On "Anonymity"
May
18
2006

People responding anonymously on internet message boards and blogs is nothing new. I used to be more uncomfortable with it than I am now. Because before I started this writer gig, I was more than free with my opinions (and you aren’t now? I can hear you asking).

While in general, I do think it’s just best to say it and put your name up there, there are times when I just won’t reply at all, even when I really want to, because I have to be mindful of this public persona thing.

Not that I’m a shy virgin or anything. I talk shit with the best of them. I’m mouthy and opinionated and I don’t usually hesitate to tell people to fuck off. And yep, there are people who think I’m a foul mouthed feminist pornographer. And I am two of those three.

But recently, I’ve seen several cases in which authors reply anonymously and while I’m uncomfortable about it, I can see why they do it. I don’t agree with the anonymous commenter at AAR who bashes erotic romance and accuses us all of all sex no plot even when she admits she doesn’t read the genre. But I can see why she won’t put her name up.

We have this silly, but totally important thing which is public perception. I can skate the lines and flout the rules but after a certain point, I’m committing career suicide, even if I feel really strongly about something. And that sucks because just because I write books doesn’t mean I don’t have opinions about things! But you don’t want to know what Lauren Dane thinks about George Bush and so I have a private journal for that stuff.

And you probably do want to know which authors I think are fake assed suck up bitches. That would send my hits through the roof! But in the end, it would be a “really bad thing” and so I don’t do it. Or I save it for Anya and Megan who listen to me cause they’re saints.

Anyway, I’m sort of babbling but this issue has been on my mind lately.

5 comments to “On "Anonymity"”

  1. Lyn Cash
    May 19th, 2006 at 4:58 pm · Link

    Evidently, this has been on a LOT of minds lately – lol. Don’t know how many of us have expressed ourselves on anonym’ people, fake ones, blog ho’s, and the like. I don’t know if I’m too green as a writer or too damn old as a woman to give a hoot, but I says what I thinks and just take the bullets that are shot at me. *stoopid grin*

    Babble all you like. This was an interesting post.



  2. Charlene Teglia
    May 19th, 2006 at 8:27 pm · Link

    I wouldn’t want to bash somebody on the internet even anonymously. That’s just bad karma waiting to boomerang.



  3. Jaynie R
    May 20th, 2006 at 4:50 am · Link

    *snerk*

    Yup, alas even I am too scared to come out and actually call those fake assed suck up bitch authors on my blog, but hey – that’s why I have my peeps on IM. Now THOSE archives are interesting *g*



  4. Renee
    May 20th, 2006 at 4:02 pm · Link

    I think most of my bitching goes on in emails LOL and yeah I get frustrated by not saying anything but there are time when that is the best thing for me to do dangit LOL



  5. Lauren Dane
    May 20th, 2006 at 4:11 pm · Link

    Well, Renee, you’ve heard some of it, LOL and Jaynie too.

    But it’s hard to see something and it gets you all riled but you *know* commenting on it is totally, utterly stupid and bad for your heart. Sometimes I listen and sometimes I eat three cupcakes and post, cause I’m all about excess.

    Lyn, LOL! I’m too old to not be opinionated. But I’m getting better about self control.

    Charli – that’s cause you’re a good example.