True story: Once upon a time, when BYT just started (if you remember what it looked like then, you probably appreciate it more now)-NO ONE COMMENTED.
This was because we required people to register, create accounts and only then be able to state their opinions.
Then, at some drunken book party, Nick (then party crash intern at Wonkette) told me and Joel:
Comments are content
and we made Jason change the comment rules to everyone being able to be anonymous.
And lo and behold, the second people were allowed to wish me sterility sight unseen, and refer to the editorial staff as “gay” (both literally and figuratively)-we had comments a go go.
And truth be told, tossing aside whatever that means in terms of our commentatorship, we kinda prefer it that way.
I mean, if you’re not gonna be able to be slanderous online, while protected by the aura of your own (smug) anonymity,
what is the world coming to?
Now, as The City Paper reports all this may be over….
Last week, Kentucky state legislator Tim Couch filed a bill to end anonymous internet comments. Here’s some more info from the local ABC News affiliate ACTION NEWS 46 WTVQ out of Lexington:
The bill would require anyone who contributes to a website to register their real name, address and e-mail address with that site.
Their full name would be used anytime a comment is posted.
If the bill becomes law, the website operator would have to pay if someone was allowed to post anonymously on their site. The fine would be five-hundred dollars for a first offense and one-thousand dollars for each offense after that.
the rest of the article (plus some creepy video fun): here
As expected, Gawker media (the land of “anonymous, only approved IF funny” comments) reacted quite disparagingly towards this
(and as punishment included this “7th-grade-yearbook” style photo of Tim Couch)
Only anonymous comments will be accepted as responses to this post.
I like hairy black men
March 12, 2008 at 10:32 pmdon’t lie, tim; i told you i’ve been watching you. you like hairless asian boys.
March 12, 2008 at 10:58 pmyeh 1984! I’m sure somehow this will protect child molesters and sex deviants but, ya know, damn us witty 202s.
and here we thought thats what the beltway was for…..
March 13, 2008 at 8:47 amFuck. You.
Michael Anthony Swenzenbenner
Registered to email: mywacky08292@aol.org
Age: 27
Love that I can imagine myself saying that, but have no recollection of actually doing so.
March 13, 2008 at 10:05 ammust have been all the pink cocktails Nick.
seriously, come back.
March 13, 2008 at 10:06 amThat’s ok, I can just make a fake e-mail and name to register with.
March 13, 2008 at 2:56 pmlean wit it rock wit it gon suck a cock wit it
March 14, 2008 at 12:16 pmFIRST! Oh, wait. Not even close…dang.
March 17, 2008 at 9:40 am
i’m watching you…
March 12, 2008 at 10:02 pm