Anonymity Cause For Animosity

If you are a blogger, you know that readers' comments mean alot. The same holds true for news reporters whose columns and articles appear online and allow for commenting from the public. Often the comments are supportive of the writer's opinion. Sometimes they are not. Often commenters use their own names when signing. Sometimes they do not, choosing instead an alias or simply posting as "anonymous".

All of that is fine and good...until you come across an anonymous commenter who lacks civility, honesty and integrity.

You know the type...the ones who compare you, the blogger, or even other commenters on your blog to Nazis, or terrorists, or the Klu Klux Klan, or the "village idiot". They claim you are ignorant or misguided or stupid or arrogant. They condemn in the most negative and egregious manner with complete disregard for facts or truth. But they never tell us who they are, do they?

This type of commenter is the real village idiot...and more. This kind of person lacks integrity and spews foolish nonsense and personal insults knowing all along that he/she has no accountability because he/she hides behind a protected wall of anonymity and therefore never "owns" what they write. They accept no responsibility for their dishonesty, negativity and inauthenticity.

In my previous blog I discussed the unfortunate amount of "hate and fake" emails that make their way around the Internet. The anonymous commenters whose conscienceless deceit makes its way onto bloggers' comments sections is the same kind of dishonest and ethically challenged individual. They are pathetic and cowardly.

Fortunately for the bloggers, reasonable and rational people recognize the difference between diatribe and substance and are unwilling to accept the former as the latter.

This blog is dedicated to the anonymous commenter "REmavens".

Are Followers the Same as Friends?

Followers...Friends...Fans...It seems as though whatever blog or social networking site you are on, there is a different name for basically the same item. On Twitter, you have followers. On Facebook, you have friends or maybe fans. On LinkedIn...Well, you get the picture.

So do they all mean the same thing?

Sometimes, but not necessarily. Today's blog, however, is only devoted to explaining the benefits of becoming a "follower" of a blogger that you enjoy reading. You do not have to be a "friend" in the Facebook sense of the word to follow a blogger. You simply need to want to keep up to date with new posts by someone whose writing you enjoy reading.

There are several ways to become a follower of a blog. One of the easiest ways is to visit a blog that has added the "Following widget" and click on the "Follow" button. You will then have the option of following the blog publicly or privately. Select how you'd like to follow the blog, then click the "Follow this blog" button. It is that simple, you are now a follower of the blog!

The Following widget for my blog is at the left, at the top of the column. I have just posted it today and hope that you will consider following my blog which I promise will have interesting stories and articles on the real estate market in general, and the Massachusetts North Shore in particular, posted regularly.

Thank you for your consideration.

Very truly yours,

Jay Burnham

Hamilton, MA