WRONG : On the internet, nobody knows you’re a dog

( from LETTERS TO THE EDITOR, the ECONOMIST)

A dog's tale

SIR – It was lovely to see your reference to a New Yorker cartoon from 1993 of one canine saying to his pooch pal that "On the internet, nobody knows you're a dog" ("Anonymous no more", March 12th). Recently, my dog Ursa set up a Facebook account. She has acquired more than 30 friends now, including several of my kid's acquaintances who would never friend me directly. They all know that Ursa is a dog. Mostly my wife and I post things that we think Ursa would say, and she has entered several provocative discussions.

My point is that the web has become a much more sophisticated place since 1993. Now people on the internet know you are a dog but they still treat you as an equal. Of course cats are still excluded as they continue to be evil power-hungry villains.

Tom-Robbins Milne
New York