Who is "Mr. Scratch"?

[_Ray A]

But this is my point, Ray. You know all this stuff about me by reading my posts, and not because I've told you who I "really" am (meaning giving you a bunch of irrelevant personal information, like the name of my cat, or my real name).

And what do I know from reading Scratch's posts? What DCP eats. Who whispered what to whom. Who got banned from MAD, etc.. When asked for more details about what he believes, his reply is that he prefers not to say. Why? So others can't attack him. We know nothing about this Chief Prosecutor, Dude.

Oh yeah, and your avatar is so great Ray.

Thank you. I like it too.

[_Yoda]

..avatar doesn't look like some stern, dour prosecutor.

Ray...my friend..you really need to get out more. You really don't know who Scratch's avatar is?

It's "The Architect" from the Matrix movies!

And, if you read some of his prior threads, he has revealed pieces of his personal life...at least about as much as any of us reveal.

Personal items about Scratch I have picked up on:

He is an active Mormon who questions a lot of Church policies (like many of us here).
He is married, and in his early to mid-30's.
He likes the Matrix movies (rather a given with the avatar choice).
He is well-read.
He has a graduate degree, but I'm not sure what the topic is.

As far as comparing Scratch to Mr. Itchy, I think that comparison is rather low. Mr. Itchy published personal information about Dr. Shades, stalked him, and also showed scary behavior toward his family.

While Scratch is guilty of publishing personal information about a couple of posters on MAD, i.e. Juliann and Pahoran, they had both already made their names public on other forums. Scratch didn't actually think he was violating anyone's privacy. He also publicly apologized for posting the information (which was only names, not address information etc. like Mr. Itchy did with Shades) and removed the information from his blog.

Scratch is no angel. There are things that he has said and done that I have disagreed with him about and told him so.

I do, however, think that Scratch has a good heart, and is trying to find answers to things that conflict him like many of the rest of us are.

As far as Scratch's anonymity is concerned, I don't think he's being any more or less truthful about his identity than most of us here. We all use some sort of pseudonym. Frankly, I think that using pseudonyms on the Internet is more about safety than anything else. I've had many arguments about this with Plutarch.

Bottom line---I try to give people the benefit of the doubt. Maybe that's stupid, but that's my nature.

[_The Dude]

When asked for more details about what he believes, his reply is that he prefers not to say. Why? So others can't attack him. We know nothing about this Chief Prosecutor, Dude.

So you feel cheated b/c you can't make personal attacks on Mr. Scratch? Dangit, but that doesn't raise my opinion of you. Hopefully I misunderstand you, and there is actually a better reason for your personal interest in Mr. Scratch's personal information.

Instead, why don't we encourage him to make more substantive posts? I think he does, from time to time, especially when he goes back and digs through an old thread and provides a synopsis. I find that useful, and interesting, and substantive; cyber-historical, if you will.

[_Blixa]

I can't see why the anonymity issue still looms so large for some people. While there are abusers of internet anonymity, most of us feel it necessary for a modicum of safety. And while some posters here are more egregious in their level of attack (ad hominems are not conventionally understood as critical discourse), most are not. And most engage in various kinds of critical commentary of the ideas of other posters, authors and public figures and not attacks that cross the line and threaten somone's offline reality.

[_Ray A]

Ray...my friend..you really need to get out more. You really don't know who Scratch's avatar is?

It's "The Architect" from the Matrix movies!

And, if you read some of his prior threads, he has revealed pieces of his personal life...at least about as much as any of us reveal.

Personal items about Scratch I have picked up on:

He is an active Mormon who questions a lot of Church policies (like many of us here).
He is married, and in his early to mid-30's.
He likes the Matrix movies (rather a given with the avatar choice).
He is well-read.
He has a graduate degree, but I'm not sure what the topic is.

As far as comparing Scratch to Mr. Itchy, I think that comparison is rather low. Mr. Itchy published personal information about Dr. Shades, stalked him, and also showed scary behavior toward his family.

While Scratch is guilty of publishing personal information about a couple of posters on MAD, I.e. Juliann and Pahoran, they had both already made their names public on other forums. Scratch didn't actually think he was violating anyone's privacy. He also publicly apologized for posting the information (which was only names, not address information etc. like Mr. Itchy did with Shades) and removed the information from his blog.

Scratch is no angel. There are things that he has said and done that I have disagreed with him about and told him so.

I do, however, think that Scratch has a good heart, and is trying to find answers to things that conflict him like many of the rest of us are.

