Identity crisis
A recent note from a reader:
"This for the person who chooses the letters to publish, since I was not able to get through on the suggested way to comment on letters: In the Greensboro land line telephone directory there are 4 Bill Smiths, 3 Billy Smiths and 16 William Smiths, several of whom other than myself are known to friends and associates as 'Bill.' "
"I have been asked several times by friends here at Friends Homes at Guilford if I wrote a recent letter signed 'Bill Smith,' with no further identification. Probably there were others also whose acquaintances wondered, whether or not they were asked.
"Would it not be a good idea to be more specific about the writer when such a very common name is attached to a letter? For example, you might include an address, phone number, or something else. You can be sure that people do read these letters."
"Cordially, (Rev.) William C Smith Jr."
As a guy named Allen Johnson, I feel your pain, Rev. Smith. The last time I looked, there were three of us in the Greensboro phone book. Then there's the Olympic track star Allen Johnson. Plus a guy named Alan Johnson, who happens to be my neighbor ...and college classmate (poor guy; he got some of my calls then, too).
This issue comes up from time to time in the case of common names and letters to the editor (in fact, I've posted about it before).
For instance, Donald Moore, president and general manager of the Greensboro Grasshoppers, has been confused with another Don Moore, a frequent letter writer. The Hoppers' Moore, then with the Greensboro Bats, once wrote a letter to make clear the distinction between the two.
The issue had become especially dicey since Donald C. Moore was vice president of the Greensboro Sports Council and the other Don Moore was a frequent and outspoken critic of coliseum Managing Director Matt Brown.
As for our general policy, while we encourage people with such names to add initials and Jr. Sr., etc., to avoid confusion, we don't require it.
We don't however, publish addresses or phone numbers, only their cities or towns -- we do require addresses and phone numbers for our records -- to help protect letter writers' privacy.
P.S. From the Shameless Promotion Dept.: Donald C. Moore is our latest NewsMaker interview.