[LINK] RFI: Singapore's Blocks

[Bernard Robertson-Dunn]

AC Tseng wrote:
 
> - why do u want to anonymously challenge the status
> quo when u can be courageous and state ur views?

Because people are not only individuals, they have relationships with other
people, with their employers and with organisations they belong to. They
opinions and views may be interpreted by others in a variety of ways, often
coloured by their position/relationship with others.

I participate on Link with a degree of anonymity. I use my own email
address and express my own opinions. If I were to use my employer's email
system and include details of the company I work for then people reading my
postings might not know if I were speaking for myself, my employer or some
combination. I don't make a secret of the fact that I work for IBM, I have
mentioned it several times in the past and it's in the Link archives, I
just don't want there to be any confusion. 

I like to express my opinions in such a way that they stand on their
merits. I don't want a reader to say things like "well he would say that,
he works for ..." or "he must be right/wrong, he works for ..."

Anonymity is an option I want to have. I don't do everything anonymously,
just those things where I think it is appropriate.

And then, of course, there are countries where any form of dissent can
result in torture or death. In these countries anonymity is usually not
allowed, so that the state can enforce its views and values upon the
citizenry. The degree of anonymity allowed of its citizens is a measure of
the stability and maturity of the social system of a country.

-- 
If we let people see that kind of thing, there would never again be
any war.
--Pentagon official, on why US military censored graphic footage from
the Gulf War

Regards
brd

Bernard Robertson-Dunn
Sydney Australia
brd@austarmetro.com.au