As far as Scratch's anonymity is concerned, I don't think he's being any more or less truthful about his identity than most of us here. We all use some sort of pseudonym. Frankly, I think that using pseudonyms on the Internet is more about safety than anything else. I've had many arguments about this with Plutarch.

Bottom line---I try to give people the benefit of the doubt. Maybe that's stupid, but that's my nature.

I know the avatar, Liz, and I have read where Scratch mentioned about his love of the Matrix movies. The information you gave, however, is far more than what I knew. As you may appreciate, I don't peruse these boards as much as you do, and I'd bet this is also news to many other posters. Early to mid thirties? Interesting. Active Mormon? I had read this, but frankly didn't believe it. Is this why he preserves his anonymity? What would his bishop think to find out what he posts here? I know what I would think if I were his bishop, so the anonymity bit is now clearer.

Okay Liz, someone needs to tell "Mister Scratch" that he is like a stalker and I personally know of the offence and hurt his false accusations have caused people, and not just one or two people. Fortunately, Mr. Itchy has ceased his blog, and apparently commentary - Scratch hasn't. His personal innuendo and attacks continue. There is no self-restraint here. My responses on this forum have been largely because of this.

Again, this isn't about pseudonymns! This is about unprincipled people who use pseudonyms to defame and slander other people while protecting their own anonymity, so they won't be hurt! How cowardly is that? Many of us know who Dr. Shades is, and I'd be the first to object to personal attacks on him or his family, apart of course from the usual forum banter and exchanges which we all have to endure. Who moderates this forum? According to you all - we the posters, do. So consider this my little bit of "moderation" opinion. It's all very simple - if you treat me, and others, the way you would like to be treated, we will get on fine. I am not thin skinned, and I can take criticism, as well as give it, but everyone has borders.

Finally, if any think this is some personal vendetta I'm carrying out, bear in mind that I was not attacked when I lost my "formerly calm poster" image, according to Scratch. I "lost it" because of the continuing personal attacks on others. There must be room and allowance made for rough and tumble and sometimes sarcastic exchanges on every forum. But I'm sure you'd agree that the previous remark about my daughter was below the belt. I don't give a hoot about Scratch digging up what I wrote on ZLMB, or what "cyber-historical" insights that gives, to me that's piss off the wall. But the remark about my daughter on the other forum is hurtful to this day, because it's entirely untrue! I won't deny the past, but I won't put up with false accusations against me or my family - and that is the issue at stake here, not "privacy". Distortions, innuendo, and untruths about others.

[_Dr. Shades]

Again, this isn't about pseudonymns! . . . But I'm sure you'd agree that the previous remark about my daughter was below the belt. . . . the remark about my daughter on the other forum is hurtful to this day, because it's entirely untrue! I won't deny the past, but I won't put up with false accusations against me or my family - and that is the issue at stake here, not "privacy".

Do you think that perhaps that's the reason Mister Scratch is in cognito--to prevent false accusations against him or his family, just like what happened to your daughter?

[_Ray A]

So you feel cheated b/c you can't make personal attacks on Mr. Scratch? Dangit, but that doesn't raise my opinion of you. Hopefully I misunderstand you, and there is actually a better reason for your personal interest in Mr. Scratch's personal information.

Dude, first of all, as I said before, I really don't care what your personal opinion of me is. I don't go to bed at night wondering "what does The Dude think of me?"

Instead, why don't we encourage him to make more substantive posts? I think he does, from time to time, especially when he goes back and digs through an old thread and provides a synopsis. I find that useful, and interesting, and substantive; cyber-historical, if you will.

He can dig and misread and mis-interpret all he wants, especially while ignoring the current perspective. The "mystery" to me is why he doesn't do this with Kevin Graham. I wouldn't do it to Kevin Graham, because he has moved on from being a TBM.

[_Ray A]

Again, this isn't about pseudonymns! . . . But I'm sure you'd agree that the previous remark about my daughter was below the belt. . . . the remark about my daughter on the other forum is hurtful to this day, because it's entirely untrue! I won't deny the past, but I won't put up with false accusations against me or my family - and that is the issue at stake here, not "privacy".

Do you think that perhaps that's the reason Mister Scratch is in cognito--to prevent false accusations against him or his family, just like what happened to your daughter?

