Slugger O'Toole
Conversation, politics and stray insights
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<p> As a new Blogger this may be very presumptuous of me, but I'd like to leave a thought or two about the experience.</p>
<p>First the tribute. Dialogue, disputation, discourse with a dash of learning and a hug of the inside track are the very essence of Slugger. It's just great to see people getting really into it.</p>
<p>But then there's the issue of anonymity. Are all these sobriquets really necessary? Digital identities are fuzzy enough already. Your name is your hallmark of identity and integrity. As I scroll, it looks as if we're all doing <em>samizdat</em> in the Soviet Union. Or in some cases, a small minority of course, scrawling on toilet walls, or giving ourselves a licence to abuse. Mostly, endless anon feels evasive: that people are somehow slightly ashamed of letting rip ( sometimes with good cause) or lack the confidence to stand up for their own opinions. I know that some have good reason, like blogging from work! But if people are hiding themselves because they fear disapproval or even retribution, this is a serious matter that should be confronted eventually, surely? Mostly though, anon seem to be just a blog style, an image thing, or a pamphleteer’s moniker (“<em>Quis Separabit”!</em>), like those all-too-traditional letters to the Tele.</p>
<p> Other characteristics are the rush to take offence (<strong>blog rage</strong>), the endless rounds of the zero sum game (you’re on one side or another and if you protest you’re not, you’re either lying or stupid). And then there’s the hard polemical edge that’s substitute for the open mind..</p>
<p> This is a community which desperately needs good thinking and integrity and here is a wonderful vehicle for stimulating it.</p>
<p>I’ll probably be torn to pieces for saying this: or worse, ignored.<br />
Just to balance it out, most of the time it’s a stimulating and rewarding experience. The corrections are invaluable and should always be acknowledged. </p>
<p><strong>Real Slugger fans are the soul of the blog. Mainstream media, look out!<br />
</strong></p>
<p>I hope I haven’t made anyone feel horribly self-conscious, except maybe myself.</p>
<p>End of sermon.</p>
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Books
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A flexible library service for the 21st century?
Following Alan’s piece on libraries, I picked this ‘advertorial’ from Google plus this evening… about how a US county library system is cutting costs and improving flexibility in their free at the point of delivery services by enabling the whole library service act as a functioning unit as opposed to the one discrete library… read our review » -
John Laird for Christmas?
John Laird (Lord Laird of Artigarvan) is unionism’s jester. His memoir A Struggle To Be Heard ” by a True Ulster Liberal” (from Slugger’s shop on Amazon here) might serve more as a heavy stocking filler than anybody’s idea of a main present. In it he wears the masks of comedy and tragedy to turn the [...] read our review »
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Talking to a brick wall: how to make politicians listen?
It took me a long time to warm to advertising agencies. The first time I worked with one I was working in sales management on Fairy Washing Up Liquid. I was due to attend a meeting at which I was to be told what consumers really thought of the brand. I remember my reluctance to [...] read our review »
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“I hope I haven’t made anyone feel horribly self-conscious, except maybe myself.”
You’re only self-conscious because you’re not using a sobriquet Brian.
Enjoy your well-deserved hols, Bri. Hope it is West Cork.
Brian, I think I love you!
Im proud to be a Greek !
well done Brian
You definitely add something.
Sluggers was suffering from slow strangulation due to the often dry tedious one-sided nature of myopic post-bloggers, that was until you turned up.
I only wish a certain few of the bloggers here would go and take a holiday, and return refreshed !
I recommend Brighton for a quick get way.
Or even a dirty weekend.
“Unreal City
Under the brown fog of a winter noon
Mr. Eugenides, the Smyrna merchant
Unshaven, with a pocket full of currants
C.i.f. London: documents at sight, 210
Asked me in demotic French
To luncheon at the Cannon Street Hotel
Followed by a weekend at the Metropole.”
From the Wasteland by T.S.Eliot
The Metropole is a famous Hotel on Brighton sea-front
Cork? I hope you can understand those guys!!!
Have a nice time.
“I’m off to deepest Cork”
Do say hello to the NALIL and Jim Allister fan clubs if you make it as far as Cape Clear, Brian
Whilst in Cork you might want to reconsider your views on the Irish language – and perhaps ask that Hazell bloke why the UK can join the EU with one referendum but Scottish independence requires two. Enjoy anyway.
Brian,
I have found your contributions to be an interesting addition to the mix. I hope you enjoy your holiday.
I, of course, do not use a nickname, since I am the general secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. I can see why other people might like to do so, though. There have been cases in the USA where people have gotten in trouble with their employers, or have been rejected during selection procedures, because a Google search turned up contributions that the employer found disagreeable. Nicknames allow people the freedom to express themselves. Obviously there has to be a line drawn where people use anonymity to be abusive or to wreck discussion forums. IP addresses (usually) allow abusers to be identified while avoiding the need to remove anonymity.
In Northern Ireland your name can lead to people making prejudgements about what your political opinions are; more seriously, your opinions could lead to reprisals or attacks.
