Pseudonymous commenters - this blogger's attitude to masked conversations

I very seldom publish Anonymous comments - but many of my commenters use pseudonyms. Of these, I am aware of the identity of quite a few - mostly through personal e-mail contacts; sometimes through finding-out who they are for myself, by following links, or doing my own web searches.

I certainly have a different attitude to comments from people whose identities I know, than I do to 'some random, unidentified pseudonymous character' who leaves a comment, or many comments.

The difference is that I treat the known commenters with much greater 'respect' (although this may not be obvious; since I am an unusually irritable and bad tempered individual!)

It seems to me that many pseudonymous commenters expect to be treated as individuals, and with a consideration and courtesy that - to me - seems appropriate and natural only to those with whom I have some kind of personal relationship...

At any rate I find myself relatively indifferent to the 'feelings' of pseudonymous-unidentified commenters as compared with how I deal with comments from those whose identity I know.

I don't apologise for this! It seems only natural and proper to treat people differently and worse in the context of a one-sided interaction where they know all about me; but I know nothing of them.

It is (psychologically) rather as if we were having a face-to-face conversation during which they insisted on wearing a mask and speaking via a voice-disguiser!