An Open Letter to the OR Community

Durham resident Phil Isenberg has asked that we post the following:

I am writing to support the letter of Jayson Seaman (see comments to “ORSCD Election Results: Unofficial Totals”, March 13, 2012) and to repeat his call for an end to anonymous (and pseudonymous) entries in this blog. I feel that such a step would go a long way to reduce the nasty name-calling and empty posturing that sometimes appears here, and help a return to civil discourse on the issues facing this community.

I’m sure that all members of the Oyster River community would agree that this past year or two have been a very contentious and difficult time. The effort to work toward resolution of strongly-felt and often emotional arguments has frequently been undermined by questionable statements or accusations put forward on this blog by people who have chosen not to be recognized by name. Obviously, not all anonymous entries have been harmful, but there have certainly been a few people (one cannot tell how many) who have used the opportunity to post here to incite bitter and divisive attitudes without having to take any responsibility for their words. Such posts are equivalent to expressing disagreement with another person by walking up to their house, throwing a rock through their window, and then running away. Such actions are sneaky, cowardly, and ultimately no better than vandalism. They should have no place in a blog that purports to be a community forum.

Tom Bebbington has replied to Mr. Seaman’s letter, saying that their current policy of allowing pseudonyms is “the best we can do”, given limitations of time and technology. He also states concerns of censorship, claiming that he does not want to delete posts simply because they contain “things we may not like”. Maybe so, but perhaps the rest of the community can help him in this task.

I suggest, in the absence of the ability of the administrators to sufficiently monitor this blog, that those of us who deplore the tactics of hidden provocateurs simply refuse to recognize the posts that are not signed by the writer’s full name and town of residence. Anonymous posts would simply be challanged with a “Who are you?” Meanwhile the content of the post would be ignored unless and until the writer claims ownership and responsibility for the words he or she insisted on sharing. This policy cannot be confused with censorship, since the content is not considered at all. If people feel strongly enough to write in, and are willing to stand by their words through clearly identifying themselves, a reasonable dialogue is much more likely to result.

Who is “Sore Loser”? Who is “OR”? Who is “StopDavidTaylor”? Why are you hiding? If you want to make a positive contribution rather than continuing to be part of the problem, stop throwing rocks and join the conversation.

Thank you.

Sincerely,
Phil Isenberg
Durham