We are the people!
Brian you have been a breath of fresh air on slugger and your blog items are interesting.
I chose the name slug (initlally slug3334) for maximal anonymity.
I’d assumed that the anonymity so common here was someone dabbling in creative writing and creating characters to either post articles here or comment on them. If I had the time and the talent to be able to do something like that I’d reckon this forum would be a perfect place to try it out.
“Are all these sobriquets really necessary? Digital identities are fuzzy enough already. Your name is your hallmark of identity and integrity.”
Yes.
1. NI is small place and the politically active/interested even smaller again. There is the local example of a political vendetta getting someone sacked – while it worked out well for Newton Emerson in the long-run he did lose his job and no guarantee future victims would be as equally fortunate.
2. The point ignores how the personal gets in the way of the issue (especially true in Unionism). While the tone and standard of debate can have its problems on slugger it certainly beats the hell out of anything the mainstream media has managed. A contributor to that has been the allowance for digital identities and the ball not man rule (itself a basic expression in how the personal too often gets in the way of debate).
3. The use of a consistent nickname/digital identity can develop its own integrity.
I think Nick names are great as long as you stick to one name
Sock puppets and the serially renamed are annoying, who cres if you agree with yourself thats kind of the point to having an opinion
I agree yo’ve been a great addition to the Slugger team, Brian. Well done to Mick for bringing you aboard.
Whether one likes it or not the Irish language is a political issue in the North.
I think for Slugger to get the balance right Mick needs to take an Irish speaker onto the Slugger team, someone who is fluent in the language and who is knowledgeable.
I just feel that there is a gap here and because some threads begin negatively towards Irish speakers (we call are selves Gaeil BTW, spelt in Scotland Gaidheil, which one poster asserts is racist!) therefore putting people on the defensive from the beginning.
There is a wealth of talented capable and rational people out there and as I said, it is a missing demographic on Slugger.
In fairness GGN, Mick does write some himself, and has had at least one Irish-language blogger as well as himself.
“In fairness GGN, Mick does write some himself, and has had at least one Irish-language blogger as well as himself. ”
I think it is a rare enough event and I understand from the stats presented on slugger that the blogger you refer to has availed of the oppurtunity a total of one times.
well indeed. But is that Mick’s fault?
Of course not. But I say bring yer man off cos I am sure there would be a few young fellas on the bench hungry for a game.
My code word was : long, hmmm quite.
Presumptuous of you? Not much! And worse than that, it was boring and patronising.
“First the tribute. Dialogue, disputation, discourse with a dash of learning and a hug of the inside track are the very essence of Slugger. It’s just great to see people getting really into it.” Now, I’ve watched the Office but I can’t remember in which episode David Brent says that line. Episode 4?
“Just to balance it out, most of the time it’s a stimulating and rewarding experience.” Gee, thanks.
I do worry you are taking this blogging malarkey a bit too seriously Brian. One of the joys of the monikers is trying to guess which one of them is Sammy Wilson. I don’t think Iris really has time for this nonsense but you can bet it is right up Sammy’s street.
I’ll use my real name when lawyers’ drop their fees for their libel services by 95%. Until then, I’ll continue to use a moniker and thereby not require their services.
Oh, and one other priviso: when the legal system offers an e-court service so that it isn’t nessessary to squander six months of your life clearing your name from some defamation or other.
Just something to illustrate my view.
http://www.newsletter.co.uk/marching-season-2008/Broughshane-Twelfth-Speech.4283693.jp
Billie-Joe Remarkable, you should change your name to Billie-Joe Unremarkable. Wise up and don’t be so thin skinned.
I’m actually a total of seven well known Slugger regulars, (two on the unionist side, four on the republican and one piggy in the constitutional middle). I’ve had several many-page long arguments involving all my monikers at once, purely for the amusement of the slugger audience and I’ve even written emails to Mick asking that one of me be red carded. I actually use two real life names, my own and that of my alias, Fr Pat Noise.
I also happen to be one of the blogging team.
For nearly the first time in my life I’m now starting to like policemen
I use my pseudonym as my employers wouldn’t be very happy if I used my own name! In an ideal world it would be good if we could all use our own names but the nicknames work as long as you keep to them.
I second GGN’s call for a Gaelic speaker on the regular Slugger panel. Perhaps we just need to remind Dáithí to post more often?
RG Cuan,
Maith thú!
Maybe getting Dáithí to use is privelidge is the key.
One thing I notice about being anonymous is that it seems to be that whilst most nationalists do not appearr to know who they are blogging to, alot of unionists, it appears to me at least seem to have a good idea who is behind the nicknames of many other unionist commentators?
Maybe I wrong but.
code word : want
code word : want
?
It is the wee word ye have to write in at the bottom.
Or maybe it is just me what has to do that!!
Code word : wrong
Third Policeman
So mick does allow sock puppets?
It’s slower than molasses in June at my job right now so I guess it’s a good time to ask y’all……….
What in Sam Hill is a sock puppet?