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NOW, I’M PRETTY sure bloggers say such things for a perfectly good reason. i think they mean to give their visitors feel a small sense of security about engaging in discussions about the the topic/issue.Oh sure, I know what it technically means; that the e-mail will not be visible to other readers. And even when they say they will hide it, it doesn’t mean they will NOT (or NEVER!) expose, to interested parties my email or IP. Both things can lead people right upto my front door. And to boot, people the likes of whom I’m so not likely to invite over for a coffee, surely. Come on. Not even the most well-connected blogger will be delighted to have these flers turn up at their homes.

That’s why, hereon, even if it’s specifically and explicitly promised that my email will never be exposed to anyone other than the blog owner, I daren’t believe it.

I mean, saw how even that gungho blogger who blog fearlessly, obediently and without resistance, handed over his hardware? Dude had with direct links to a most impressive network of NGOs, independent media and politicus. Stuff that dude meekly handed everything over without a squeak included data. 

Data that had email addresses and IPs of everyone who’s ever agreed or disagreed with his views. Views that were political or otherwise. Circumspect or Otherwise. Fair or Otherwise. Wise or otherwise. It makes me worry about my comments 

Oh ya, sure there’s (supposed to be) this All-Blogs alliance, presumably set up to protect bloggers. But whither the protection for commentors participating in genuine discourse in blogs?

Now, what’s a blog without commentors? How useful or effective a communication tool in public discourse will blogs be without commentors?

Thankfully, there’s still ONE place I know where one can safely scrutinise or air views critical of the government or authorities. Letters to Malaysiakini. Those flers will resist.

I’M PRETTY SURE of it.