RE: criteria for anonymous bloggers to avoid name release to Alaska constituents

Please publish the criteria I need to follow to prevent my name being sent to constituents of lawmakers in Alaska. What do I have to do to ensure that Rep. Mike doogan does not release my name. I am, of course, aware of the laws governing free speech and privacy, but doogan’s “theory of the public process” seems very ill defined. I need to know, for example, how much notice I will get before doogan sends my name to his constituents. I need to know how much proof doogan has to have before he is sure he has the right name.

HMMM, what if doogan uses my name for someone else’s blog. GOSH, this is really scary.

Loogie can explain himself to a judge in federal court, I’m sure we all want to know, however, one must think before opening one’s mouth. This from a Representative? Exactly whom is he representing?

I certainly don’t need anyone excusing why this pathetic fool did what he did. Overall, you’re sending the wrong message. For instance, I object to your statement that AKM needed to thank Loogan for kicking her? Forwards or not, it’s about your choice of words and your assumption. It’s not up to anyone to do any kicking when that person may have a plan of her own, thank you. In other words, Loogan ought to be minding his own business.

“The Legislature can change people.”— poppycock, my friend.

…”the author of The Mudflats has been brought face to face with hopefully the next stage of her writing life.” — your quote, stating the obvious, but is this your way of expressing condolences to AKM when some First Rights Amendments of hers were violated? By a friend of yours whom you’ve known for many years, no less.

Maybe you’re done with dispensing any more of your advice, sir, before you’re face to face with something and get kicked forwards yourself.

I have enjoyed visiting Mudflats ever since I began blogging last year. During the election, it was the one source that I turned to to find out what was really going on with the Governator. This blog has been an incredible resource, both through its moderator and through the comment threads. What Doogan did was unconscionable, not because we now know the author’s name as she should be proud of what she has created here, but because a politician should not have the time to go searching for a blogger’s identity.

Politicians should be working on fixing this country, fixing their states. The economy is in the shithole, Doogan. Look at your state and tell me that the time you spent in outing an intelligent, well-versed, source of news for thousands of people is more important than the bigger issues facing all of Americans right now.

Doogan, your priorities are incredibly out of whack.

If you decided you needed to stop writing, it would have been a loss for Alaska and the vast community of those you invited to join your discourse. However, it seems that you have inspired others who would be ready to take up the call. I hope you are proud of what you have accomplished so far.

Stay safe and take comfort in knowing that mean-spirited, bitter old men usually get what’s coming to them!

Mr. Poe, you point out the crunch newspapers are in, and blame the rise of blogging for their problems. To your credit you acknowledge that the quality of so-called “mainstream” media has been changing (IMHO, worsening) for quite some time. Personally I observed it getting much worse in the 1990s. But you imply that it is the result of competition–mainstream pundits say “unfair” competition–from online commentary.

Now I don’t believe that the blogging world can operate as it does without the kind of work mainstream journalists are _supposed_ to do, so it is a very bad thing indeed that these sources are collapsing as they are. But you put the blame in the wrong place.

I urge you, and Rep. Doogan, and anyone else whining about the evil competition of bloggers to read this post by Fred Clark, AKA “Slacktivist.” Note that while he is a blogger with a handle, he is also not anonymous and is a professional journalist.

http://slacktivist.typepad.com/slacktivist/2008/11/why-oh-why-cant-we-have-a-better-press-corps.html

The bottom line is–the bottom line. As in, a business culture that has taken (on a timescale of the past couple generations, not just this past decade or so) its mission to be pursuing _maximum_ profit rather than enabling good craftsmanship with a _reasonable_ profit. It is the business side of newspapers and other mainstream media, not a ragtag legion of bloggers, who have been killing responsible public journalism.

It is AKM’s choice to go on from here. It was never Doogan’s choice to make for her. And he almost certainly did it illegally. I will support AKM in any way she needs and wants support. I am so worried for her and her family.

With all due respect, Mr. Poe, Mr. Doogan’s name does not belong in the same sentence with that of Edward R. Murrow.