The Anonymous Demon

At least a dozen demons answer to the name Anonymous. At one time these demons had names, but they’ve lurked so long under the cloak of anonymity that their names have simply been forgotten. They abide in just about every corner of the blogosphere. Mean spirited comments attached to meaningless user names. Wickedness with a handle. Sin with a disembodied avatar. In the internet age we know more than ever about our public figures, but less than ever about the people tearing them apart.

In town hall days, a heckler could be easily identified. “Hey isn’t that Joe’s father heckling the mayor? What the hell is he doing?” Now we have instant access to the faults of our politicians, celebrities, and religious figures. The life of every public figure within a key stroke. Our ability to anonymously tear them apart, as close as the comment section.

Anonymous has always been around. In the past it manifested in a letter at the door step, a brick through the window, or a burning cross on the lawn. Anonymous used to dial the phone or scrawl on the public bathroom wall. But lately, Anonymous reigns supreme on the internet; hobnobbing with the experts, lurking at the bottom of almost every opinion page and posting. From Youtube to The Huffington Post, from the Washington Post to whatever anyone posts is fine as long as we can count the hits.

Hits is a great word to describe the world wide web proliferation of Anonymous. A model motivated by page views has made room for hidden bigots, nameless racists, trolling teenagers, and really grumpy old men with nothing better to do than light the room on fire with inflammatory, unsubstantiated vitriol.

Is it free speech we are championing? Is it conversation we are facilitating? Or are we just handing the keys of the city to those who want to watch it burn.

To be fair, it’s important to acknowledge that many angels work under the Anonymous pseudonym as well. They choose the Anonymous label to deflect praise from themselves onto the communities they are serving. They leave the signature blank so others can share in the victory. They omit their names for the sake of the larger good. Sadly, the better angels seem to be drowned out by the bitter chorus of a satanic foothold simply known as Anonymous. . . Let the devouring begin.

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4 Responses to The Anonymous Demon

  1. Shannon October 26, 2011 at 10:38 pm #

    I could not agree more with your post Doug….allow this venue to be one that sparks our interest in something or re-lights fire in our bellies about a forgotten passion we had, or perhaps give us something worth taking a stand for. Why are so many anyonomous fools drinkin’ so much HATE-OR-ADE? If you have something to say, say it.and sign it with your actual name..or respectfully shut your pie hole and start writing your own blog….stick your own neck out there…be vulnerable yourself and don’t just hide behind an a.k.a. It takes courage to put your actual name on something and even more courage to stand firmly on the foundation of Jesus Christ and not moved. Thank you Doug for doing both~ you seriously ROCK!
    So…. realize what great conversations these posts can start and instead of inflammatory responses, we should let some of these things sink into our noggins and not just respond without thought. Keep your tongues from evil and your lips from speaking lies ….dip wods! .quit being bottom feeders
    sorry…did I go to far??

  2. Peter Kwiatkowski October 27, 2011 at 12:47 am #

    Yes, and perfect image for this post–love the photo

    • fairlyspiritual October 27, 2011 at 1:34 am #

      That photo is of a sculpture my brother-in-law Jon Cancro made. So thanks!

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