Cameron Slater

Cameron Slater cracks me up. I don't know what is funnier though. His apparent belief that stuff like this is actually important. Or his apparent belief that I am important enough to waste quality stalking time on.

Firstly, I mean really, I am not stupid enough to think that people cannot discover my real name whether it is via facebook or any other means of which there are plenty. If I wanted to be truly anonymous I would not blog. I actually don't care if people know my real name. But I prefer to blog under a pseudonym. That's my call.

Secondly I am actually quite open about what I do for a job on this blog. You don't need google to discover where I work - it's on the 'authors' page right here.

Oh and it should not be that surprising to people, but if you are a bit slow on the old uptake like Mr Grease, let me tell you a secret - some union officials are active in the Labour Party, not because they get paid, but because they are left wingers who like to do their bit. I actually joined the Labour Party 7 years before I was employed by a union.

Thirdly the headline of this blog says 'Labour views on NZ politics'. So I don't think Jordan has ever claimed to be independent despite Mr Slater's seemingly orgasmic excitement that he has somehow outed us.

Finally, I am very flattered that sardine boy seems to think that I am worth the effort. This blog is not particularly popular and my role in the Labour Party is not in any way powerful. In a nutshell - I am a very unimportant person. So thanks for the ego boost Cam!

I hope you enjoy my posts whether you come across them from blog feeds or because you are a mate who has seen something pop up on my facebook page. I enjoy writing them and will continue to do so.

Comments

[Dean]

If that's the case then why do you post under an assumed name?
Sorry, your argument isn't holding much water.

[Dolan]

Because I want to. Same reason Whale does not post as Cameron Slater even though everyone knows who he is. Perhaps you could ask him why he does it? In the interests of consistency???

[Cactus Kate]

Cameron uses the term "Whale Oil" solely for corporate branding. I've never met him when he hasn't been sporting a Whale Oil t-shirt.

Is Dolan your corporate brand?

[Clint Heine]

If you keep on writing posts like this then I recommend continuing to hide your true identity. However there is a difference between as you say in your profile as "held a number of roles in the party" and being the actual Labours Northern Region Chair. That might have been better explained as it does tend to show another link between Labour and the EPMU.

[Dean]

"Because I want to. Same reason Whale does not post as Cameron Slater even though everyone knows who he is. Perhaps you could ask him why he does it? In the interests of consistency???"

In fact, "Dolan", everyone else on this site's "about" page names themselves.

You did not.

It's like you're actually trying to score an own goal and then pretending it was all a part of your cunning plan all along. What is it with you EPMU folk? It's like you're actually attempting to pretend you're not running Labour these days.

[Clint Heine]

It is hilarious that the Labour Party gets extremely precious when they are compared to the EPMU and yet so many of them are in high places incl the president. It's rotten all the way through! It is almost like you think the public won't figure it out :)

Now Dolan/Enzo, you just need to be more careful who you pick your fights with!

[Dolan]

Cactus (if in fact that is your real name) to answer your question, no, Dolan is not a corporate name, it is a subtle nod to a regular column I wrote in the Young Labour newsletter about 6 or 7 years ago.

You people are meant to be about freedom and choice. I choose to use a pseudonym. If Stephen King can call himself Richard Bachman then I can call myself Dolan or whatever else I feel like at the time. Get over it. In the nicest possible way ;-)

[Julie]

Dolan I never knew you were so powerful! To think that all this time you were in fact a Senior Figure in Labour, and now also the EPMU! Sounds like you should be due for a pay rise to me ;-)

I seem to recall that when Whaleoil started out he was quite assiduous in defending his pseudonymous nature. To the point where he posted some photos of his family but blurred out his own face. And there was all that stuff about who his father was too. I didn't follow it in great detail though.

I thought we had something of a culture in the NZ pol blogosphere that we respected people's psuedonyms and didn't out them even if they were on the other side. Sad to see that's changing. So far it seems to have been mainly bloggers on the right outing those on the left - and even creating trouble with their employers for things they do in their own time. Bit sad for members of the Free Speech Coalition to be doing that.

As Cactus knows very well there are many reasons why someone might use a pseudonym. And many bloggers who hang in for the long haul seem to migrate out of secret psuedonym over time (as Cameron Slater has). Dolan's just starting out, why can't his choices about his writing be respected?

[Dolan]

Hey Julie, thanks for your comments. Stuff the pay rise though, I am looking for ways to use this power I never knew I had. I feel some smiting might be in order!

[Tony Milne]

Goodness, surely there are more serious things for people to be concerned about...

Ignore them Dolan!

[Barnsley Bill]

Julie, whilst I agree with your comments about respecting pseudonyms I strongly disagree when the bloggers are employees of labour and the EPMU and pretending they are not. This comment is not directed at the authors here by the way.

[Dean]

"If Stephen King can call himself Richard Bachman then I can call myself Dolan or whatever else I feel like at the time. Get over it. In the nicest possible way ;-)"

Stephen King also refuted that he was Bachman for quite a while. Which brings us back to the original point - you attempting to hide behind an assumed name.

Care to try again?

[BK Drinkwater]

Scandal! Blogger with opinions seeks to advance said opinions through non-blogging means like membership in political parties or unions! Blogger blogs under pseudonym!

As much it pains me to admit this, I'm with you on this one, Dolan. I've always been of the opinion that arguments should stand or fall on their merits, independent of who advances them.

There are all sorts of good reasons someone might want to use a pseudonym, and so long as it doesn't degenerate into sock puppetry, there's nothing at all wrong with it.

The only reason I don't blog under a pseudonym is that I find my own name easier to remember.

[Clint Heine]

I think you'll find Cameron was pretty upfront with who he was from the beginning. Julie is being economical with the truth about the blurring - as it was children he was blurring, which is actually very commonplace in all media.

Dolan - the only one on this blog who I think says anything entertaining and knowledgeable - should be a little more honest about it all. It's not that difficult and because the EPMU do have such close relations to the main opposition party we should as taxpayers know whats going on.

The Standard are fair game as well - they are, despite their protests, very close to the action.

[Julie]

Clint I'm not being economical with the truth at all. Maybe we have different recollections, but I clearly recall Slater blurring his own face in a picture about fishing, but NOT the face of the child. It was probably about 4 years ago, and no doubt it's all long consigned to the google cache. Pretty sure I won't be the only one who remembers Slater not being very out about his identity for a long time though. Maybe you knew who he was from the beginning, because you know those people, but I certainly didn't for ages.

The point remains - why out Dolan when we have long had a culture of respecting people's choices about pseudonyms?

Other than Lynn Prentice I only know of one person who I know for sure writes for The Standard and I'm not sure which pseudonym they use. After some initial curiosity I don't really care all that much who they are - I can decide for myself what is spin and what is not, just as I do with other blogs.