By Ralph Schwartz
I wanted to correct the record regarding a statement I made in passing about Latte Republic. (After I’m done here, I will go back and correct that post, too.)
I said Shane Roth runs his own blog, called Latte Republic.
My editor, Debbie Townsend, received an email from Elisabeth Britt, who says she is in fact the owner of said blog:
Hi Debbie,
I attempted to email John Stark, but I received a message that I am supposed to contact you, in his absence. In regards to Ralph’s statement that Shane Roth “owns” Latte Republic on the Politics Blog. That is not true. I pay the bills for the domain name, etc. The blog belongs to me. I started the blog and I continue to post articles. Please note that I am not interested in diminishing Shane’s contributions as a co-author. But I do own the blog.
Please let Ralph know. And, let’s not embarrass Shane. It’s Ralph’s mistake, not Shane’s.
Sincerely,
Elisabeth Britt
Latte Republic
Yes, I do feel suitably embarrassed, thank you very much. Please know that this blogger regrets the error.
But this gives me an opportunity to bring up a point about some of the local political blogs. I’ve only read a handful, but it is noteworthy that the posts on two blogs I’ve been reading recently — Latte Republic and Whatcom Excavator (WE) — are anonymous.
This became an issue several months ago, when blogger Riley Sweeney (who does claim authorship of his posts, by the way) claimed to have “outed” WE mastermind Ellen Baker. I talked to Baker, as I mentioned earlier, and she denied ownership of the blog, saying only that she contributed to it.
As for Latte Republic, maybe I’m missing the list of contributors, but now I’m left wondering whether regular poster “ApexNerd” is Roth, Britt or someone else.
But does it really matter? Do we gain in understanding if we know the name of the person behind the ideas?
All of us in the blogosphere know the perils of anonymity. It encourages a lot of hateful and spiteful commentary underneath blogs. Latte Republic, in a fine piece of sarcasm near the bottom of its blog roll, brings out this very point:
Please feel free to use the comments to demonstrate your own ignorance, unfamiliarity with empirical data, ability to repeat discredited rumors, and your general lack of respect for scientific knowledge or facts. Also, do your best to create straw men and create arguments that we have neither posted nor implied. Any irrelevancies you can mention will also be appreciated. Lastly, feel free to forgo all civility in your comments . . . after all, you are anonymous.
However, if anonymous bloggers stick to the rules they wish commenters would follow, then maybe they’re at an advantage over named blogs. Their ideas can stand that much more firmly on their own, without the infusion, for better or worse, of the author’s personality. Something like the Platonic ideal is achieved. The idea in itself is what’s important.
One final note: Admittedly I am the newbie, but John Stark and I are co-authors of the Politics Blog, on equal footing. No need to burden him with complaints that should come to me, as (1) he’ll just pass them directly to me anyway, and (2) there are very few things he would care less about.
To reach me, email ralph.schwartz (at) bellinghamherald.com.
Well,
It’s a bit unsettling to hear someone from the Bellingham Herald state that they don’t know who started Latte Republic. After all, it was one of your editor’s (Shirley) who encouraged me to start the blog.
Latte is a community blog. A blog that was certainly never set up to earn a profit. It is just a blog that I started, to allow other community leaders and writers to contribute their thoughts and opinions regarding issues that affect our community. No one who posts on Latte receives a “paycheck” from Latte. I guess we could refer to Latte as another one of those social media sites… Sort of like Facebook, (without the profits), but “just a bit more detailed. Oh, and yes, there is the political satire. Thank you, Shane. What would we do without one of our more satiric, and somewhat famous, local contributing authors?
None of the authors, including myself, have a set publishing schedule. No one is raking in “bucks” or a paycheck. Latte is a blog that I started to allow community members to “publish” alternative view points. Or, in my case, “main stream” view points. The articles posted by Wendy Harris, or Shane Roth (alias — ApexNerd) or myself, Elisabeth Britt, (administrator) are hardly a state-held secret. Sam Taylor “outed “ApexNerd some time ago. No one in Bellingham, least of all, Sam Taylor, is in doubt that I am one of the contributing administrators or writers for Latte.
Welcome Ralph, to the “underground world of blogging” in Whatcom County. P.S. John Stark has met with me and talked with me about a handful of issues over the years. He and I are not strangers to one another. But I have no way of contacting you. (Until tonight). Nor, apparently, do you care to contact me, before you make statements about my blog.
Sincerely,
Elisabeth Britt
The founder, and one of the administrators of Latte Republic.
P.S. my email has always been available on Latte. Feel free to contact me, or Shane, or Wendy at any time. We are always open to listening to alternative viewpoints, or answer questions about the posts we publish on Latte.
P.S. we are hardly “anonymous.”
I don’t know about you, but after reading Elisabeth’s post I don’t know why anyone WOULDN’T want to talk to her!
Happy New Year to you. too, Sam.
I didn’t wish you one, Elisabeth. Perhaps if you were nicer and not always so angry, or held some odd grudge for a person doing their job. But, no, not like this.
I’m not the one holding a grudge. But to each his own. And, again. because I’m not as angry as you would like to portray me — or holding some grudge from years past… after all, we all eventually have to own up to our own mistakes, (that includes me and you) — Happy New Year!
