We should always be on guard against harboring inaccurate stereotypes — not because it’s unPC, but because it interferes with our ability to perceive things as they are.
For instance: A blog tends to draw a lot of people who post outrageous statements, angry provocations and a whole lot of Big Talk under pseudonyms. Lacking other information, you tend to picture people who are either jerks all the time — and I don’t want to think that of them — or they are these Caspar Milquetoast types who get frustrated all day saying "Yes, sir; no, sir" to the world, or being bossed around by their wives, or whatever, and this is their dirty little outlet.
I’m picturing someone who, in "Brad Warthen’s Blog: The Movie," would best be played by someone like the late character actor John Fiedler. You don’t know the name, but you might recognize the photo, or remember him from some of his roles. (I didn’t know his name either; I had to figure out who played timid, squeaky-voiced Juror #2 in "12 Angry Men.")
But either the stereotype is completely wrong, or there are some fascinating departures from the type. Turns out that even brash, openly obnoxious, Big Shot CEOs like to hide behind fake names. This story is priceless:
UNRAVELING RAHODEB
A Grocer’s Brash Style
Takes Unhealthy Turn
Were Posts by Mackey,
CEO of Whole Foods,
A Case of Ethics, or Ego?
By DAVID KESMODEL and JONATHAN EIG
July 20, 2007; Page A1
John Mackey has never needed the anonymity of the Internet to speak bluntly.
"I’m going to destroy you," the co-founder and chief executive of Whole Foods Market Inc. shouted at Perry Odak, CEO of Wild Oats Markets Inc., the first time the two men met six years ago at a retailing conference in Manhattan, according to Mr. Odak.
At that time, Mr. Mackey had already established a reputation as a maverick, whose growing chain of upscale natural-foods stores was shaking up the way traditional grocers did business. Officials at Whole Foods say Mr. Mackey tells a different version of the story — with milder language — but the confrontation has nonetheless become part of his food-industry legend. Mr. Mackey’s combativeness became even more widely known with the revelation last week that he used an alias for nearly eight years to post messages on Yahoo Finance message boards, bashing competitors and praising everything from his company’s quarterly financial performance to his own haircut…
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