Thanks for your note, Peter, and apologies for answering so late. You make a good point and we'll consider explaining why we don't have bylines. The answer is that the writers either live in China or have family back in China who can be (and have been) pressured or harassed by the government. Therefore they request to remain anonymous.
I learn a great deal from these posts, and am obliged to those who write them. But why do readers never learn the writer's identity? This is problematic. If (say, in this case), the writer still lives in Hong Kong, or in China, and fears for their safety or for that of their family, that is one thing. It is quite another if the writer is safely ensconced in a Western capital. Anonymized writing is irresponsible writing, quite literally: it hides from attribution. Suggestion: In these posts, either state the writer's name or state that the name cannot be mentioned for a particular reason. And if Ian Johnson is the writer of all these posts - though that is unlikely - say so. If this suggestion is rejected, please explain why it is rejected.
Thanks for your note, Peter, and apologies for answering so late. You make a good point and we'll consider explaining why we don't have bylines. The answer is that the writers either live in China or have family back in China who can be (and have been) pressured or harassed by the government. Therefore they request to remain anonymous.
I learn a great deal from these posts, and am obliged to those who write them. But why do readers never learn the writer's identity? This is problematic. If (say, in this case), the writer still lives in Hong Kong, or in China, and fears for their safety or for that of their family, that is one thing. It is quite another if the writer is safely ensconced in a Western capital. Anonymized writing is irresponsible writing, quite literally: it hides from attribution. Suggestion: In these posts, either state the writer's name or state that the name cannot be mentioned for a particular reason. And if Ian Johnson is the writer of all these posts - though that is unlikely - say so. If this suggestion is rejected, please explain why it is rejected.