Blogging Anonymously? Really...
Can bloggers be truly anonymous? I do not think so, a few bloggers are steeled by the false veil of anonymity. Freely expressing opinions that would come full circle to bite them in the wrong spot. I feel a blog post should be written with the consciousness that the writer is public. The statement below caught my attention in a case reported by the Boston globe. Read full article here.
"Most of us investigate whatever prior writings our clients might have had, so they are not exposed to their inconsistencies in their testimony," said Meyer, who has begun warning clients against the practice. "But it's impossible to do if you don't know that your client is blogging under an assumed name."
For African bloggers, there may be unforeseen peril lurking, free speech is still a developing idea in the continent, African Governments aren't totally warmed to the idea that the citizenry have a right to speak. Do you see the Nigerian government going after a blogger, anytime soon? It happened in Egypt.
Side-bar (added 24 hours later)
Since the mainstream media in Nigeria appear to have an unwritten code to tread the safe route of caution. I think more focused blogs, with balanced op-eds have a great void to fill. However like with most blogs, the validity of claims made on blogs and the credibility of blogs will always be questionable.
In countries with more open and readily available information mechanisms, false claims are quickly tempered by the mainstream media or other bloggers. What happens in Nigeria where information isn't readily available and there has been a prolonged culture or secrecy? I believe citizen journalism is not about selling information but about using information to create value.
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