Apples and oranges. "Mister Scratch" is the vilifier and the one spreading innuendo. He can protect himself and his family by desisting. He's putting on the "armour" because he knows what he's doing is unprincipled. Why else would he be so cautious about his identity? I will remind you of how my daughter was slandered. I had pictures of my daughters in my avatar trusting that no one would go so low, and I had no reason to believe that they would go so low because I was not an aggressor on that forum, but I was backed into a corner about my views on the Book of Mormon, and pretty much told that if I couldn't utter the "F" word (fraud, that is), I was not a "true exmo". I did not want this. It was a social forum, and all I wanted to do was talk about politics and social issues, but some felt "uncomfortable" that I still had a belief in the Book of Mormon, and that's where the bitter exchanges began.

[_Yoda]

I won't deny the past, but I won't put up with false accusations against me or my family - and that is the issue at stake here, not "privacy".

Ray, I was unaware that Scratch had made comments about your family. You had mentioned to me in a prior conversation that posters on RfM and other forums had said terrible things about your daughter, but I don't recall you specifically naming Scratch. (It is also important to note that someone, apparently, impersonated Scratch on RfM. He always signs in as "Mister Scratch" and someone apparently signed in as "Mr. Scratch" and talked trash about DCP. After the comments from RfM were reported to moderators on FAIR, Scratch was banned from FAIR based on these allegations, which he has, to this day, denied.)

If Scratch did, in fact, say those things, then you have every right to be angry. If he had said things like that on this board, they would have been removed by me. That type of behavior is uncalled for.

I don't recall reading anything on this board by Scratch where he personally attacked your family, your children in particular. If there is such an attack, please provide a link. This is something that Shades, Bond, and I need to be aware of as moderators.

From a personal standpoint, I'm sure you know that I get a little squeamish when the personal "scrappiness" between posters goes too far. If both posters are defending themselves, I don't say too much, but I will inject some type of "motherly" reminder that we need to play nice if someone is saying things that are truly below the belt. Coggins can tell you that I have taken Mercury and PP to task before for referring to Coggins' prior drinking history. I have also chastised Coggins before when he has been overtly rude to Harmony concerning her temple recommend. These chastisements, however, have not been in an official "Moderator" stance, but in a "Liz" stance.

His personal innuendo and attacks continue.

Again, who has Scratch "attacked"? He and DCP have an ongoing board war, but frankly, DCP has always managed to defend himself quite nicely if Scratch says anything that particularly bothers him.

My understanding is that Scratch and DCP have exchanged emails, so DCP may very well know more about Scratch than any of us are aware of.

Okay Liz, someone needs to tell "Mister Scratch" that he is like a stalker and I personally know of the offence and hurt his false accusations have caused people, and not just one or two people.

Who are these numerous people, and how have they been hurt?

[_Ray A]

Ray, I was unaware that Scratch had made comments about your family. You had mentioned to me in a prior conversation that posters on RfM and other forums had said terrible things about your daughter, but I don't recall you specifically naming Scratch.

Scratch has not made any personal comments about my family, Liz. I may not have worded that properly, if you read Scratch into my comments about my daughters. It's late here, too, you know - 2.15 am. Scratch can call me "unprincipled", or any names he wants, like "hick bonehead". I've called him names too. He can even call me a publican and a wine bibber. That's not the issue. However, it should be noted that I did not start this round of name-calling, Scratch did, and I backed off for a long while.

Who are these numerous people, and how have they been hurt?

I didn't say there were "numerous people". I can go back to Scratch's blog, and his board obsession with Juliann, DCP, and Pahoran, to start with, but other comments as well. I've already mentioned all of this in my past posts, quoting Scratch, which I may have to do again. I am under no illusion that I will have any affect on the "obsession board", but I'm giving my opinion anyway. Bond does not offend me. No other commentator does, but Scratch has a particularly mean-spirited way of commenting with innuendo and accusation, and I will, if I have to, make further comments on this later, and even provide evidences. Remember, I am not concerned about who the hell Bond is, though I do know he's not and never has been a Mormon. He's been pretty upfront, and copped some criticism and sarcasm from me because of his openness. That I have no problem with. I've given Shades a dose or two, but I don't see the mean-spiritedness in Shades, though I entirely disagree with his views on Mormonism, and I even recall DCP saying he had nothing personal against Shades, because Shades understands the boundaries (though he's powerless to do much in a "free speech" forum). Scratch doesn't and it now appears to me that age and experience may be a factor in this.

I really have to get to bed - 3am. And my working week begins today. In 12 hours.