Well it’s been a sort of poopy year for Canadian bloggers. Leftdog was outed by who else… Kate of SDA. (Well actually someone else did it, but she just told everyone else.) And again, she’s linked to a very unpleasant fellow from Calgary who has now posted the home details of Canadian Cynic (he has also maliciously linked CC’s name to a child porn site for years).

It seems likely that the best outcome at this point is that both back off from each other. However it seems unlikely, given both of their personalities, and the fact that certain right wing bloggers have a hard time acting civilized even when they think they are doing a better job than someone who routinely describes the right wing as “douchbags”.
To date, the only person who has published my home address on the Internet is someone with a likely mental illness who also libeled me by saying I’ve hurt children. I guess you know what sort of people would suggest something like that and try to out pseudo-anonymous bloggers. They look like the enemies of people like CC. In supreme irony, one of the following bloggers has close connections with someone else harassed by the same person who libeled me, Leftdog, and others. You’d think they’d know better than to support someone like the hate filled fellow from Calgary?
(http://girlontheright.com/2009/06/15/a-very-bad-day/)
(http://www.smalldeadanimals.com/archives/011626.html)
(http://www.no-libs.com/index.php?/2009061592978/canadian-cynics-identity-revealed.html)
(http://jaycurrie.info-syn.com/a-new-day/)
Don’t you just want to hurry up and post a comment at the blogs of the sorry excuses for bloggers who would link to people exposing a blogger to [more] personal threats? Go ahead, give them your email, and IP, and expect them to respect your privacy? What’s an even bigger joke, is that these are people who, in court or from just their blogs, are attempting to defend free speech in Canada (for the right wing I guess). Yes, really. Messed up, aren’t they?
I think I’ll have to stop by and hear this. I’ll be the envy of many American blog readers who know CC through PZ.
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As a pseudo-anonymous blogger I have an interest in seeing that bloggers’ privacy is respected. I’ve recently had another blogger ask me to “merge” my real identity with my online one, but I’m the most famous “Saskboy” so why would I give that name up? People can easily figure out my identity from my blog (hello, my photo is at the top!). The University of Regina President calls me “her blogger”, I ran into Sarah Mills (of CJME radio) today and she recognized me (I think), and influential Liberals (oxymoron in Sask.?) pass me in the hallways and ask how the blog is going.
My identity is not a secret, I blog with a screen name because it’s cool. I have a BBQ this weekend for fellow bloggers where I use my real name. I’ve even enjoyed the company of Kate and right wing bloggers I mostly disagree with, at some of those events. CC has been to blogger parties before too, and his name was known to dozens of Canadian bloggers. The only change the last few days has been that creeps now know his name, and they feel empowered because of it. Isn’t that a testament to how powerful his writing really has been?
I fully realize that along with the perks of semi-celebrity, come some downsides to blogging. Dealing with ignorant jerks is an occasional problem both in blogging and in general life. Usually the 50 excellent people met through blogging, make up for the 1 idiot who would sell your name to the local tabloid for a beer.

Flamewars are fun to watch, but it’s important to remember that real people are involved. Don’t try it at home unless you know what you’re doing, and can handle getting singed a time or two.