Call it Tribune-centrism

I enjoy the fact that the Great Falls Tribune seems unable to comment on'the blogosphere' without some sort of reference to its own, relatively lame attempt to join the fun called "The Buzz." (Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz)

For example, this piece appeared on "The Edge" on Saturday:

Mayor Stebbins gives as good as she gets Mayor Dona Stebbins, known to be a habitué of Internet forums and blogs, jumped into a recent Tribune Buzz forum discussion of the appointment of a new police chief.

She responded to harsh criticism of the appointment and the appointer, John Lawton.

“It really takes big men to hide behind pseudonyms and take pot shots at people who are doing their jobs,” she wrote. “Anonymous posts have little credibility. Own your words or be branded ‘coward.’” She was then treated to some fairly vitriolic sniping from the very same anonymous posters.

“I really don’t like anonymous bloggers,” she said this week when asked about the exchange.

You can see for yourself whether the responses were "fairly vitriolic." Personally, I thought the replies to Mayor Stebbins were rather tame compared to other blog experiences.

And, as much as I enjoy having Mayor Stebbins surf the blogs, and as much as I support her in her position, I think she might be a bit off the mark on the value of anonymity in the criticism of public officials. Such anonymity has a long history in our country. In fact, the famous pamphlet, Common Sense, was originally anonymous.

I have to agree with Riverdog. I do not think it is beyond the pale to suspect that there might be some public officials out there who would be willing to retaliate, however subtley, against their critics.