Just Letters No Filters: The Sequel

I received this comment (through my e-mail notification) from Larry Williams.  The comment didn't appear on the blog, but I'm assuming that he wanted me to publish this.  If I misunderstood, my bad:

Tom -

While I do not condone anonymous blog sites, I want to at least commend you for using your name when you post items to PA Online.

I find many of the comments on the site generally offensive - but then again I feel the same way when I see a tabloid at the check out stand.

Of course I'm assuming that you are not the perpetrator who started the "Just Letters No Filters" site.

It is a sham of a kind that I've never encountered before and it leaves me little choice than to comment on "Just Letters" comment of 11/14/11 at 8:31AM.

I originally looked at the site when I noticed a post under the "Commenting at PDN Site? Facebook Account Require" post you put up on your site on 11/9. "Just Letters" said a new site was being formed in a comment on 11/10 at 10:17AM. I followed the site for a week, and when a couple of comments by Ed Chad went in under the Moderators opening post I thought I'd try to get some clarification about the entire site and what the Moderator was attempting to accomplish.

What follows is what the current post looks like on "Just Letters No Filters" site - there is only 1 posting as of 8:45 PM 11/16/11- all other material has been removed:

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2011
SUCCESS!!!
When I started this blog, it was a kind of experiment...An experiment to see how long it would take a certain obsessive former Port Angeles City Council member who has left the area to find it. Well, now we know. It took less than a week. Some people can't spot a fake, and some people obviously just can't let go...

And for the record, my favorite part of the message from this famously peevish and unpleasant person is when they complained that one letter was written in a "bitterly disrespectful manner." Now let me see...Who can I think of that's written letters to the PDN in a "bitterly disrespectful manner"...Hmmm...

In any case...Experiment: Successful! Thank you, and good night!


That is what I found tonight….the post is in response to a message I sent to the Just Letters moderator via the comment section seeking both information and expressing my disappointment that the site was not what I had expected given what was promised.

(end part 1 of a 3 part post - continued in part 2)


So your readers can see what prompted the above, the following message is what I sent to the Just Letters moderator - it is quoted below in full:


Moderator - the following is not for publication. I know of no other means of communicating with you and you are not authorized to publish this with my name. If you wish to re-word both the questions and answers in an attempt to explain your site to others under on your own, that's fine with me…as long as my name or writing style isn't attached in any way.

First - I agree that the PDN has made it increasingly difficult to express an opinion. I was hoping that this new blog would offer a forum for open and respectful expression that identifies all writers to better ensure accountability.

But I'm puzzled with what I see compared to what I thought was intended.

The first post by Patrick Miller regarding Rich Sill sinks into name calling about half way through. It then delves into unreferenced and unsupported accusations.

The second post by Chris Nelson berates both Linda Barnfather and Jim McEntire in a bitterly disrespectful manner.

The third post by Tom Davis starts off with swearing and berates people for parking their cars on their own property - when sometimes such is a necessity due to street widths or new storm water regulations.

Then there is the post in which a former - terminated - Clallam employee signed a non-disclosure agreement…which you apparently saw…and expects anonymity while continuing the name calling and unsupported allegations. It will take someone at the County about a fraction of a second to figure out who the person is, and it makes you a party to violating the agreement….a non-disclosure agreement usually means not talking about the entire incident and surrounding information, not blabbing about a problem without signing your name.

For the record, I don't know Sill and have no ax to grind regarding him either way.

Having noted those specific inconsistencies, all of this takes place against a backdrop of apparently allowing anonymous comments about any letters published…which, in my mind, make the site no better than the stuff that goes on with the PA Online site.

I'd be happy to listen to your perspective, but at the moment I'm disappointed with what I see so far.

Larry G. Williams, Omak, WA

It was an honest inquiry seeking to determine what the new forum intended

(End part 2 of 3 posts, continued - HTML limits a post to 4096 characters)



(Beginning part 3 of a 3 part post - continued HTML limits a post to 4096 characters)

Regarding Port Angeles Online….months ago I attempted to clarify through a single comment I made on your blog site. I didn't use my name at the time - though I felt the factual information I provided was important. But since I didn't use my name, it didn't feel quite right for me then, and it has bugged me ever since. This will be my last and final post on Port Angeles Online. This settles the score for me.

I will continue to express my opinion through the PDN…it's a printed format with a readership that I can generally relate with. Sometimes my opinions are strong, and at times I toss in the occasional catch phrase to try and stimulate some dialogue about a topic. While using the phrase "cream of the crap" was a little over the top, it reflected my opinion of what has been happening in City Government, and was the beginning of a series of comments I had about the election and what will likely transpire in the future.

What is unfortunate, in my opinion, is the level is angst in online and anonymous post forums without writers feeling the need to take ownership by including their name. When I've commented in the PDN - even if it is a forceful comment, at least people know who is talking. For anyone interested in moving to Port Angeles, and who looks at the town through the lens of your blog site, it seems the town is torn apart and has diminishing opportunities for recovery.

What I find most disturbing is this - "Just Letters" says at 11/14/11 @ 8:31AM above, the following: "No one is going to try to expose you to ridicule." As the current post on Just Letters Not Filters shows, that is not the case. Someone has had a good laugh, and I have no doubt others will cheer with glee as well. Fooled once, shame on you. Fooled twice, shame on me.

Yes, I'm pretty naive about some things, and no it never crossed my mind that the site was a fake. Yes, I will continue to monitor PA Online from time to time…after all, it does reflect a segment of the town even if I don't necessarily agree with it, and don't relate positively to how the media is used in the dissemination. Yes, the hateful comments pointed directly me by unknowns do sting…I'm only human too.

No, I won't be making additional posts, by name or otherwise.

But, Tom, what has happened is an offshoot of your site…and you expressed your support for it beginning. For the sake of anyone wishing to consider trusting or using your site in the future, I'd appreciate you commenting on what has transpired.

Larry G. Williams, Omak, WA (End part 3 of 3)