Comments on: Blogging: It’s a Matter of Trust

By: Disability Insurance

Disability Insurance — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 19:38:28 +0000

I agree with Nina. Coming clean would have changed everything.

By: Disability Insurance

Disability Insurance — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 19:38:00 +0000

I agree with Nina. Coming clean would have changed everything.

By: Julie A. Fleming

Julie A. Fleming — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 22:59:50 +0000

On one hand, I can understand her decision and even the lengths she went to to continue the charade. She created a brand for herself, and she kept that brand pure. It’s possible that nothing else she posted was a lie–all of her opinions could still be true to her beliefs, and it makes sense that if she’s pretending to be male that she would call herself a dad rather than a mom.
Still, it does call into question her integrity. If she’s so willing to lie, and create such in depth lies, about one area of her life, what reason do we have to believe that she hasn’t lied or wouldn’t be willing to lie about others? She could have lied about how much experience or education she has, because that too would make it easier for her to find work. And if she’s blogged about the importance of transparency while outright lying about herself, then I have to question all of her claims. Are they really her beliefs or is she just trying to gain support by posting popular concepts?

By: Julie A. Fleming

Julie A. Fleming — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 22:59:00 +0000

By: Tom Crane

Tom Crane — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 14:59:13 +0000

Sorry, but having read her mea culpa, I find her story sympathetic. Not sure I can accept that a name could make such a difference, but if it did make such a difference and I had kids to support, I might have made the same decision….

By: Tom Crane

Tom Crane — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 14:59:00 +0000

By: Mark Brennan

Mark Brennan — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 17:50:41 +0000

Your feelings on this subject are quite valid, and thoughtfully expressed. For my part, I find this rather innocent deceit much less disturbing than I do the common failure of most bloggers to conform to sound journalistic standards by getting both sides of a story, confirming sources, and otherwise meeting basic standards of fairness that limit the dissemination of misleading or false information about their subjects. I have also found from personal experience that many bloggers, like many journalists, maintain the appearance of objectivity even while they are little better than mouthpieces for an undisclosed political or legal entity or agenda. That is why, although the internet provides a means of expression and publication not long ago unavailable to the ordinary man or woman, the passing from the public arena of great newspapers published in accordance with rigorous journalistic standards is a serious loss to public discourse.

By: Mark Brennan

Mark Brennan — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 17:50:00 +0000

By: Nina Bedford

Nina Bedford — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 06:50:52 +0000

Hi Carolyn, I’ve been following this story with interest and you raise some interesting points -particularly the one on transparency.
Maybe if Chartrand wants to gain back the trust of her community, she will begin using her real name on her blog.
Another article I read suggested that she is hiding her real name to protect another business interest.
It strikes me as odd that she would need to do that, unless her other business is unethical, or she has been breaching the new FTC regulations in some way.
I would feel a whole lot more comfortable with the whole issue, if Chartrand had really come clean.

By: Nina Bedford

Nina Bedford — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 06:50:00 +0000