Ralph, Don’t feel bad. I’ve never had any idea, based on info on their main page, who “owned” the domain. I know I did send an e-mail to someone (“administrator”?) asking why Protect Whatcom wasn’t listed as a resource on the proposed GPT, particularly given that the top of the right-hand column starts with a link to submitting a comment, and it was Protect Whatcom and Safeguard the South Fork (also not listed as a resource, though Taylor Shellfish is (???)) which co-developed the materials used in all the scoping workshops in four counties. If there was ever a response, it never made its way into my personal e-mail inbox that I’m aware of.
Not starting another grudgematch. Just saying I don’t think any of us are operating with perfect information. I know I’m certainly not, and I hope I’m never held to that standard.
And at the risk of stating the obvious, I would note that everyone at BH for whom I have an e-mail address uses the same format: first name – dot – last name – at…. Not hard to guess yours.
How nice to hear that anonymity doesn’t equal nonsense.
And that spite is just as active among those that use their real names.
To a Frown-Free 2013!
Well if one only ever visited Latte once or twice and didn’t read much or check the little info around the site, one would maybe,if asleep, not know Shane was Apexnerd or Elisabeth was prime.
But obviously you are new Ralph. Sam is not and Sam’s snark just now toward Elisabeth is classic Sam snark and contrived at that. It is all a throwback to the time when some pretty outrageous personalities, like AFY, Dave 6 and others pretty much chased most women off the blog with their sexist nonsense and not much concern from Sammy boy. Sam’s administration of the blog was much more personal than it is for Stark. In fact Stark was thrust into it unwillingly and it has shown in the way he has treated some.
But Kumbaya and Auld Lang syne. How is the little boy Sam? It’s been so long but I still give my change to Ronald whenever I go there.
Glad I’m not the only snarky one here.
Happy New Year Elisabeth!
Camille snarky? Absurd, impossible,…wonder of wonders….
Ralph, I could not disagree with you more about anonymous bloggers achieving a Platonic ideal. Those who comment anonymously are not accountable, and therefore, not very credible. It takes courage and conviction to stand behind what you write.
Wendy is, as usual, exactly right.
Anonymous online bravado is never a substitute for real world courage; written, spoken or otherwise. Your parents gave you a name. Use it.
And post in a way that would garner the respect of your family, employer and peers.
Just how is any commenter held to account for their opinions?
My guess is that those intrepid public souls willing to remain public aren’t affected in any way and that’s true courage!
Grandpa always said it was your actions that inspired respect and words are as cheap as the time it takes to speak them.
I have repeatedly asserted here, and elsewhere, that anonymity is supposed to function as a shield, not a sword.
It is supposed to provide a person with a reasonable level of protection. It is not, and never will, serve as a place to stage an effective attack.
Well Wendy, though I agree with your positions on issues sometimes, I know many who pigeon hole you or discount even reading your comments when they see your name. Same goes for many here.
Plus on this blog attacks are almost unheard of, and quickly deleted. There are many reasons not to use one’s name and those who do must say something that stands on it’s own or it is discarded as quickly as something is discarded because Mr. Lesow or you or Ms Wechsler state their very predictable, never edgy positions.
But my final observation is under what set of rules or current etiquette on this Blog are Sam’s snarky attack on Elisabeth kosher? Seems like there are rules for different personalities.
hahaha, ‘Hank’.
Studies have shown that commenters using their real names are 67% more likely to pose, posture and pontificate.
And why not since being known for your words is such a respectable position!
Can anyone explain the content, the logic, or the value, of the last 5 posts?
“studies have shown” ? are you serious?
This proves my point; when you are not held accountable for online doggerel, you get sloppy
My dream is that one day, the Bellingham Herald will print the names, addresses and zip codes of all anonymous posters. Just like the Westchester County Journal News did with firearm permits. It is all perfectly legal.
Like the Journal News, the BH is, or once was, a Gannett paper; you know, small “l” liberal, struggling to keep afloat, etc.
In fact, there’s an idea to boost circulation. Publish a map with names, street addresses, etc. of all Whatcom County citizens with CW permits. Now THAT would sell a few papers.
It sure has worked for the Journal News. Check it out.
We could do the same with anonymous bloggers. We could title the story “Guns and Blubber”
just floating an idea….. the likely increase in circulation (and page views) would contribute to the BH’s bottom line and further stroke the egos of anonymous posters after their identities were known to all….
Why would anyone need to know the identity of an idea
or the location of an opinion?
Is that the discount one needs to excuse a point of view?
Isn’t it ironic that using one’s real name justifies the ego to trash others wholesale
over the issue of being trashed by anonymity.
Instead of say, addressing the issues.
John, tell methe value of your posts. Maybe that’s why you are so popular up at Pt Roberts, not.
@camille….
bIRDS OF A FEATHER ALWAYS FLOCK TOGETHER
“Studies have shown that commenters using their real names are 67% more likely to pose, posture and pontificate.” anon
But, it seems, 100% of anonymous commenters are more than prone to the same!
The unwillingness of this blog to demand more than gratuitous blather is likely the reason for its continuing decline.
Stick.a.fork.in.it.already.
Anonymous posters cannot posture or pose and it makes little sense for them to pontificate since there’s nothing in it.
No recognition, no glory, no respect, no moral high ground – nothing except an idea put forth.
Contrast and compare with those who demand all the above, and more, simply for writing their name.