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August 31, 2006

Politician wades online incognito to applaud himself, amusing some natives

Fascinating. In the Rochester, Minn., Post-Bulletin, a politician is exposed as his own biggest fan. I couldn't tell where this story was going. Jim Romenesko boils it down:

A reporter noticed similarities in the way that user "127179" writes and Rochester city councilman Pat Carr talks. Post-Bulletin managing editor Jay Furst warned Carr in April and July that if he continued to post self-congratulatory or intentionally misleading comments to the website, the paper might report that as news. The Post-Bulletin did that today.

Here's the lead of Online praise for Pat Carr -- from Pat Carr:

The most outspoken member of the Rochester City Council is also an active user of the Post-Bulletin's Web site and frequently comments about local issues, politics and even other council members.

But most online users don't know that "127179," as he is identified on the Web site, is really Pat Carr, the council member and a candidate for Rochester mayor in this fall's election.

Only newspaper subscribers may comment, so your login nails you here.

Carr is unapologetic. The paper doesn't judge his action, beyond exposing that this ardent Carr fan is Carr -- but the story seems eager to explain why it publicly identifed a user:

Carr on Monday acknowledged he wrote all of the past comments except one, which he said a friend wrote while visiting his office.

"If people want to trash me, I have the right to stand up and defend myself," he said. "I stand by what I said."

The Post-Bulletin's terms of service for online users, including people who post comments on stories as Carr does, state that "users are not guaranteed anonymity." The P-B newsroom doesn't make a regular practice of checking identities of online users, but a reporter noticed similarities in the way "127179" writes and Carr talks.

Here's a pdf of Carr's comments the Post-Bulletin subsequently assembled.

It includes the howler of 127179 (Carr) insinuating another commenter is a political enemy, and calling him out with, "188395: Your feelings are strong. Maybe you'd have the courage to sign your name to your attack dog missives..."

Comments are published in a blue column to the right of the story, and 127179 is right in there commenting on this most recent story about him, as other unknown commenters also discuss him.

Still others are concerned that something they write might suffer the same fate at the hands of a Post-Bulletin staffer, and end up named in their own newspaper story. (The editor did warn Carr, a public figure, that continuing in this vein made him "fair game for news stories.")

A couple even saw an opportunity to require real names and full disclosure on all posts, which would send everybody back into their own opaque bubbles, content to be merely audience again. (As though letters to the editor aren't gamed.)

Just when this can't get any wierder, the story ends with something like a Zen koan from Council President Dennis Hanson:

"I think, in our business, that we let actions speak louder than words," Hanson said. "Again, our words are our actions and it's unfortunate that did take place."

The reaction in blog comments at Say Anything (This Guy Could Be Rochester Minnesota's Next Mayor) tend to give Carr points for interacting with his critics online at all.

Do you have a coherent opinion about any part of this?

Posted by Sheila Lennon  at 1:40 AM | Permalink