Naming Names - Tread Softly?

That meeting I mentioned in the last post? Well, I had it - or more accurately, half of it. I spoke to the Executive Director of the organization but the person I really came to see called in sick. That's life. I really hope she feels better soon. I'm hopeful we'll get together shortly and see if there are some mutually shared interests.

If you happened to check the blog between now and yesterday, you saw a version of this post that included this person's name and the name of her organization. I have changed that after giving it some thought.

As explained in the description of this blog it is a beta site, meaning in this case that I am experimenting and learning as I go rather than the technology is being improved as we go along. One of the ideas worth discussing in the back-and-forth of the blog comments is the idea of when to use another person's name and when not to use that name. If you are dealing with a living person there are some things to consider.

One aspect is whether the person is a public or private figure. Public figures, like politicians, movie and rock stars, for example, have entered a public arena. It is logical to assume that the majority of people who write about John McCain or Barack Obama, have not spoken to them directly and received personal permission to use their name. Private individuals being interviewed in narratives for publication are in a different category. If you were the one being interviewed or named you would like to know that fact and also make the decision about whther to include your name.

Between those two extremes is a band of grayer ground. Professors and business people have an expectation of privacy but at the same time if they have high public profiles or published works in the public sector they have less protection than a purely private person. I did not ask Donald Trump or Professor Clyde Bentley (University of Missouri J-School prof) if I could use their name and there is little they can do about the fact that I did other than be irritated.

But, if I intentionally or unintentionally use Clyde's name to boost the value, perceived or real, of an enterprise in which I am engaged without his permission, there is an ethical concern. Plus whatever friendship we have may suffer.

That, really, is why I changed the preceding post to omit personal and organizational names. Until I have received permission or a relationship is formalized, I think such naming is inappropriate. I offer a sincere apology, also, to any parties offended by my action. And although the attached photo may describe the situation with the number of people who actually view this blog in its current unpublicized state, if even one person gets the wrong impression from doing that, I have contributed to playing on someone else's good work.

It is something worth serious consideration when publishing to any online medium.