Won’t the Real Stephen Ward Please Stand Up

Over the past two weeks, several webmasters have contacted me regarding comments I made on their blogs and/or emails I sent them. Normally, I wouldn’t have a problem with this. After all, I leave lots of comments on other blogs and I enjoy reciprocated communication. The problem, however, is that I didn’t actually make any of these comments. Someone else on the internet is using my identity to further his or her own agenda.

To the best of my understanding, this person’s only goal is to spread libelous information about AIT, one of my former employers. No doubt they’re doing this because my dislike for AIT is well-documented and they’re hoping to use me as a legal shield. Either that or they feel my name will lend some sort of legitimacy to their propaganda. Whatever their motives, my reputation is not something I’m willing to let them toy with. Here’s what I have to say to all parties involved.
 

To those who’ve received comments from me:

Here is a very simple litmus test to determine if the comment is fraudulent: I have never and will never leave a comment about AIT in any public forum other than my own blog. If the comment contains anything concerning AIT, it’s not me. Period.

If you have received such a comment, I would greatly appreciate any information you can provide concerning it. I am, after all, hunting down an identity thief, so the comment’s content, time of submission, user agent, IP address, etc. would all be helpful.

If you’re unsure of the comment’s authenticity or have any information to provide, please submit a comment to this post with your contact information and I’ll be happy to address the issue personally.
 

To my would-be doppelganger:

I’m sure you think you’re clever. You obviously aren’t a moral or reasonable person, so I won’t bother trying to appeal to your conscience. Given the anonymity of the internet, it would seem that there’s no way I can stop you from using my name to spread libel… at least not yet.

What I will say is that every action on the internet leaves a trail, and I’ve been working on the internet for my entire professional career. Every time I become aware of your actions, I’ll start sniffing. I’ve collected some information already thanks to a few sympathetic webmasters. It’s only a matter of time before I collect enough data to implicate you.

If you’d prefer to avoid legal action, your best bet is to stop now. You are, of course, welcome to continue; I’m honestly curious to see how much a court will award for damages to my reputation. Just remember this: Every comment, every email, every misrepresentation you make of me may be the digital footprint that leads the police to your door.

Regards,
The Real Stephen Ward