Leave Biff alone
Message ID: 134051
Posted By: mck9@swbell.net
Posted On: 2004-05-14 19:41:00
Subject: Leave Biff alone
Recs: 26
Some members of this board have become preoccupied with the outing of backinfullforce, a.k.a. Biff. This preoccupation has gone beyond playfulness and smells of malice and vengefulness -- vices that are toxic, however much pleasure they may give in the indulgence.
Much as I hate to side with Biff on anything, I urge that this quest to identify him be abandoned.
I could argue that it is futile -- which it probably is, despite stats_for_all's prodigious skills at research. Even if Biff admitted to being (for example) Biff Traber, would you believe him?
I could argue that it is pointless -- which it is. Will knowing who he is keep him from posting? Will it make his posts coherent? Will it protect newcomers from being misled by his rhetorical distortions? I don't think so either.
Rather than use these arguments, however, I argue that outing him would be wrong.
For whatever reasons, Biff has decided to post anonymously, as have many others. He has made it very clear that he does not welcome this prying into his identity. He has indicated that he would fear for his family's safety if he were identified.
Is that his real reason? I don't know. Are such fears justified? Maybe not, but that is his judgement to make, and we are not entitled to make it for him.
Suppose Biff or some other SCO partisan were to reveal the real-life identities of (for example) Korbomite or Fuzzywhe. Each of those posters has posted a fair amount of harsh and intemperate material, with which they might not wish to be publically associated. Or maybe they don't care. But that decision is theirs to make, and if someone else presumed to make it for them, they would be likely be even harsher and more intemperate in response.
Even a jackass is entitled to some privacy. Let's leave Biff alone.
------------------------------------------------------------
The text of this Yahoo Message Board post has been licensed for
copying and distribution by the Yahoo Message Board user
"mck9@swbell.net" under the following license:
License: CC Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike v2.0
------------------------------------------------------------
Posted By: mck9@swbell.net
Posted On: 2004-05-14 19:41:00
Subject: Leave Biff alone
Recs: 26
Some members of this board have become preoccupied with the outing of backinfullforce, a.k.a. Biff. This preoccupation has gone beyond playfulness and smells of malice and vengefulness -- vices that are toxic, however much pleasure they may give in the indulgence.
Much as I hate to side with Biff on anything, I urge that this quest to identify him be abandoned.
I could argue that it is futile -- which it probably is, despite stats_for_all's prodigious skills at research. Even if Biff admitted to being (for example) Biff Traber, would you believe him?
I could argue that it is pointless -- which it is. Will knowing who he is keep him from posting? Will it make his posts coherent? Will it protect newcomers from being misled by his rhetorical distortions? I don't think so either.
Rather than use these arguments, however, I argue that outing him would be wrong.
For whatever reasons, Biff has decided to post anonymously, as have many others. He has made it very clear that he does not welcome this prying into his identity. He has indicated that he would fear for his family's safety if he were identified.
Is that his real reason? I don't know. Are such fears justified? Maybe not, but that is his judgement to make, and we are not entitled to make it for him.
Suppose Biff or some other SCO partisan were to reveal the real-life identities of (for example) Korbomite or Fuzzywhe. Each of those posters has posted a fair amount of harsh and intemperate material, with which they might not wish to be publically associated. Or maybe they don't care. But that decision is theirs to make, and if someone else presumed to make it for them, they would be likely be even harsher and more intemperate in response.
Even a jackass is entitled to some privacy. Let's leave Biff alone.
------------------------------------------------------------
The text of this Yahoo Message Board post has been licensed for
copying and distribution by the Yahoo Message Board user
"mck9@swbell.net" under the following license:
License: CC Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike v2.0
------------------------------------------------------------