And of course, there's also no real "articleman" or "workerbee." I am not a young Barack Obama, nor are you a drunken insect.

But to the referentially challenged (I am not aiming that at you, of course, "bee", but to those who might mistake what they're reading here), I suppose I should point out that I am he who has written here as Articleman for five months or so, who went on the radio, coplanned the Obama party, yadda yadda yadda.

I think your comment is turning my deconstructive comment back at me, which seems just about right.

Articleman's point, clearthinker, is that 1) since we generally post from behind "assumed" names and avatars, we are "personalities" and unless we post under our own legal names, easily google-able, we remain "personalities." 2) Even if we do post under our "real" (legal?) names and our "real" picts, it may still carry an element of the "personality" because of the setup of how we talk on blogs. So, really, unless we all chat in person or email each other, we remain in "personality" or in "character."

I understand that, although I'm not sure I entirely concur with Articleman on this. Does that mean that what we say under "personality" has less value than that email or the personal chat?

I suspect that for Articleman, the usage of a "common" name with a "real" avatar would still constitute "personality." While on some level I may agree with that, on another level it's disconcerting, for me.

The cruelest cut. I figured that planning a party with you might give me a little boost on the reality scale.

One of the funniest things you've written in months! Thanks for the laugh!

Hi "Genghis" :)

I'm glad you and Yva commented on this. I put myself in quotes, not because I feel less sincere or authentic as "articleman" but to avoid putting myself above others.

I agree that the characters have a diminished reality. I also agree, and think you nail it here, that if you pretend to be a person and interact with someone to induce a belief in them, you're fucking with them, and that's nasty. That's always been my feeling about this.

But I'm not sure that someone having an argument with a character is quite so bad. You have called Edmund or Gladd characters -- no one thinks that arguing with them is being lied to in that way. I think the key is disclosure. You shouldn't have truly personal exchanges without having at least reciprocal self-disclosure as to who/what you are. That seems fair and right to me.

Hello all. I understand why people feel angry if they'd been "toyed with" or "manipulated." I get that, but it certainly isn't the only sin people commit in places such as TPM. People can get labelled, shunned, ignored, shouted down, etc. So for me, it's one sin - but amongst many.

What I find interesting - and have for 20 years - is that people can grasp the idea of "multiple intelligences," broad-ranging skill-sets & interests, and even that they speak VERY differently in different settings... but they're then troubled when someone gives freer rein to those multiple voices & perspectives.

Truth is, I find people with a RESTRICTED set of voices to be the most troubling. The Johnny One Notes, but also, those who can never speak in any way other than as an economist or lawyer, free speech defender, music lover or warrior. In my experience, these restricted voice people tend to be rather poorly developed... as people. Their imagination tends not to stretch, their ability to feel empathy is limited, their learning curves always steep. They often think they're being "clever" - but to me, they sound like variants on the Fundamentalists I grew up with.

I'm happy to stick with one avatar, one name. The way I play, however, is to give as much free rein to the various aspects & thoughts & experiences within myself as I can do - while remaining true to myself. In fact, the brightest people I've known - from whom I've learned the most and grown most to respect - seem to have this characteristic. To take an obvious public example, Einstein wasn't just an "I'm a serious physicist type." From what I've heard/seen of Mandela, neither is he - the joy shines through. And lo and behold, as I've LEARNED this - because it'll take many lifetimes to open up in the million and one directions life offers - I've found some amazing things. Just within TPM I've found extremely right-wing people who then reveal a softer side of themselves, and some real insights on troubled teenage boys. Some older people who genuinely think about how their parents dealt with them, and then... how they are having to respond today. etc.

And in the future, I suspect this entire generation growing up with the Internet as a primary means of communication will take on, and be relaxed with, far wider - and perhaps even explicitly "multiple" voices - than we older types are used to today. I look forward to it. And Genghis, you'll be pleased to know that my official Abuse-Genghis-For-Mistaking-Me-As-Fictional period can be officially closed. You were very gracious. Now it's Clearthinker's turn. Ark! Ark! Mars Attacks!