Dear All,
I posted a note to the list with several paragraphs I did not intend to send.
Cameron Tonkinwise made what seemed to me a harsh and unjustifiable
accusation in condemning me for "unethical research." This seemed so
serious that I wrote many drafts trying to understand the reasoning
behind this accusation and the real reasons for such an accusation.
In several drafts, I thought through my relationship with Cameron and
discussed our past encounters. These issues are irrelevant to the
main point: Cameron accused me of unethical research practices. I
edited the irrelevant material out, but I copied and posted the wrong
draft.
I post below the first section of the letter, as I should have posted it.
I apologize to the list for the fact that I did not edit my post
carefully enough. I apologize to Cameron for discussing these issues
in a public forum. IMHO, this is exactly the kind of material that
ought to be private.
It seems to me I ought not to be taking part in this discussion at
this time. I allowed Cameron's accusation and Jan's thoughtful
question to draw me out. This was a mistake. I will not respond to
anything further on this matter until I have had time to reflect and
digest.
Teena is right to say that discussing this "is precisely the process
with which one does move on." For the moment, however, I will not
participate.
I wish you all an excellent Christmas and a happy new year.
Ken Friedman
--
Revised section of letter to list:
-snip-
Cameron Tonkinwise wrote,
"It goes to the heart of the matter. Ken
Friedman did not just assume an avatar.
To conduct his unethical research experi-
ment - what an example for a PhD list! -
he could have assumed the avatar of any
young male. That he chose to impersonate
a woman when negotiating issues of author-
ity makes this matter greatly more serious."
Cameron accuses me of unethical research. This is a serious charge.
It is clear that I used a pseudonym. In doing so, I deceived the
other members of this list. In creating a pseudonym, I chose an
identity that would be far removed from my real person. I shifted
gender from male to female. I changed the role from full-time
academic to working professional. I changed the academic status from
professor to that of a part-time graduate student. I created details
to bring this character to life.
Again, I state that this was not research, it was not a carefully
considered ploy, and it was not an experiment. I created what would
have been called a pen name (nom de plume, pseudonym) in another
context.
I cannot see how anyone can misconstrue my act as a research
experiment. This is no more a research experiment than the actions of
anyone who has ever created a pseudonym for any purpose.
I created and used a pseudonym. I apologized for an act of mistaken
judgment. The act was purposeful. The judgment was mistaken.
If Cameron deems this unforgivable, it is his right not to forgive me.
It is not Cameron's right to mislabel the use of a pseudonym as an
"unethical research experiment."
One thing Cameron writes - in a second post - is correct:
"Ken may have avoided some of the
reactions to what he did, if Cindy HAD been
viewed as a research project."
-snip-
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