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February 13, 2012
Binyamin Rose: Back to the Bunker: How a life-risking act by a Christian family during the Holocaust saved a family and built a thriving community a world away
Menachem Wecker: Business Schools Teach Real Estate Despite Troubled Housing Market
February 10, 2012
Lisa M. Krieger: Man with defibrillator demands access to his own heart's information
David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
February 9, 2012
Laura McMullen: 10 Least Expensive Public Schools for Out-of-State Students
Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation
February 8, 2012
Warren Richey: Why momentous Prop. 8 ruling might not satisfy gay-rights groups
Menachem Wecker: Though Controversial, LL.M.'s Can Lead to Specialized Legal Jobs
The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
February 7, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Caught off-guard? President's Super Bowl interview with Matt Lauer gives those who need a reason not to vote for him, a darn good one
Suzanne Bohan: Leaping lizards! Tiny reptiles advancing robot design
February 6, 2012
Jonathan Tobin: Iran Threatens Israel With Destruction, But the New York Times Doesn't Hear It
Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
Caroline B. Glick: Obama: Of course I intend to prevent a nuclear holocaust . . . in a few months
Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
January 13, 2012
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz: Thriving through touch: Gentle massage helps older people with low mobility improve in mind and body
January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: This mushroom and barley soup has an intense -- almost nutty -- flavor that mixes robust with Middle East. It has creaminess without cream
January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
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Jewish World Review
December 24, 2007
/ 15 Teves 5768
Anonymous Blogs
By
Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir
Can I make up a fantasy identity for my blog?
http://www.JewishWorldReview.com |
Q: I'm thinking of starting a blog, but I prefer to remain anonymous. Is there anything unethical about an anonymous blog?
A: There is nothing wrong with using a fake identity, as long as the people you talk about also have fake identities. Many bloggers write anonymously and when they write about their workplace or their neighborhood, their coworkers and neighbors are also anonymous — false names are used, composite characters are created, and so on. In this way no real individual is faced with a situation where he has nowhere to turn to respond to statements made about him.
If you use your real name and talk about real individuals, there is nothing inherently wrong with this but immense care is needed. One obvious concern is saying things that would reflect badly on your friends, or even your enemies. According to secular law a negative statement is libel or slander only if it is false, but according to Torah law derogatory statements are forbidden even if they are true, unless there is some compelling interest in their disclosure and they don't cause disproportionate harm to the subject of the statement.
This prohibition is learned from the verse, "Don't go about as a talebearer among your people" (Leviticus 19:16). However, we see from the verse itself that not only negative speech is implied; the simple sense of the verse seems to speak about a common gossip, who goes about revealing everybody's private affairs, even if they are not necessarily shameful. The Ibn Ezra (and other commentators) connects the word talebearer or gossip (rachil) with the word peddler (rochel): "The wandering peddler buys from this one and sells to that one, and the gossip reveals to this one what he heard from that one."
An innocent friendly blog is okay if these boundaries are kept, but as soon as it becomes anonymous the safeguards against abuse are breached. A person who objects to his mention on the blog is limited in his ability to respond. The most he can do is send a response to the blogger. If the identity is known, there are other possible responses such as a discreet or third party discussion, avoiding the person, etc.
We find an interesting parallel to this idea in the laws of evidence in Jewish law. Testimony given in court is never considered slander; an evident explanation is the strict rules of procedure. Any testimony must be publicly stated in the presence of all litigants, and a right of reply is guaranteed. This corresponds in some ways to a blog in which the author is identified and a right of reply is granted to anyone who feels he has been wronged by a post — as blogging ethics dictate.
Conversely, Jewish law establishes very strict boundaries on the reliability of hearsay evidence, and one key reason is the lack of a known responsible source for the information. The Talmud tells us that sometimes a rumor is given conditional credibility, pending a thorough legal clarification. (One example is if it is widely reported and assumed that a person is already married, they aren't allowed to get married pending clarification.) However, the passage then gives strict conditions for the kind of "rumor" we credit: "Not a mere passing rumor, but rather where we ask: Where did so-and-so hear? From so-and-so, and him from so-and-so, but since they have traveled away." (1) In other words, we can sometimes give limited credence to hearsay reports, but even this is only when we can trace the exact source of the story. Each link of the chain must have a name and an identity.
So any statements that are both anonymous and unsubstantiated are almost by definition gossip. They will never be reliable enough to be believed, and there is no equitable way to refute them. Yet they will be believable enough to cause suspicion and concern. Even if your statements are actually true and constructive, they are still improper because they are unsubstantiated. The authoritative work on forbidden speech, Chafetz Chaim, states that even these statements are forbidden if they are not believed, because they are perceived by the listener (or reader) as slander. (2)
The blog world provides a very important forum for discussion of important topics. Even when controversial statements are made, when they are made with full responsibility and identification there are generally good safeguards to ensure that a fair defense can be mounted. Of course there is still a danger that once information is revealed it can't be concealed, but at least when a person bears personal responsibility for his statements there is some degree of reluctance to reveal private information.
Likewise, even the unpleasant side of our everyday existence can sometimes have important public interest, but this can be achieved in an imaginary neighborhood or workplace with a reasonable but not identifiable resemblance to your own.
However, the ethical line is drawn when a blogger hides behind an anonymous identity is used to disperse irresponsible and unsubstantiated statements about real people.
SOURCES: (1) Babylonian, Talmud Gittin 89a (2) Chafetz Chaim I 9:3
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JWR contributor Rabbi Dr. Asher Meir, formerly of the Council of Economic Advisers in the Reagan
administration, is Research Director of the Business Ethics Center of Jerusalem, Jerusalem College of Technology.
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