Why some citizen journalists need to use a pseudonym

by Babel-Fish | October 2, 2009 at 05:26 am

275 views | 40 Recommendations | 20 comments

I personally use a pseudonym when publishing articles as in the past I have had death threats and I live in a country where it cost very little to have someone murdered. In fact many Filipino journalists have ended up with a bullet in their head.

I expect such happens else where in many countries as well, the problem is I get people that try to befriend me in the effort to seek my personal details. I only give partial details to my long standing internet friends only.

As citizen journalist are becoming more well known and their articles are being read by an increasing audience on the Internet the problem of personal security becomes more of a problem as time goes by.

I personally may have religious cult enemies here in the Philippines and perhaps political enemies due to my flame and fire concerning propaganda here and else where. Certainly there is the chance that someone out there wants to douse my opinions to a point of having me executed. Having had death threats many years ago concerning forum articles I try to be a bit wiser these days.

When someone I have never heard of before seemingly tries to be devious and get my personal information I certainly do not supply a bean. I had a guy a few days ago sniffing stating he was a journalist. He wanted not only my personal details but the details of my partner sister who is working for a politician. I was concerned as the politician involved does not want publicity and he wanted to know too much about me? Paranoid yes possibly but careful defiantly that I realized that perhaps I have said to much about myself in some of my articles and left too much of a finger print on the internet as a whole? Well my full address is not listed for all to see only I live in Dumaguete City. I am not in any phone book its not that easy to find out where I actually live.

I am now checking my foot print and making sure that I am truthful safe behind pseudonym names at a guess I have slipped up and been to trusting. There are many people that do know who I really am and know that I do need to protect my true identity.

I think that if you are a citizen journalist its very important to have a pseudonym name as some protection against being stalked, harassed or even been placed on a hit list.

This what happens to some unfortunate journalist….

Journalist News

So far I can only find one incident where a citizen journalist has been killed it would there for seem that citizen journalism is at this time safe.

Reporters Without Borders is appalled by the way a construction company executive, Wei Wenhua, was beaten to death by municipal law enforcement officers known as “chengguan” in Tianmen, in the province of Hubei, on 7 January when he used his mobile phone camera to film them in a violent clash with protesters.

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Babel-Fish

at 05:35 on October 2nd, 2009

At a guess, there will be other citizen journalist that get paranoid as I do at times, some may have received personal threat, some may have had their life disturbed by a fanatic on line stalker.

QueensHart

at 05:52 on October 2nd, 2009

Excellent article Babel-Fish! The insults and smeers demonstrate that no one needs to know where we work and what we publish. After reading here I took off my profile immediately.

Then of course the whack jobs accuse us of being pop psychologist and having no business to make mini assemsments of those who get ugly. Roy has received a comment that the person wants him 'arrested" for his view on a countries possible not to mention other extremely unkind condescendiing personal attacks.

I too have gotten in the gutter with them when they provoke and push but I promised Amy I will be very careful from now.

I have signed my nick name to some people here I do admire from their articles and comments.

Amy helped me to realize how very hard it is to constantly monitor this incredible amount of reading that must be done.

Paranoid sometimes is fine line for having healthy instinct.

I think it is a good learning experience to see just how intense people are about their perspective and take that to one's private world in censoring ideas and opinions. I would never go public with my articles now thanks to reading all the anti american folks here. ...certainly never my artwork which would be a tracker for someone with a weird projection.

Babel-Fish

at 20:36 on October 2nd, 2009

Being an artist also leaves me a foot print problem, but my profile actual states an old address of which I will not change. Some people can be that intense here in the Philippines concerning politics or religious cults.

israeli.agent

at 06:23 on October 2nd, 2009

LOL..!

I envy Babel Fish and Roy because the receivers found them important enough to issue death threats..! Woah..!, guys.

Till date I only got a dating invitation from one LTTE supporter..! How sad..!!

.Agent.

J2B (not verified)

at 06:27 on October 2nd, 2009

if so, then why have you in the past also complained about "anons" being able to post comments on NP?

Babel-Fish

at 20:40 on October 2nd, 2009

I have! But not venomously but about the problems the anon factor can cause and some possible solutions.

israeli.agent

at 07:20 on October 2nd, 2009

I love anons. They don't need to be politically correct.

.Agent.

J2B (not verified)

at 10:32 on October 2nd, 2009

we don't even need to be political..........

rng

at 10:35 on October 2nd, 2009

we don't even need to be political..........

or even correct :)

Babel-Fish

at 20:42 on October 2nd, 2009

Most are okay but its the trolls that cause a problem.

Rhonda J Mangus

at 07:24 on October 2nd, 2009

Thanks for this Babel-Fish! Food for thought, definitely!

