Outside Reading: Editorial #3

Editorial: "Anonymity and the Dark Side of the Internet"
By Stanley Fish
published January 3, 2011

      Stanley Fish's editorial, "Anonymity and the Dark Side of the Internet," uses a strong voice and many supporting examples to persuade the readers that a speaker's identity of a piece of information is crucial to understand the text's full meaning. The emphasis of his discussion is based on internet liability.

       
      Fish starts his piece with perfect English persuasive formatting, beginning with the other side's argument and then countering it with his opinion and supporting details. Arguing that a text's meaning is really not the same whether there is a known speaker or not, the writer gives two reasons. One of which is that Fish believes leaving the speaker anonymous is a way of avoid[ing] responsibility and accountability for what one is saying. This is a horrible problem on the internet with internet bloggers who can cause others harm without guilt of them knowing it was them, or having to see their reaction to it. There is also the problem of whether a piece of information is the truth when the source is unknown and possibly unreliable. Fish gives the example that if one receives an anonymous text, the reader of the text can't be sure if she should believe it. The reliability depends on whether it's the class gossiper of her trustful friend.

       The writer of this editorial not only gives his complaint of internet anonymity, but also gives a solution to the problem, involving repealing a section of the Communications Decency Act basically saying that "the provider is not liable for what others have said." This has been interpreted by courts as a way of "immunizing providers even when they 'have knowledge that [a statement] is defamatory or invasive of privacy.'”

         Fish successfully achieved his communication purposes, using a clear, confident voice, reinforced with some great evidence and ideas. Myself as the reader, was completely turned to his side of the argument based on his facts and persuasive writing style.