The ethics of anonymous online commenting:

Anonymous comments have almost no value and almost no place in a free society. That’s my conclusion after nearly fourteen years in an occupation which generates regular anonymous comments. As a preacher, I’ve received unsigned remarks on attendance cards, scraps of paper, letters in the mail or congregational feedback instruments. Just last week I was shown a letter with no return address and no signature.  Scrawled in purple crayon, it warned that our congregation was headed straight to hell (someone buy that critic a pen please!)

But there are problems with comments made in anonymity. They don’t allow the individual to take responsibility for his/her words. Under the cloak of privacy the unknown author can toss words like grenades and not worry about the mess left behind. And they don’t always create useful communication. The author doesn’t have to struggle to find words the fit the context and communicate clearly to a diverse audience. It can be one of the laziest and thus often the most ineffective form of communication.

Regarding speech, two things are clear in the Bible. First, words have power. The Bible’s first book contains an image of God speaking the cosmos into existence. The Bible’s last book contains an image of Jesus with a two-edged sword coming out of his mouth. And in between, the Bible is filled with words—words which the Hebrew author promises can pierce even our soul. Words have power.

Second, we are responsible for our words. Proverbs is packed with admonition from father to son to use the tongue wisely. Paul urges Christians to speak only what is good for building others up and never to use words that tear down. We are challenged to take responsibility for the powerful words that fall from our lips and keyboards.

But in most circumstances, anonymous comments hinder this from happening. When I write anonymously, I am unfettered by courtesy and unrestrained by sensitivity.  I can unleash my worst words on the paper. My reputation, character or standing in the community no longer act as a buffer between what I’d like to say and what I should say. I do not contribute in a meaningful way as a real and known person to the larger dialogue.

For this reason, my first step with statements sent in unmarked mail is toward the shredder. My first reaction with words written without a signature is to trash them. And as a church leadership, we don’t accept unsigned congregational feedback forms.

The shield of anonymity may be needed in societies in which an author or speaker may fear for her life if her words are traced back to her street address. But this is rarely the case in the U.S. today.

So, if you’re going to speak or write, don’t do in in the dark. Turn on the light. Be proud to call your words your own. Give us a name and a face. It’s one of the best ways to help guarantee that your words reach their greatest potential.

The ethics of anonymous online commenting:

I’m not a lawyer. Those with expertise can inform me. Do we really have to take the Shelby County Commission’s subpoena seriously when it will not or cannot articulate the purpose of the subpoena? In the absence of their own justification, what are we to imagine is their interest in the identities and addresses of those submitting online comments to the Commercial Appeal? What is it that demands that we not laugh in the face of a legal move to force others to surrender their anonymity that is mounted by a group that shrouds the intent of its maneuver in silence?

The line is not a legal border, but perhaps the line of propriety between rights and responsibilities with regard to contributing to public discourse lies between wanting to protect one’s identity and wanting to prevent everyone from discovering how little there is to one’s identity.

The ethics of anonymous online commenting:

This is tough. I cherish the First Amendment, but personally, I think someone making public comments should have the courage and decency to identify himself or herself. There is a place for privacy, but for healthy civic dialogue about issues, contact info is a given. Perhaps this dilemma highlights one of our larger problems as a culture–the tendency by many to want to assert something but not take responsibility for its validity (or lack thereof) and the consequences that may come not just to oneself but to others. If the twofold Love commandment to love God completely and neighbor as self were being followed, we would have much less turmoil about this freedom issue.

The ethics of anonymous online commenting:

I have never written a letter to the editor of any publication without revealing my identity. In fact the prerequisite for publishing my comments and opinions has always been to identify myself. Am I missing something in this argument?

I have been in enough legal battles to understand and appreciate the process of discovery. As a matter of “Faith,” justice has no secret agents. If we believe in an issue strongly enough, we use whatever legal platforms available to present our case and we want as many citizens to be influenced by our argument as possible.

Cowards throw rocks and hide their hand, states-persons speak loudly and clearly and stand ready to defend their position. Is there a thin line between anonymity and cowardliness?