In this story for National Journal’s Beltway Blogroll column, Josh Trevino characterizes my response to the “Online Integrity” initiative as “petulant”. Here’s what I sent to the list of people:
Right wingers do this online for years (FreeRepublic has been publishing people’s private info without remorse since the Clinton years) and its not a problem. Michelle Malkin gets some blowback and all of a sudden its an Issue Of Utmost Importance. You people make me laugh.
And that’s my stance on it to this day. Michelle Malkin created an issue by urging her hordes of followers to send threats to people – it’s something the right has done online for years, but because Malkin was getting some blowback for it these geniuses suddenly discovered “online integrity”. Kind of like OJ founding “Don’t Stab Your Wife Anonymous”.
For a long time, like many other liberals, I was fooled into believing that the right simply had a difference of opinion with us, but that isn’t the case. This is a war, and I’m not about to disarm so they can feel good about themselves.
A new low: Oliver accuses Byron York of “smearing” Ezra Klein … by not even publishing his name! Then, in the very next post, Oliver smears Michelle Malkin.
Honestly O: give us a challenge. You’re just making it too easy for your critics.
When is Trevino going to comment or do ANYTHING about Jeff Goldstein who signed the online integrity pledge, who is blogrolled by OI, but who then participated in publishing Thersite’s and his wife’s personal information and employer online?
It’s been weeks and no comment from Trevino or any comment at OI.
People that have asked on OI about this have been banned.
Look, anybody who hasn’t arrived at the understanding that Josh Trevino is a hypocrite of epic proportion is just a sap.
The whole “Online Integrity” schtick was a scam designed to take some of the well-deserved heat off the ludicrous Jeffy Goldstein. To Trevino, integrity is something for others–not ol’ Josh.
It’s time liberals understood that conservatives don’t believe values apply to them.
I think we need a common dictionary for these discussions, because I tend to think of a “smear” as deliberately distorting or outright fabricating information about an opponent with the intention of undermining their credibility.
For others, the “steady as a rock and twice as smart crowd,” to “smear” someone all you have to do is point out their past behavior without even the slightest shred of embellishment. Well, assuming its a liberal “smearing” a wingnut, naturally. I always assumed that was called “reality” as supported by the “facts.” Whoops, my bad.
And how is a one line comment with a link to a story and the “smear-ee”(eh, you get the idea), who really is more qualified to debate the matter, “a new low?”
In the horse race for goofiest kool aid guzzler, I had originally pegged Pedro to win, with who would “place” and “show” being much more heated contests. Damned if I don’t come across a new post every five minutes that doesn’t make me want to change my bets.
A lot of us, including myself, have had the same “schtick” for years.
Call me an idealist, but sooner or later, some gifted soul, on the blogosphere, news, or print media, is going to have a “Thomas Paine” moment.
And it will all change.
JK
Whether or not this is true doesn’t change the fact that Oliver advocates playing dirty. How can you complain about conservatives if you’re going to support OW’s position? Do you believe values apply to liberals like Oliver?
“I mean big name liberals on par with Malkin ”
So, if a smaller liberal commenter who perhaps did their political blog as a side occupation and wished to remain anonymous but was outed and relentless harrased, that’s cool then, right?
Here is what I would like to see: Show me the addresses of liberals that were published by conservatives…..I mean big name liberals on par with Malkin
“Dr” P’s been hitting the pipe, again.
I mean big name liberals on par with Malkin
This isn’t about “name” or readership or favorite football teams. It’s about Maglalang deliberately trying to intimidate some liberal commenters.
For reference this is what went down on Free Republic when the Bush twins got busted for underage drinkings
“So, if a smaller liberal commenter who perhaps did their political blog as a side occupation and wished to remain anonymous but was outed and relentless harrased, that s cool then, right”
Right.
Hey, OJ is searching golf courses worldwide for the “real killers”…
Wait a second, just a thread or two back you were saying small time bloggers didn’t count, right?
But here was the most telling part of the single reference…
Freerepublic.com Web site’s sysop pulled some of the information as it was called to his attention
Freerepublic is “small time”? And the only reason the Freepers pulled it was because they got some bad pub.
Well, OK then.
What about a sort of weighted equivalence. Would 3 lesser, sane mortals be equivalent to one Magalang? Five?
how do you know?
The people posting the info were the the FreeRepublic….FR is who took the information DOWN.
Some individual posted about a bartender. And that is the equivalent of posting the address of a nationally syndicated columnist?
Trevino’s hard at work telling everyone to disavow NRO after the Armando incident as well, I assume?
Amazing how a campaign called “online integrity” can’t manage to find… integrity. And here we all were thinking Trevino actually meant it or something…
While most of Oliver’s post was pretty much bullshit, especially the whole “us liberals try so hard to be nice, but big mean conservatives make us stoop to their level”, that whole online integrity thing really is pretty lame and pointless.
How posting the address of an idiot doctor? No big deal?
I’ll post it frame:
“Dr” Pee
666 Quack Lane
Fugasy, Texas 77777
Now I don’t encourage death threats. But use this address how you wish /snark
Dr Pee
666 Quack Lane
Fugasy, Texas 77777
You forgot the country; The People’s Free Republic of Asshatistan
You’re right duros, but I thought the country was implied.
Rheinhard asked:
You know, while blogs do allow for anonymous commenting, and one of the regular writers (not just a cmooenter, but someone with post origination privileges) on my site does post under a pseudonym, it seems to me that anyone who posts anything in a public forum had better be prepared for the fact that anonymity is not guaranteed.
I do give credit to Mr Willis for publishing under his real name — if only he’d take down that ugly picture!