Anonymity on the Internet
Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2012 4:13 pm
I read this today. The book is free on Kindle. Its a good read. I like Schopenhauer.
Anonymity, that shield for every kind of literary scoundrelism, must disappear. The pretext for its introduction into literary periodicals was that it protected honest critics from the wrath of authors and their patrons. But for every case of this kind there are a hundred cases where it serves merely to allow complete irresponsibility to reviewers who would be unable to defend what they write, or even to conceal the shame of those so venal and abject as to recommend books to the public in exchange for a tip from their publisher. It often merely serves to cloak the obscurity, incompetence and insignificance of the reviewer. It is unbelievable what impudence these fellows are capable of, and from what degree of literary knavery they will not shrink, once they know themselves secure in the shadow of anonymity. Rousseau already said in the preface to La Nouvelle Héloïse: ‘Tout honnête homme doit avouer les livres qu’il publie’ – which means in English: ‘Every honest man puts his name to what he writes’, and universally affirmative propositions can be reversed per contrapositionem.* How much more this applies to polemical writings, which reviews usually are!
Schopenhauer, Arthur (2004-09-02). On the Suffering of the World (Penguin Great Ideas) (p. 120). Penguin UK. Kindle Edition.
Anonymity, that shield for every kind of literary scoundrelism, must disappear. The pretext for its introduction into literary periodicals was that it protected honest critics from the wrath of authors and their patrons. But for every case of this kind there are a hundred cases where it serves merely to allow complete irresponsibility to reviewers who would be unable to defend what they write, or even to conceal the shame of those so venal and abject as to recommend books to the public in exchange for a tip from their publisher. It often merely serves to cloak the obscurity, incompetence and insignificance of the reviewer. It is unbelievable what impudence these fellows are capable of, and from what degree of literary knavery they will not shrink, once they know themselves secure in the shadow of anonymity. Rousseau already said in the preface to La Nouvelle Héloïse: ‘Tout honnête homme doit avouer les livres qu’il publie’ – which means in English: ‘Every honest man puts his name to what he writes’, and universally affirmative propositions can be reversed per contrapositionem.* How much more this applies to polemical writings, which reviews usually are!
Schopenhauer, Arthur (2004-09-02). On the Suffering of the World (Penguin Great Ideas) (p. 120). Penguin UK. Kindle Edition.
usually nothing like a person imagines him or her to be. It does make a difference when reversed. Voice or word first, sight second. If it is the CW here on the Forum, I have seen your profile, and yes, what a surprise. Not at all formidable. 