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Anonymous Blogger Outed By Politician

Posted by kdawson on from the by-what-right dept.

Snoskred writes with the story of a blogger who chose to remain pseudonymous, who has been outed by an Alaskan politician in his legislative newsletter. Alaska Rep. Mike Doogan had been writing bizarre emails to people who emailed him, and the Alaskan blogger "Mudflats" was one of those who called him on it. (Mudflats first began getting noticed after blogging about Sarah Palin from a local point of view.) Doogan seems to have developed a particular itch to learn who Mudflats is, and he finally found out, though he got her last name wrong, and named her in his official newsletter. The Huffington Post is one of the many outlets writing about the affair. The blogger happens to be Democrat — as is Doogan — but that is immaterial to the question of the right to anonymity in political speech. Does an American have the right to post political opinion online anonymously? May a government official breach that anonymity absent a compelling state interest?

7 of 300 comments (clear)

  1. ANONYMOUS FIRST POST TROLL!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    pleaase don't oust me :(

    please?

    1. Re:ANONYMOUS FIRST POST TROLL!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      I did NOT have a sexual relationship with THAT AC.

      Thank you for your support.

    2. Re:ANONYMOUS FIRST POST TROLL!!! by Torvaun · · Score: 4, Funny

      No one else did either.

      --
      I see your informative link, and raise you a pithy comment.
    3. Re:ANONYMOUS FIRST POST TROLL!!! by kabloom · · Score: 2, Funny

      But the Anonymous Coward has so many different posts on so many subjects that it's hard to understand what his motive would be in posting all of them. ...

      Oh, never mind. They just discovered that it was contaminated cotton swabs.

  2. Re:Anonomity should not be required by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    It's only Common Sense.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Sense_(pamphlet)

  3. Re:Uhhh by Kral_Blbec · · Score: 3, Funny

    Conducting a private investigation without a licence? Do we need a licence to do everything nowdays? That is seriously one of the dumbest things I have heard of in a long time. Oh noes! You cant look out the window anymore to find out who keeps ringing your doorbell and running away at 3am. Thats a private investigation!

    I seriously hope there is no such law.

  4. Re:Anonomity should not be required by Anonymusing · · Score: 3, Funny

    Unfortunately, people are idiots

    So you're saying kids are idiots? Think of the children! Why do you hate them? Are you a pedophile?

    --
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