- Ed Whelan exposed an anonymous blogger who'd been attacking him (and he - Whelan - later apologized for it) (anonymity and pseudonymous blogging will not really be the subject of this post. Just thought it was related, so I'd bring it up. For the record, I have little respect for anonymous and pseudonymous bloggers - especially issue/political bloggers - except for those who are sharing painful, personal situations for the purpose of helping others, and without asking a things for themselves and without attacking others, and would like to preserve their privacy. But that's it.)
- Video game company Electronic Arts, it was reported this week, created a fake "Christian protest" against one of its forthcoming games, centered on Dante's Inferno.
- As I alluded to in another post, a blog that had burst on the scene a few months ago, purportedly by the expectant mother of a baby with Trisomy 13, was revealed to be a total fraud and scam this week.
Random thoughts on the latter two points:
The EA gambit doesn't surprise me one bit. I am sure the internet - and beyond - is full of such efforts. I've said it here again and again, in relation, for example, to comments boxes. Put it this way: when someone comments on a blog or website, there is no reason to believe that they are who they say they are or that they really believe what they are saying, and that they are not acting for one reason or another. It's like fake racist attacks. You want to make your ideological opponents look bad, so you comment in the guise of said opponent, writing the most extreme, hateful garbage as a way of remotely discrediting that viewpoint. It happens all the time. That's why I would never use internet forums or comments boxes as evidence of what "pro-lifers are saying" or what "pro-choicers are saying" or what "gay marriage proponents or opponents are saying."
The worst? The comments boxes on newspaper articles. Time and time again, they have proven themselves the most useless, unenlightening collection of inanity, some of it sincere, some it undoubtedly faked for one reason or another. It's performance art on a social scale.
The last incident interests me the most, because it brings together the world of Mommyblogging and Christian blogging and pro-life blogging.
There's a Chicago Tribune article on the incident here, but many are strongly questioning even that, saying the reporter was taken in by the young woman who started the blog, even here.
For the best summary of the situation, you might look at this post, which has links to other blogs that have sprung up this week debunking the April Rose blog.
One of the best reflections on this last situation has been written by Nathan Lawrenson, whose blog, Confessions of a CF Husband, is one that I've followed for a couple of years now - Nathan's wife Tricia, has CF (obviously). She was on track for a lung transplant, when she discovered she was pregnant, delivered the baby, had the transplant - all of which has been documented by Nate with humor, great photography, deep faith, and a generous spirit - continually directing readers' desire to help, not to his own personal situation (except with prayers), but to CF charities and the needs of others. Oh, and honesty. He writes of warning signs:
Add to Del.icio.us
Add to Technorati
Add to Digg
Add to Newsvine
Add to Facebook
Add to StumbleUpon