Babel-Fish

at 21:15 on October 2nd, 2009

your welcome

a211423

at 13:10 on October 2nd, 2009

babel

If someone wants to find out who you are bad enough, they will.

Please do not under estimate the so-called security of the internet. Your IP can be traced by any hacker.

I don't know what the answer would be for someone who posts controversial information.

Cyberstalking is definitely a problem.

Babel-Fish

at 21:14 on October 2nd, 2009

Having been a hacker when hacking was just done for fun many program/anayst dabbled in the early days of the internet. I do know how to change my IP address and how to prevent hackers getting into my computer system and even try to trace them back if they do. There are software packages that can hide or change your IP address to a server in another country.

Its not the computer system that's the main risk its what details ones allowed people access to on communities, blogs, personal web sites and email provider sites. The power of a search engine can give access to much of that data.

Using different internet cafes is defiantly the way to be very safe the ultimate tool for the very paranoid.

J2B (not verified)

at 02:55 on October 3rd, 2009

recently I came across a useful site snitch.name/ you can check to see if and were your name appears.I was surprised to discover some people in India use my name as their screen name, weird!Another bloke in L.A even changed his name to mine!

Babel-Fish

at 09:36 on October 3rd, 2009

Thats a very useful site to check your Internet foot print

snitch.name was very useful and saved me time, Thanks

a211423

at 09:23 on October 3rd, 2009

J2B

The worse part of this is if they use your name for nefarious purposes or even for criminal purposes. People need to be aware of these types of mechanisms to impersonate.

Rory Cripps

at 13:42 on October 3rd, 2009

Thank you Babel Fish! Excellent story! I've got a few nut cases, myself, that follow me around over the internet and post all sorts of vile crap about me because I don't subscribe to their far-out left wing ideology lock stock and barrel. One of the nut cases is a bonafide sociopath that grew up in my hometown and is now a "published" writer living in L.A. No one in my hometown liked him and he never let it go. Now it's his chance for revenge. The funny thing is that I didn't even know the dork back in the day but he took great offense to some of my views as expressed in my writings about a year ago and it's been downhill ever since. My code word for him is STUNAD because five of the letters (out of six) in that term conform to his real surname and the letters are all in the proper order. I completely understand your reasons, Babel Fish, for using an internet pseudonym and I respect your reasoning. In my case, however, I reside in the U.S. and I am not in a "sensitive" position that would dictate what I can say or not say in an internet post. I'm extremely lucky in that respect and I have a bit more freedom, as a result, in expressing my views. I am a total and complete absolutist when it comes to the first amendment to the U.S. Constitution. I will defend anyone's right to say what ever they want to say whether I agree with it or not. And when I say "defend", I ain't talkin' wuss shit--I'll go to the limit and do whatever it takes . . . my word is true. With the above said, I hope that y'all can understand why I'm a second amendment absolutist too . . . .

Babel-Fish

at 21:32 on October 3rd, 2009

To me freedom of speech is a human right no laws should take that a way and should not really be needed in a world free of all forms of oppression of which I do not expect to see in my life time. When it comes to patriotism I am one that is proud to be a human being with a free thinking mind and solidly behind all those that are free of all forms of indoctrination. No country and no nation that is run by greedy powerful elitist control merchants, can never receive my patriotism.

The only limits to freedom of speech should only be decent moral standards and respect for those that offer a sensible if not logic opposing argument. Only attacking the messages and not the messengers with character assassination.

Unfortunately many of the indoctrinated can be indoctrinated into any for fanaticism that goes beyond logic or normal boundaries of straight minded reasoning. People have been known to kill for the most silliest belief. Indoctrination all ways seemingly carries some form of hatred for other groups of human beings.

Thus anybody publishes a sensible logic belief or expresses a well thought disbelief's, some fanatic indoctrinated will at some time attack with full venom. It's the ones that are completely insane that are the most bothering and many can be dangerous.

Rory Cripps

at 06:37 on October 4th, 2009

Babel: That's one of the main problems--the messenger and not the message is attacked. Sociopaths can't bear the thought that others have their own opinions and that those opinions don't conform to the sociopath's world view. The sociopath can't bear to be questioned on an issue let alone pinned down. When sociopaths are questioned and pinned down, they fly into an emotional rage and lash out at their perceived attacker. No doubt that the internet is a great thing in that it brings people together that otherwise would have never made contact with one another. But it's also a magnet for some very sick but very clever individuals because it affords them a venue to spew their hatred under cover of anonymous. I'm fortunate that I reside in Florida. The laws here are such that I'm legally allowed to use deadly force should I be attacked. Nor do I have to retreat from my attacker before using deadly force. Unfortunately most other states across America do not afford the same protections for their citizens.