I am concerned about the email you sent me because I don't have it in my inbox, nor do I remember it. If you mistyped your email address, I might not have been able to respond. Or perhaps I deleted it by mistake. I don't know, but if you would resend it, I'd be happy to take a look. I realize you'll have to retype it since the only way to reach me the first time is using the form at the blog. Sorry for the trouble. But please do resend it. It's a matter of pride with me to answer email. Sometimes I take awhile, but I always answer, especially those emails from people who differ from me or have a problem with something about Real Live Preacher. If I didn't answer, there must have been a glitch somewhere. I'll watch for the email and will answer as honestly as I can. rlp
Wednesday, May 26, 2004 at 6:05PM
Reader Comments (7)
That's deceptive if you ask me.
I wondered if that was you who left a comment on his site. What could possibly be deceptive about openly using a pseudonym?
Trish: Most of us who use a pseudonym are open about why we do. Real Life Preacher has been. So have I, Iphy, The Saint and sundry others. How do I know your name is Trish?
Well I'm Patricia and everyone who knows me knows who I am. That blog just didn't seem honest to me. It seemed inauthentic but I didn't want to say he was dishonest because that's not fair either. Maybe deceptive is too strong a word too but since some of his entries over time didn't differentiate between reality and fiction I felt kinda tricked that's all. Like how can masking oneself supposedly provide opportunity for more authenticity when it's predicated on hiding? I wrote him off-line but didn't get a reply yet.
Trish, I'm having a hard time understanding what you're struggling with. Are you saying that it's wrong to write under an assumed name, even if you're open about it?
No I'm not saying it's wrong in principle to use a pseudonymn. I'm saying that the mode of his pseudonymity was beguiling at times. Just like it's not wrong in principle to tease someone, but one's teasing could go too far and wind up hurting someone. I'm just presenting my opinion.
Hello all, Trish, I'm happy to consider what you've said. It may be that we simply will not agree on this question. That's certainly nothing new. I'm not clear at this point what exactly it is about my writing under a pseudonym that is problematic for you. Your email probably made that clear. I am concerned about the email you sent me because I don't have it in my inbox, nor do I remember it. If you mistyped your email address, I might not have been able to respond. Or perhaps I deleted it by mistake. I don't know, but if you would resend it, I'd be happy to take a look. I realize you'll have to retype it since the only way to reach me the first time is using the form at the blog. Sorry for the trouble. But please do resend it. It's a matter of pride with me to answer email. Sometimes I take awhile, but I always answer, especially those emails from people who differ from me or have a problem with something about Real Live Preacher. If I didn't answer, there must have been a glitch somewhere. I'll watch for the email and will answer as honestly as I can. rlp