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which this new letter is addressed? Wouldn't a hyperlink come in handy?

There is some generational divide between those who read newspapers and those who read online, but such anonymous or semi-anonymous activity in the online world is known as "drive-by commenting" and is looked down upon. This is why many blogs and most online news sites will not allow you to leave a comment without you first providing valid contact information. To be clear, I am not saying that all letter to the editor writers are cowardly, only that they would probably be perceived as such in the online world if they provided no avenue for contact or follow-up.

Of course where accountability is absent, bad behavior flourishes.

The convenience of the anonymity of being published in the letters section of a newspaper is second only to the convenience of the same anonymity afforded to those who comment on others' comments. If that sentence sounds convoluted, try following a thread of "conversation" as it happens in a newspaper.

Everyone who posts to the Digital Journal knows exactly how many times their article has been viewed and how many comments it has generated. In the last four days, my article has had almost 900 views and generated 87 comments.

How many people read your last letter to the editor?

Learn more about this author, Michael Krahn.
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