I would say with a great degree of certainty, if not with certainty, 'shame' would be the wrong prefix. The logical reason is self-preservation. Anonymity makes a great mantle of invisibility to cover any repercussions for misdeeds.

This syndrome not only reigns in the organisations but also in the online forum. My letters used to appear in the printed forum, where dissenters also stood by their views under their names. At present they appear online. Here, the norm is anonymity, where those antithetic to my views push theirs, sometimes with strong implications as to my veracity. There is a great difference between what I say and what the online dissenters say. The difference lies in my name, and theirs which hides behind a cloak of anonymity. No real name, only a pseudonym.

Why is there this fear to put one's name to what one believes? The Straits Times Forum (printed) will not print my letter unless it is accompanied by name, address, phone number, by which I can be verified as the person asserting what is said. When my letter appears online brickbats can be hurled at me by invisible people, sometimes with exotic nomenclature. Invisibility confers bravery because it carries no responsibility or substantiality; only a mirage which is neither here nor there. To put it simply, a person with no real name to back his asserveration is the one whose veracity is questioned.

Such a situation can breed frivolity as one netizen said, he (maybe she) had no valid basis for the dissension and, therefore, resorted to throwing smoke. I have no contention with valid dissenting views because they help to green the pasture of ideas and, as the English philosopher, John Stuart Mill, said: 'There is the greatest difference between assuming an opinion to be true because with every opportunity for refuting it it has not been refuted and assuming its truth for the purpose of not allowing its refutation'.

Any confrontation over an issue will carry more weight if presented logically. Personal jibes show there is no substance from the presenter, only smoke to confuse for confusion's sake.

Dudley Au