Wednesday, November 19, 2008

anonymous......... notsomuch!

The interesting thing about the Internet…. is that you are never quite anonymous. Especially here in blogland. I have been very fortunate that I have not had the hate mail that other fellow bloggers have had to experience. When I read Cathy's experience and the idiocrasy that ensued on her blog yesterday….. I had to shake my head. I then got an anonymous comment about my spelling, and I laughed even harder. I have arrived!

Good thing this isn't a term paper. Whew!

Here's the thing about the Internet and about blogs…… I don't send my writing to you. You must make an effort to either type in the address, or to save it to your list of favorites, or to click on the link from another's blog. YOU COME TO ME.

The moment you do that you are identifiable. Leave a comment, even better. An anonymous one..... isn't anonymous. Even if you are commenting from Starbucks.

The company that manages my website has an amazing tracking system. I can tell you exactly what your ISP address is, and then I can find your name. Actually, they do it for me. In addition I have Site Meter, which gives me a back up.

Because truly, if you are going to make idiot comments, at least you should have the balls to identify yourself. If we were having a conversation could you not say "Hey Mar…. you are a horrid speller." Tell me something I don't know. If this were a term paper I'd care a bit more.

When you visit this site I know your ISP address. We get about 1,300 hits a week and they've got all the addresses. Now if you download a picture form my site….. I have en more information about you. See how the web gets deeper and deeper? It's kind of interesting.

Think of it this way: you are one of these blogger anonymous stalker folks, you visit a site with an existing chip on your shoulder. Which in all honesty puts you into a certain class of people right there (FREAK). You take time during your day to visit a site. Don't bother me now honey….. I am stalking Cathy! You take time to read that site. You take time and energy to get all riled up because someone wears something you don't like, or someone says "I won a race", or someone shares something…… your reaction is energy, your reaction is your time. Then you get so fired up that you take the time to make a comment, and even if you are making an "anonymous" comment…… you are not. Then you actually (and I can prove this) check back a few times to see if it has been published. Then you take even more time checking back to see if it is responded to.

Look at that time, look at that energy and look at the level of angst, hatred and negativity you have given?


You are a parent who is responsible for raising a child to be a productive part of society and you act like this? You are whoever you are in your career, and this is how you act?

That puts you into the next category of …. psycho.

About a year ago I did have someone who routinely harassed me on this blog. Not only was I able to identify them, I pressed harassment charges and I was able to settle. Once this person was identified (and I didn't even know them … so they got all hot and bothered based on what I wrote) I was written a long letter of sob story and apology. Which I laughed at because this person was such a freak!

So you have to have thick skin to be a blogger. You also have to be careful. To the people who have to be the subjects of such psychotic behavior I advise to be careful. If someone is willing to take this much time and energy to make an anonymous comment, then they are either a real whack job and someone who would actually attack you on the street, or just a coward.

Remember: they come to YOUR site…… you don't email it to them, you don't force them. THEY COME TO YOU. And the moment they do, their identity is not secure.


So if you've got a chip on your shoulder, or you are that full of hate, or that full of envy... get some help. Or how about this...... don't visit the site.

I find that some people are so focused on looking what is inside your mirror, that they never look inside of their own. They are afraid to see what is in front of them. So they focus on you. When people find something to harass you about it is either because of envy or because you represent something about themselves which they are not comfortable with.


Freaks!

7 comments:

kerri said...

Hey Mary,

God job at explaining all that. I didn't know all that...have a sitemeter but not all the other stuff to track individuals more indentifiably. Had some issues too..which kind of scared me for a bit and backed off for a little while. Thanks for sharing your info.

Cy said...

WARNING:: My crazed 45 year old stalker doesn't take criticism lightly. Although I know the truth so her endless banter doesn't bother me, she loves to reach out to my friends and spew false accusations, then criticize them for blogging in the first place.

I keep records of everything... So if this begins to bother me, I have definite proof of Harassment. I'm sure her husband and family would be so proud of her actions. Most of the comments go unread and directly into the Crazy Dana folder. I even have 5 page hand written notes from 7 years ago when she tired to convince me to run away from Kerry. Oh yes, I even have the Christmas cards I receive each year telling me how wonderful her life is...Yup, 'Freak' doesn't even begin to explain it.

I typically never publish her comments simply because I don't want that hatred and negativity on my blog. Nobody needs to see that sort of behavior even if it makes her look insane.

Ryan said...

Can you tell if I am wearing pants whilst reading your blog by your "little" IP address machine?y

Signed
Anonymous :0

Mary Eggers said...

Ryan...... All I know is that you NEVER wear pants when reading my blog,

Damie said...

Interesting and well said. I was just thinking yesterday- what in the hell is going on? All of these people were talking about mean comments and such that were left on their blogs. Unreal and completely uncalled for. :(

juliemac said...

mary-
thanks for all the information you shared.
i just put a sitemeter on my blog.
its just too bad there really people out there that feel the need to bully others in this way.

Thanks again for your support.

Marit C-L said...

Hi Mary!

I feel like I'm so behind with the move ( I knew I should have turned North instead of West!!! :)

Thanks for putting this up - this is great, and it gives all of us who put ourselves out there the power to deal with the not-so-great-folks who have less than honorable intentions.

And you're right. Does Ryan EVER wear pants???